Join us as we help support Syrian orphans and empower them to support all those around them!

This month I ask you to join me in a promise. A promise to be the best people we can be. A promise to continually fill our hearts with as much generosity as we do our stomachs with water. A promise to give that which we don't need to provide those that do. A promise to never forget that we are always best defined by what we are willing to do for those that can do nothing for us. And lastly, a promise to be there for our Syrian orphans as they need us now. 

Turkey is located just north of Syria and is known for its rich history. While Turkey is actively working on improving conditions for its people, it is also known for being home to one of the largest refugee populations in the world.

There are roughly four million refugees in Turkey, with over 3.7 million of them having fled from Syria. Islamic Relief has been present in Turkey since the 2000s in support of vulnerable communities and works on providing aid to Turks in need, as well as to refugees.

Help give Syrian orphans the opportunity to learn and grow

“The Messenger of Allah (SAW) said: ‘I and the one who looks after an orphan will be like this in Paradise,’ showing his middle and index fingers and separating them.” (Bukhari)

The Problem

• Turkey hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees in the world. There are 3,561,883 Syrians registered in Turkey under temporary protection status as of Dec 08, 2022, according to data from the General Directorate of Migration Management.
• Current estimates indicate that 45 percent of Syrians under temporary protection and other international protection applicants and holders live below the poverty line, including 39 percent considered multidimensionally poor.
• Syrian workers earn on average less than the minimum wage, while Syrian women earn less than their male counterparts and 75 percent work more than 45 hours per week (the maximum legal weekly working time in Turkey).
• On average, 16 percent of households among persons under temporary and international protection do not have any working members, and the figure reaches 31 percent among households headed by women. In some cases, these risks have led to negative coping strategies such as child labor.
• Given the protracted nature of the crisis, Syrians under temporary protection have largely exhausted assets or savings as they were able to bring with them to Turkey. They require continued support from the national authorities and international community to meet their basic needs. Financial limitations make it difficult to obtain adequate housing and ensure secure tenancy and a large number of Syrian households are living in overcrowded and/or substandard shelters with inadequate sanitation and hygiene facilities.
• The average household earns less than half the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB) value, indicating a high level of economic insecurity. The MEB increased by 32 percent yearly and reached TRY 731 in December 2021 . Most of the Syrian refugees are concentrated in southern Türkiye, near the border.

How this affects Syrian Orphans:

• Orphan families are considered the most vulnerable among the refugees, as mothers must raise children and earn living and secure the needs of the household in terms of food, housing, etc. A large part of these mothers, 80%, do not have any profession or previous studies, and they were not prepared for work, but were only housewives, and some of them have Health problems and others psychological problems due to the shocks and most of them cannot leave their children and go to work even if they find a job.
• Most of the orphan families do not have a stable income and do not have savings, or they have spent all their savings due to the prolonged period of the crisis. Some orphan family’s resort to not sending their children to schools and sending them to work at a very early age. Since the age of 8, they start sending them to laboratories to secure some of their basic needs for the family. Some factory owners accept children to work, thinking that they assist their families, and some give them very low wages and exploit them.
• With the prices rising dramatically due to high inflation (84.39% yearly rate), the situation worsened for these families, and most of their children would be exploited in the work market if the support does not continue.

The Solution

The project will focus on the families of the poorest orphans, those who have critical medical conditions or disabilities. IR Turkey will use the experience of local association (SELAM) in managing orphanages, the orphanage will be managed by them, and IR Turkey will secure needs and monitor through its staff.

The two main goals of this project are:

1. Improved living conditions and decrease the negative coping mechanisms to strengthening orphan families and communal through providing support for the families living in orphan building.
2. Increase the accessibility of the formal education for the orphan children residing in the supported orphan building.

The Logistics Of How It All Will Work 

Overall Interventions:

• Expenses of the rent and utilities of the supported orphan building will be covered for 18 months.
• Food and hygiene assistance will be provided to orphan families residing in the supported orphan building for 18 months.
• A one-time clothing assistance will be provided to orphan mothers residing in the supported orphan building.
• Turkish language courses (A1, A2 and B1 levels) will be provided to orphan mothers residing in the supported orphan building.
• Healthcare support will be provided to all orphan families for the expenses not covered by the state.
• One-time stationery and school clothing support will be provided to children residing in the supported orphan building.
• School transportation assistance will be provided to orphan children during school terms.

The Syrian orphans need us now. You can change their life. You can change their family's life. You can be the change. Donate today.