Following the World Health Organisation’s declaration of the Covid-19 as a pandemic on March 11th, 2020, countries took measures to prevent the outbreak. These measures, inevitably, impacted how civil society organisations (CSOs) operate and work with their target groups. After a thorough needs analysis conducted with the Support Foundation for Civil Society (STDV), we decided to change our 2020 grant strategy and launch the COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund according to the findings onf the analysis and the emerging needs of civil society. The analysis were conducted between 25 March – 3 April 2020 through online meetings with grantees and other stakeholders from the field to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on its grantees. With an aim to support the survival of CSOs in the short term, the Fund was launched for our existing grantees to meet their organisational needs and urgent needs of their target groups.
The call for applications for the Fund were open between 22 May and 8 June 2020. A total of 20 applications were received from 6 different cities.
The grantees Turkey Mozaik Foundation Supports as part of the Covid-19 Emergency Fund are:
Colourful Hopes Association (Rengarenk Umutlar Derneği)
Imece Initiative Association (İmece İnisiyatifi Derneği)
Karakutu Association (Karakutu Derneği)
Music for Peace Foundation (Barış için Müzik Vakfı)
Nefes Art and Culture Institution (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği)
We Will Stop Femicides Platform Association (Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu Derneği)
Please see below for detailed information on our Covid-19 Emergency Fund Grantees
Colourful Hopes Association (Rengarenk Umutlar Derneği)
Grant Provided: 20,000 TL (Jointly supported by Turkey Mozaik Foundation and Support for Civil Society Foundation)
Grant Period: 30 June 2020 – 30 October 2020
The Colourful Hopes Association (Rengarenk Umutlar Derneği-RUMUD) develops and implements socio-cultural and socio-psychological projects in order to provide equal cultural and social opportunities for children and women who are affected from the conflicts in the Sur-Diyarbakır region. RUMUD organizes many workshops on drama, choir, art, gender equality, respect for differences with about 200 children in a year.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, RUMUD conducted interviews with the families of the beneficiary children and noticed that 90% of families did not have access to the Internet which became a limiting factor for the implementation of their activities. As a response, RUMUD started using the teleconference method to continue working with the children in the outbreak. However, it has been observed that this method, which causes children to adapt to the process only by hearing sounds, is inadequate. RUMUD will use this grant to strengthen the Internet infrastructure with a radio link system that will be installed in 3 different locations of the Sur neighborhood. This will enable the organisation to transfer its work to the digital environment and to continue their activities with the children online. In this way, several workshops and psycho-social support will be provided for children with volunteers from various professions such as psychologists, social workers, health professionals and musicians.
İmece Initiative Association (İmece İnisiyatifi Derneği – İmece)
Grant Provided: 18,000 TL (Turkey Mozaik Foundation)
Grant Period: 26 June 2020 – 28 October 2020
İmece Initiative Association (İmece İnisiyatifi Derneği – İmece) organises activities against discrimination, injustice and poverty in order to create a sustainable life. İmece works mainly with Syrian Dom women and children – one of the most disadvantaged refugee groups- to ensure access to education opportunities and basic needs as well as diversification of livelihoods. İmece Village (İmece Köy) which is an ecological village built for enhancing the livelihoods of refugee women and children provides an environment in which different programmes and activities targeting refugees are implemented by a group of volunteers.
The COVID-19 outbreak has made the refugees and especially Syrian Dom communities more vulnerable who are already living in poverty without regular income and have problems in access to health services. Due to the measures taken regarding COVID-19 outbreak, these groups could no longer work at their daily jobs. In this context, it has become more important for İmece to ensure that these groups have access to their basic needs such as food and hygiene materials. Within the scope of the grant, Imece will employ a coordinator who will be responsible from the purchasing, logistics and distribution of food and hygiene materials to Dom communities, refugees and migrants who live in the camps of Torbalı, İzmir.
Karakutu Assocation (Karakutu)
Grant Provided: 19,000 TL (10,000 TL Turkey Mozaik Foundation & 9,000 TL Support for Civil Society Foundation)
Grant Period: 30 June 2020 – 30 October 2020
Karakutu Association creates awareness on human rights and democratic values by critically evaluating the causes and consequences of historical injustices. The alternative narratives that were suppressed by official history are introduced with different perspectives about the past to society, especially to young people, by conducting Memory Walks and seminars on discrimination and human rights violation with a focus on collective memory and/or facing the past.
Karakutu Association has experienced financial challenges as a result of the measures taken regarding COVID-19 which made it more difficult to raise funds. Karakutu will use this grant to contribute to salary of an employee who is responsible from coordinating the activities of the organisation and cover costs related to rent and accounting.
Music for Peace Foundation (Barış için Müzik)
Grant Provided: 20,000 TL (Tureky Mozaik Foundation)
Grant Period: 30 June 2020 – 30 October 2020
Music for Peace Foundation (Mehmet Selim Baki Barış için Müzik Vakfı – Barış için Müzik) provides free music education for disadvantaged children to eliminate barriers on music education, to take part in an artistic life and to make arts education accessible for all. A part of the international El Sistema network, Music for Peace Foundation establishes orchestras and choirs with children, helping them increase their self-confidence and improve the quality of their lives.
The cancelled concerts and decreasing donations due to COVID-19 outbreak negatively affected the financial sustainability of the Music for Peace Foundation. Barış için Müzik will use this grant to strengthen the communication capacity of the organisation which is also expected to strengthen the financial sustainability. With this grant, the foundation will employ a corporate communications coordinator, a graphic designer and a video editor to develop and implement the organisation’s communications strategy in an effective way.
Nefes Art and Culture Institution (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği – Nefes)
Grant Provided: 20,000 TL (Turkey Mozaik Foundation)
Grant Period: 30 June 2020 – 30 October 2020
Syrian and Turkish young artists and art enthusiasts in Gaziantep, where many Syrian immigrants live, established the Nefes Art and Culture Institution (Nefes Kültür Sanat Derneği – Nefes). Nefes provides culture and arts trainings for children and young people to create local communities with an emphasis on multiculturalism and the value of cultural heritage through art production and participation.
The Nefes Music School Project (Nefes Müzik Okulu), which is supported by the Support for Civil Society Foundation within the scope of Culture and Arts Fund in 2019, provides music education on rhythm and traditional instruments for Syrian and Turkish children. On 8 March 2020 The association was required to suspended all of its activities due to COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, Nefes plans to complete the remaining 16 lessons online. According to the new lesson plan, instructors will be present at Nefes Music School and will give live online lessons to students. Therefore, Nefes will use this grant to adapt its activities to the digital environment by purchasing the necessary equipment and completing the remaining courses of the project.
We Will Stop Femicides Platform Association (Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu Derneği)
Grant Provided: 19,506 TL (10,000 TL Turkey Mozaik Foundation & 9,506 TL Support for Civil Society Foundation)
Grant Period: 08 July 2020 – 30 October 2020
We Will Stop Femicides Platform Association (Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız Platformu Derneği- Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız) works to eliminate violence against women in Turkey. The platform collects and shares monthly data on femicides in Turkey, which has been increasing every year. In addition, they monitor court cases on femicides, violence against women, sexual abuse and organize public awareness campaigns on these cases. The Platform advocates for the enactment of the Law No. 6284 on the Protection of the Family and the Prevention of Violence against Women. Following the adoption of the law, it also conducted field studies to raise awareness among women and invite public institutions to fulfil the obligations described by the law.
We Will Stop Femicides Platform Association has launched an emergency help and support hot line for women due to increased male violence during the quarantine period due to Covid-19. The incoming applications increased exponentially every month which is due to the fact that women had to live in the same house with their perpetrators. The platform expects that the number of applications will increase in the near future. Kadın Cinayetlerini Durduracağız will use this grant to pay a salary for the women who are working for the hotline on a volunteer basis. A total of 6 women will work for in the hotline with 8-hour shifts every day which will help it operate in a more professional manner. The Incoming calls will be recorded for follow-up and application statistics will be used for reporting.
