IBC KİLİS COMMUNITY CENTRE

Since 2000, International Blue Crescent Relief & Development Foundation (IBC) helps and relieves pain of the ones suffering from accessing emergency assistance, health, education and rehabilitation; without considering their religion, language, race, political opinion, gender, age, sexual orientation, genetic or physical characteristics.

Since the first day the humanitarian crisis started in Syria, IBC works continuously to improve and strengthen living conditions in Kilis where approximately thousands of refugees live.

The International Blue Crescent Foundation (IBC) started to work in a temporary field hospital in 2013 by providing health services. As of 2018; with the support of the German International Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Kilis Community Center Project was implemented by IBC.

Kilis Community Center, which serves approximately 1000 Syrians every month; by the end of 2019, will reach approximately 79,000 beneficiaries with 16,000 individual participants.

Kilis Community Center Project, which aims to increase the personal capacity of vulnerable groups in social, cultural and economic areas by creating sustainable safe area models for disadvantaged communities, has contributed to improving social cohesion between the host community and refugees with the activities it has both developed and produced effective solutions for peace based society.

What we did at Kilis Community Centre?

All services provided at Kilis Community Center aim to enable our beneficiaries to overcome the trauma of war, gain a positive perspective on life, and gain new equipment and create an income gate. For this reason, the Center has accomplished many success stories in the process in which it operates.

1. Psycho-Social Support Activities

2. Life Skills Development Courses

3. Cultural and Social Cohesion Activities

4. Awareness raising activities and legal information sessions

5. Capacity building activities and training for staff

As a result of all these activities, we also received some news that increased our happiness;

• Muhammad Ali who was trained our language courses became the first among all the students in Turkey in 2019 LGS examination by answering all questions correctly.
• Muhammed Hamis who attended our Turkish courses; was awarded the ’Extraordinary Reader” award at the ceremony organized by the Ministry of Culture at the Week of Libraries.
• 12 of our beneficiaries started painting education as a result of the courses they took.
• 3 of our students formed their own music groups and started giving concerts.
• 4 of our hairdressing students became professionals and started working in a beauty salon.
• A student who took advantage of recycling courses started to do creative work at home with recyclable materials.
• 10 female students who participated in sewing courses started designing and selling clothes.
• Many of our beneficiaries decided to work in community centers and started to serve in the field of humanitarian aid.

Especially; in Kilis Community Center, which creates awareness about psycho-social support activities starting from children; regular informative sessions on children's rights, human rights and women's rights were also organized. By engaging the host community in the process, the bond established with our beneficiaries has led to a longer-term and sustainable operating results.

Kilis Community Center, which cooperates with institutions and organizations operating in the field of Health and Social Services; In the new period, with the support of GIZ and SDC, it continues to develop projects by adding protection activities to all these activities.

Kilis Community Center has provided a safe, disability-friendly space for the beneficiaries to express themselves freely and receive support and guidance in line with their needs. The positive communication skills of the beneficiaries have been improved and an important way has been achieved in the cultural harmony of the two communities through trips and other activities.

Our center is in constant communication with local governments and other non-governmental organizations. On this occasion, the beneficiaries are directed to the relevant institutions if necessary.

In order to support the participatory approach, a “Beneficiary Committee” was added to the project in the new term. This committee will hold meetings at regular intervals to receive feedback from the beneficiaries and increase the participatory approach.

The IBC Kilis community center provides services that address both Syrian refugees and Turkish host communities and do not discriminate in beneficiary selection. Throughout the project; Kilis Municipality, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Family and Social Policies, Public Education Centers are local stakeholders of IBC.

The International Blue Crescent Foundation (IBC) is committed to full compliance with the International Humanitarian Principles, Human Rights Policy, Child Protection Policies, Gender Policies and other internationally recognized policies for the protection and security of refugees.

The International Blue Crescent Foundation (IBC) has been certified with the Core Humanitarian Standards Certificate (CHS) because of implementing humanitarian projects with highest quality standards. IBC is the first and only NGO in Turkey which has this certificate.