Suna’nin Kizlari (Suna’s Daughters) focuses on uplifting the educational and developmental journey of girls aged 0-18. Taking a multi-dimensional and holistic approach, the organization aims to create ecosystems of support that enhance the capabilities of girls to identify and pursue their dreams, whatever they may be.
Launched by the Suna and Inan Kirac Foundation in 2021, Suna’s Daughters has brought together 31 NGOs in the form of five task forces that are working collectively to address the needs in girls’ education, as identified by our extensive research efforts.
Our objectives are driven by four underlying priorities. We aim to help ensure that children:
• Are emotionally and physically secure,
• Not left behind from school and play,
• Have a say about their life,
• Are supported to realize their dreams.
Challenge: After the tragic February 20223 earthquakes in Southeast Turkiye, and based on our field analysis of pressing needs, Suna’s Daughters decided to focus its resources on creating “Children’s Hubs” in the earthquake zone. The Hubs are open to all children but prioritize girls ages 12-18, as girls in this age group were the most overlooked in the support given to the region post disaster. With a seed grant from TPF’s Earthquake Relief Fund, we were able to create our first Hub in Pazarcik, Kahramanmaras in April 2023.
Since then, Suna’s Daughters has managed to reach more than 400 children in 2 Children’s Hubs (Kahramanmaras and a second one in Antakya-Hatay). As of January 2024, and in partnership with the Ministry of Family and Social Services, Suna’s Daughters will have a total of 5 Hubs up and running in the provinces of Adıyaman, Hatay and Şanlıurfa. Further, to ensure complete recovery, we expect that the Hubs have to be operational in the field for at least 1-2 more years.
Solution: The Children’s Hubs are safe spaces for children living in the earthquake zone, both in the temporary shelter communities that were established post disaster, and beyond. Together with our network of civil society partners, local and national governments, the Hubs provide psychological services, well-being programs, and quiet spaces that are designed to support the holistic devleopment of children, especially adolescent girls, while also giving them tools for trauma recovery and community building post disaster.
Included in the services of the Children’s Hubs are
• Retaining children (particularly girls) in the education system;
• Providing safe and encouraging spaces for children to gather and socialize with peers;
• Providing girl-friendly health advice and services to protect children’s emotional, physical, and social wellbeing;
• Creating spaces for arts and sports/movement-based activities to support children's healthy growth;
• Enabling children to use their voices by creating platforms, mechanisms, and tools to encourage children’s participation in decision-making processes.
Based on the continued level of need in the earthquake zone, we have seen that the Hubs need to provide more support, not only to the children visiting the Hubs, but to caregivers and the communities surrounding the Hubs, as well.
Thus, Suna’s Daughters has decided to expand Hub services by adding additional support staff, including staff dedicated to psychological support, and increasing outreach and educational activities in the communities surrounding the Hubs. Recently, for example, the Hubs have begun to organize monthly meetings for mothers living in the Hubs’ surrounding communities. We plan to have reached 7.000 people living in the earthquake zone by Fall 2024, with additional Hubs, additional services, additional reach, and additional expertise.
2024 will be an ambitious year for Suna’s Daughters, as we return to launching and incubating pre-earthquake strategies, while also expanding our support in the earthquake zone. Your support will help ensure that we serve as many children, especially girls, as possible.
