Merhaba from Istanbul! I am thrilled to be here and very excited about the work I will be doing in the coming months. It’s been great getting to know the fantastic team at YUVA, drinking copious amounts of tea, and starting to plan for the training evaluations and education needs assessment I will be working on while I am here. I’ve also been keeping myself busy exploring the city, taking Turkish lessons, and eating as much eggplant as I can get my hands on.
This weekend, I am very excited to be traveling to the Kirikhan Community Center, which is run by YUVA and their partner, Support to Life. The goal of the Kirikhan Community Center is to empower local and Syrian people through psychosocial support and adult education. While I’m visiting, I will help with a cultural event with local Turkish and Syrian people, take time to get to know the Center, and continue planning for an evaluation of the trainings they are providing.
In preparation for the trip, I have studied a report commissioned by YUVA to understand a little bit more about the context in Kirikhan. The report was prepared by Şenay Özden using qualitative methods. Özden conducted interviews and focus groups with Syrians and local Turkish people, public officials, NGO workers, and small business owners. Here are a few highlights from the report:
This weekend, I am very excited to be traveling to the Kirikhan Community Center, which is run by YUVA and their partner, Support to Life. The goal of the Kirikhan Community Center is to empower local and Syrian people through psychosocial support and adult education. While I’m visiting, I will help with a cultural event with local Turkish and Syrian people, take time to get to know the Center, and continue planning for an evaluation of the trainings they are providing.
In preparation for the trip, I have studied a report commissioned by YUVA to understand a little bit more about the context in Kirikhan. The report was prepared by Şenay Özden using qualitative methods. Özden conducted interviews and focus groups with Syrians and local Turkish people, public officials, NGO workers, and small business owners. Here are a few highlights from the report:
Stories of Departure from Syria
Most Syrians in Kirikhan said they left Syria because of violence and bombings, and because they no longer had access to basic necessities like food and gas. Another major reason for leaving Syria was the psychological toll of the war on children. Many people saw family members and close friends injured or killed, and had their homes and workplaces demolished. Most of the Syrians interviewed entered Kirikhan irregularly, without passports. Those that knew about refugee camps in Turkey said they decided not to go there because of possible employment opportunities in the cities.
Demographic Information
Most of the Syrians in Kirikhan are from middle or lower socio-economic backgrounds, and the majority (especially women) have few years of formal schooling. Most of the Syrians with a university education were government employees before leaving Syria, while most of those with less education had small-scale businesses and shops.
Gender
In Kirikhan, refugees are registered under the male head of the household. This approach raises questions about its implications for women, especially female heads of households. In addition, many Syrians reported that women do not go out of their homes alone or pursue employment for fear of sexual harassment.
Housing
Due to the influx of Syrians over the last year, rent has increased considerably in Kirikhan. Because of this, it is common for 2 or 3 families to share accommodations, which can mean 15 to 20 people share a one or two room flat. Most Syrian families do not have basic items such as refrigerators and kitchen utensils. Some even live in uncompleted building blocks without electricity or running water.
Education
Opportunities for Syrian children to attend school in Kirikhan are limited. There is at least one school available in Kirikhan for Syrians, but its capacity is limited, and it is located far from the neighborhoods where many Syrians are living. Parents expressed concern about the negative psychological impact the lack of schooling is having on their children. While most parents said they would want their children to attend school if they had they opportunity, some worry about the loss of income that would result, as these households rely on children to supplement family income.
Major challenges
According to those Syrians interviewed in the study, the major problems they face are:
1. Unemployment. Most Syrians in Kirikhan do not have farming experience, which is the major source of employment in the area. Those with professional backgrounds such as teaching and engineering are unable to find work because they cannot speak Turkish. Further, since they have no official status, insurance and social security laws do not apply to them, and any businesses that hire them would be doing so illegally.
2. Expensive rent.
3. No schools for children.
Most Syrians in Kirikhan said they left Syria because of violence and bombings, and because they no longer had access to basic necessities like food and gas. Another major reason for leaving Syria was the psychological toll of the war on children. Many people saw family members and close friends injured or killed, and had their homes and workplaces demolished. Most of the Syrians interviewed entered Kirikhan irregularly, without passports. Those that knew about refugee camps in Turkey said they decided not to go there because of possible employment opportunities in the cities.
Demographic Information
Most of the Syrians in Kirikhan are from middle or lower socio-economic backgrounds, and the majority (especially women) have few years of formal schooling. Most of the Syrians with a university education were government employees before leaving Syria, while most of those with less education had small-scale businesses and shops.
Gender
In Kirikhan, refugees are registered under the male head of the household. This approach raises questions about its implications for women, especially female heads of households. In addition, many Syrians reported that women do not go out of their homes alone or pursue employment for fear of sexual harassment.
Housing
Due to the influx of Syrians over the last year, rent has increased considerably in Kirikhan. Because of this, it is common for 2 or 3 families to share accommodations, which can mean 15 to 20 people share a one or two room flat. Most Syrian families do not have basic items such as refrigerators and kitchen utensils. Some even live in uncompleted building blocks without electricity or running water.
Education
Opportunities for Syrian children to attend school in Kirikhan are limited. There is at least one school available in Kirikhan for Syrians, but its capacity is limited, and it is located far from the neighborhoods where many Syrians are living. Parents expressed concern about the negative psychological impact the lack of schooling is having on their children. While most parents said they would want their children to attend school if they had they opportunity, some worry about the loss of income that would result, as these households rely on children to supplement family income.
Major challenges
According to those Syrians interviewed in the study, the major problems they face are:
1. Unemployment. Most Syrians in Kirikhan do not have farming experience, which is the major source of employment in the area. Those with professional backgrounds such as teaching and engineering are unable to find work because they cannot speak Turkish. Further, since they have no official status, insurance and social security laws do not apply to them, and any businesses that hire them would be doing so illegally.
2. Expensive rent.
3. No schools for children.
It is important to emphasize that the methodology used for this study prevents the results from being generalizable beyond those who participated in the interviews and focus groups. Further, the use of words like “some” and “many” in the report does not provide a clear picture of the prevalence of the reported opinions, behaviors, and access to necessities. Still, Özden’s report shows that many Syrians are facing significant challenges, and these challenges are consistent with reports from other towns in Turkey in which many Syrian refugees live. I look forward to learning more as I work with and spend more time with the Kirikhan community.