Our colleague has recently returned from a „preparatory visit“ from Istanbul, Turkey. Together with partners ADICE and MONDO from the project HVA (Humanitarian Volunteers in Action) verified in an NGO Small Projects Istanbul (SPI) the conditions for hosting the first humanitarian volunteers (what will be their specific tasks, working environment, residence permit, etc.). They will travel there after the mandatory pre-departure training in July.
SPI Organisation was established to help the social and economic integration of Syrian refugee men and women in Istanbul. PIt is mainly young people, and a large part of the organisation's activities are carried out thanks to hundreds of local volunteers. Soon, the organisation will also add foreign reinforcements - also from Slovakia - thanks to the EU Aid volunteers programme. SPI runs a community centre that provides dignified integration and a space for livelihoods for mostly Syrian displaced families trying to rebuild their lives in Turkey.
SPI is also in charge of running the social enterprise Muhra, where Syrian women (mostly refugees) work and produce jewellery and textiles, which are then sold to foreign buyers via an online shop. The name Muhra in Arabic means something like „female horse“, which is meant to refer to the unwavering strength of women. For example, the earrings from the „Drop earrings not bombs“ campaign were created in the workshop, as well as various original printed textiles (bags and T-shirts).
Alongside the work in the workshop, young people (humanitarian volunteers) will be able to hear the stories of people who were forced to leave their homeland because they were afraid of the consequences of war. These are sad memories that European women and men may not understand at first hearing - because of different cultural, ethnic, religious contexts. This is why pre-departure training is important in the management of humanitarian volunteers, so that they are prepared for such situations, conversations, culturally sensitised and avoid possible misunderstandings or conflicts.
At the same time, in Istanbul, a multicultural city at the crossroads of Europe and Asia, young people on secondment can grow as individuals while working in an international environment. They will be involved in coordinating local volunteers, communicating with vulnerable groups, and promoting social entrepreneurship and ethical shopping (while promoting Muhra workshop products). Empathy and the ability to adapt quickly will be very welcome in this environment.
More about volunteering in Istanbul, Turkey coming soon on: https://www.adra.sk/dobrovolnicke_vyzvy/
Text: Boba M. Baluchová, Photo: Boba Baluch, BOVÁ ADRA team
_____________________________________________________________________________
Our activities in Istanbul are part of the project Humanitarian Volunteers in Action (Humanitarian Volunteers in Action), which is funded by the European Commission under the EU Aid Volunteers and managed by the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) in cooperation with the EU's Directorate-General for Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations (DG ECHO) and, from 2021, the Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture (DG EAC).
EN 
SK