Children’s Fund
The Children’s Fund was launched in 2018 to support civil society organisations (CSOs) working to ensure children’s access to their fundamental rights. To date, we provided 22 grants to support the projects and initiatives of CSOs working in this field. Our commitment to children’s rights goes beyond simple grant giving and includes organisational capacity-building assistance for CSOs, allowing them to create sustainable and impactful programmes.
Please find more information about the fund’s grantees below:
All the Children Are Ours Association (Bütün Çocuklar Bizim Derneği)
All Children are Ours Association works to support the education, happiness and healthy development of children and to fight against all kinds of economic, social, legal, psychological, cultural and actual obstacles in this regard. The association provides in-kind support such as clothing, books and school supplies for disadvantaged children, as well as scholarships to support their education.
Kozalak Association (Kozalak Derneği)
Kozalak Association works to ensure that all children, youth and adult learners acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to support sustainable development, spread sustainable lifestyles and develop global citizenship awareness through non-formal and/or formal education methods.
Olive Seeds Association (Zeytin Çekirdekleri Derneği)
Olive Seeds Association, established in Balıkesir, focusing on children’s right to access education and arts, is working to provide support to children aged 7-11 who are socio-economically disadvantaged and cannot access quality education and arts.
Flying Broom Women Communication and Research Association (Uçan Süpürge Kadın İletişim ve Araştırma Derneği)
Established in Ankara, Flying Broom Women Communication and Research Association conducts research and studies at the national and international levels on issues such as the right to education, early and forced marriages, and rights-based media literacy in order to make visible the negative effects of gender inequality on the lives of women and girls.
Social Rights and Research Association (Toplumsal Haklar ve Araştırmalar Derneği-TOHAD)
Working on eliminating rights violations faced by disabled people since 2008, TOHAD has been carrying out activities since 2015 to make the problems of children with disabilities visible and support their right to participate. The association runs its activities in order to ensure that people with disabilities, chronic patients, the elderly, women, children, etc. who experience social, economic and psychological victimisation and restriction, as well as being subject to discrimination, abuse and loss of rights benefit from all their rights as stated in laws, constitutions, international agreements and universal legal principles.
Sulukule Volunteers Association (Sulukule Gönüllüleri Derneği-SGD)
SGD was founded on 2010 as a part of the Sulukule Platform by the volunteers who worked in the destruction zone. It has been working through a right-based perspective in neighborhoods with disadvantaged groups under risk of being subject to discrimination. Creating child-friendly spaces with participatory methods, empowering children socially and psychologically through rights-based studies in the school, developing models with a holistic approach to prevent school dropout and creating awareness for women and children about their rights are the main objectives of the association.
Matters Association (Önemsiyoruz Derneği)
Matters Association aims to ensure the social and cultural development of children at risk and support their psychosocial well-being. The Association aims to determine the needs in these areas, produce scientific research and development projects and design preventive solutions by organising training and awareness-raising activities. The Association designs games and toys for children at risk between the ages of 0-6 to support their self-awareness, psychological development and interaction with their environment.
Nirengi Association (Nirengi Derneği)
Nirengi Association (Nirengi) works to prevent abuse, peer bullying and relationship violence with a systematic, holistic and multidisciplinary approach and aims to contribute to the solution of these problems with applicable policy recommendations. Nirengi has developed a school-based model that includes protection-prevention, notification, intervention and treatment stages, and aims to incorporate this model into the national education system to achieve a sustainable solution.
Roma Rights Association (Roman Hakları Derneği-ROMHAK)
Roma Rights Association works against inequalities in policy and decision-making mechanisms caused by the discriminatory treatment of Roma people. The Association focuses on the Roma children who are most affected by these problems and their access to their rights. ROMHAK conducts arts, education, drama, social cohesion and music workshops in different regions to empower children and their families, and aims to support children to gradually increase their participation in formal education.
The Idea and Arts Workshop Association (Fikir ve Sanat Atölyesi Derneği-FİSA)
The Idea and Arts Workshop Association carries out projects and programs to tackle child neglect and abuse, child labour, discrimination, child participation, child and migration, disability and education in order to promote children’s rights. The Association provides scholarships for students in addition to implementing educational activities in arts and science through workshops and panels in collaboration with public institutions, the private sector and civil society organisations.
Ordu Association of Empowering Women (Ordu Kadını Güçlendirme Derneği-ORKAGÜDER)
Ordu Association of Empowering Women was established in 2010 as a rights-based organisation which works with disadvantages groups such disabled people, children and women in order to prevent violence and discrimination based on gender in East Black Sea Region of Turkey. The Association conducts studies on child labour in seasonal agriculture, child neglect and abuse, child protection.
The Colourful Hopes Association (Rengarenk Umutlar Derneği)
The Colourful Hopes Association conducts socio-cultural and socio-psychological projects to provide cultural and social opportunities for children and women who are affected by conflict in the Sur-Diyarbakır region and who live in disadvantaged neighbourhoods, and are exposed to discrimination. The association organises workshops on drama, choir, art, gender equality, respect for differences with about 200 children in a year.
Music for Peace Foundation
(Barış için Müzik)
Music for Peace Foundation (Barış için Müzik) is an organisation that has been working with children since 2005. In the decrepit Edirnekapi neighbourhood of Istanbul, Music for Peace aims to positively transform the lives of children and their families and communities through the practice of classical music.
Network of Sport and Body Movement for Vulnerable Groups
(BoMoVu)
BoMoVu – Network of Sport and Body Movement for Vulnerable Groups aims to enable sports practitioners and performing artists to transform their expertise into social value. We support the “Reconciliation Games” project which utilises playful education through traditional street games in border provinces, encouraging children to claim and preserve their cultural heritage, and reinforcing the values of unity and sharing.
Istanbul Foster Care Association
(Istanbul Koruyucu Aile Derneği)
Istanbul Foster Care Association is a grassroots association founded in 2012 by individuals raised in foster care themselves as well as families and parents who are foster parents. The team strongly believes that growing up in a loving and caring home is the most natural demand a child can have.
Association of Civic Affinity and Anti-violence (DUY-DER)
Association of Civic Affinity and Anti-Violence (Duy-Der: Toplumsal Duyarlılık ve Şiddet Karşıtları Derneği ) is a charity founded in 2008 against all forms of individual and organisational violence, discrimination and human rights abuses. One of the main programs of the association has been on reducing the hazards of mine and conflict waste materials.
Science Heroes Association
(Bilim Kahramanları Derneği)
Science Heroes Association aims to promote and spread science, scientific thinking and awareness in the society, and in particular through activities targeting children and the youth. Our funding supports “Girls meet Science!” project, which will allow for 12 primary school teams comprising of girls aged 6-10 in Antalya, Diyarbakır, Hatay, Edirne, Samsun and Mersin to participate in the FIRST® LEGO® League Jr. programme.
Village Schools Exchange Network
(Köy Okulları Değişim Ağı)
Village Schools Exchange Network (KODA) is a newly founded charity in Istanbul that focuses on increasing the quality of education in rural Turkey. Through their core programs, they provide support to teachers and students for the advancement of quality education in formal school systems. KODA is implementing a series of workshops designed for children on issues of space, universe, astronomy, visual arts, cultural diversity, geography and architecture, emotional awareness, underwater life and general life culture in Muş province.
Association for Struggle against Sexual Violence
(Cinsel Şiddetle Mücadele Derneği)
Our funding supports “Çocuk Anlatır Sen Dinle, İstismarı Önle”, a train-the-trainer project that aims to increase the participants’ knowledge and awareness regarding child abuse and the approaches to prevent and recognise harm. The workshops will be for Sisli Municipality employees that work directly with children (e.g. Social Service Division) and educators/counsellors in selected secondary schools in the area. The training materials that will be developed within the project will provide the resources for other municipalities that would like to implement the programme in their area.
Hayat Sende Association
(Hayat Sende Derneği)
Hayat Sende Association was established in 2007 with the aim of bringing innovative solutions to the lives of children under legal care in Turkey. Our funding supports a train-the-trainer programme for 20 university students aged 18-25 under state care, who will then lead workshops for 150 children aged 10-15 to raise awareness of their rights as children under state care and to build capacity to facilitate every child’s access these rights.
BBOM
(Bir Başka Okul Mümkün)
Bir Baska Okul Mumkun (BBOM) was set up in 2010 to develop an alternative school model improving on the current Turkish education system and to establish schools which use this education model that focuses on social solution and child-centred approaches. There are currently 5 BBOM Early Childhood Centres and Primary Schools and 8 Education Cooperatives across Turkey. Our funding supports “Participatory & Peaceful Toys” project that will allow for development and dissemination of educational toys and materials aligned with BBOM’s principles.