Sadaqah Jariyah: Support Uyghur Youth Far from Their Homeland

At The Tarim Network, we believe that empowered youth are the key to a thriving Uyghur community. That’s why we launched the Youth Empowerment Program (YEP) in 2024—a transformative initiative that has already supported over 100 young Uyghurs across two regions. Now it’s time to go bigger to reach even more youth across the diaspora. We need your support to drive this next phase and ensure that Uyghur youth have the opportunities they deserve.

How does YEP work?

• We connect and convene youth with opportunities to collaborate with other youth in their local and global diaspora communities.
• We build their capacity through leadership training, project design and management modules, essential skills workshops and more.
• We help them translate their ideas into impactful projects that address diaspora community needs and provide them with funds to launch these initiatives.

YEP’s IMPACT

The Tarim Network strives to foster a vibrant, sustainable, and self-reliant Uyghur diaspora amid the ongoing homeland crisis. Thanks to the success of our pilot YEP, we now have a capable cohort of Uyghur youth equipped with the skills, confidence, and experience to mentor the next generation and drive lasting community impact.

For many participants, YEP was their first experience collaborating on community initiatives and receiving sustained capacity-building support. Among Uyghur youth in Türkiye, we saw a marked improvement in self-confidence, communication, problem-solving skills, and mental health. Notably, female leadership and gender dynamics in Istanbul’s youth communities improved due to strong female role models and intentional inclusion of women’s voices. Through networking, joint learning, and community assessments, participants gained a shared sense of belonging and ownership, strengthening their commitment to collective action.

YEP Pilot Outcomes 

• More than 100 young Uyghurs with leadership, project management, and other essential skills through hands-on workshops
• Nine youth hubs across Turkey and Kazakhstan designed and implemented projects that addressed pressing community needs, including Uyghur language and cultural resilience, mental health support, livelihoods, academic and career mentoring and more. We’re incredibly proud to report that many of these initiatives continue to serve our communities today, demonstrating that empowered youth create sustainable impact.
• Two highly successful YEP Summits that brought youth together to connect, learn, and build lasting partnerships while also engaging in some friendly competition during an ideathon.

We monitored and evaluated our approach and outcomes throughout the pilot, ensuring that our programming was responsive to the needs and interests of our youth community. Watch interviews with the youth to hear directly from them on how this journey contributed to their growth and to the development of their community. 

And check out the amazing projects youth implemented during the YEP pilot.

Now, it’s time to build on this momentum and expand YEP’s reach even further!

Our Goal for 2025

We are raising $50,000 to fund YEP for the coming year with any additional donations going towards supporting even more youth! With each contribution, you’ll be investing in: 

1. Grant funding and resources for youth-led initiatives that create meaningful impact within the Uyghur community.
2. Workshops, and training sessions to equip Uyghur youth with leadership, communication, and professional skills.
3. A sustainable platform:
   • A committed team that provides hands-on guidance to youth hubs and community projects
   • Developing and maintaining a centralized online platform that houses all YEP activities
   • Covering the costs of physical and virtual spaces for leadership training, summit events, and community-driven initiatives

How You Can Help

🎯 Donate – Every dollar makes a difference! Whether it's $1, $10 or $1,000, your contribution directly supports Uyghur youth.

📢 Share – Spread the word! Share this campaign with your friends, family, and networks.

🤝 Sponsor – If you or your organization want to become a key supporter of YEP, reach out to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Join Us in Empowering the Future

YEP has already proven that Uyghur youth are ready to lead. With your support, we can expand this program and invest in the next generation of community leaders.

Donate today and be part of this movement.

About The Tarim Network

The Tarim Network is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering Uyghurs through education, leadership development, and community-building initiatives. Our mission is to foster a strong, connected, and self-sustaining Uyghur diaspora by providing young people with the tools they need to succeed. 

Since our founding, we have launched programs that support Uyghur cultural preservation, youth development, and community engagement. The Youth Empowerment Program is one of our most impactful initiatives, and with your help, we can continue to grow and support the next generation of Uyghur leaders.

See more of our work on our website or on social media!

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thetarimnetwork

🌐 Website: https://www.thetarimnetwork.com/

🔗 Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheTarimNetwork