Global Context
Around 333 million children live in extreme poverty, and one in three lacks access to essential services like healthcare, nutrition, and education.
- Education: 16% of children and youth are out of school, with girls making up nearly half.
- Child Labour: Over 20% of children in the poorest countries are involved in child labour, often hindering their education.
- Child, Early and Forced Marriages (CEFM): Each year, 12 million girls are married before the age of 18, with millions more at risk by 2030.
- Violence: One in three children experiences violence, and millions are displaced due to conflict, with over 43 million displaced in 2022 alone.
Challenges in Türkiye
While Türkiye has made progress in improving children’s welfare, many challenges remain:
- Education Inequality: Despite high enrollment rates, education quality varies significantly between urban and rural areas.
- Child Labour: In 2023, 22% of children aged 15-17 were in the labour force, with child labour prevalent in agriculture, industry, and informal sectors.
- Right to Life and Safety: At least 343 children died from preventable causes in the first half of 2024.
- Violence and CEFM: Physical, emotional, and sexual abuse of children persist. Despite being illegal, child, early and forced marriages remain a problem. One out of four women are married off before the age of 18.
- Poverty and Malnutrition: Türkiye ranks 2nd in child poverty among EU and OECD countries, with malnutrition affecting many children, especially in underserved areas.
- Displacement and Refugees: Türkiye hosts the largest number of refugees, with around 1.7 million children who face barriers to education, healthcare, and integration, increasing their risk of exploitation.
The earthquakes of 6 February 2023 further exacerbated vulnerabilities with many children losing family members, homes, and access to education and healthcare. The disruption of social services has increased the risk of exploitation and child labour.
Bringing Education and Hope to Children in Hatay
Founded in 1973 by renowned writer Aziz Nesin, the Nesin Foundation (Nesin Vakfı) has long championed children’s right to education in Türkiye.
With our grant support, the foundation held 206 weekly sessions and mobile workshops for 950 children in Hatay’s remote villages and container cities, focusing on culture, arts, music, and nature. These activities improved children’s psychosocial well-being and essential skills. Also, a special workshop was held for teachers by Professor Ali Nesin. Watch this video interview to learn more about the Nesin Foundation’s work in Hatay.
Overcoming Challenges
In Türkiye, various civil society organisations (CSOs) are dedicated to improving the well-being of children through comprehensive support and advocacy. These organisations play a crucial role in delivering services, raising awareness, and pushing for policy changes.
Several CSOs collaborate to run child protection programs, providing psychosocial support to survivors of abuse. Others focus on educational initiatives, offering scholarships and after-school programs to bridge the gap in educational opportunities. Advocacy groups, engaged in national and international networks, work tirelessly to influence policy and ensure that children’s rights are upheld.
Our Approach
The scale of underinvestment in children is deeply worrying. Many organisations rely on a small number of key donors, highlighting the importance of sustainable and diversified sources of funding. Government investment remains low, as noted by UNICEF, underscoring the critical role of civil society in filling these gaps.
We address these challenges by supporting organisations in Türkiye through:
Supporting a Dedicated Children's Fund
We’ve provided significant financial support to CSOs addressing critical issues related to children’s rights. Our grants focus on core and project funding, enabling organisations to sustain and expand their programs.
Mainstreaming
We ensure that children’s well-being is a priority in all our grants. This approach allows our grantees to embed child-centric practices in their work, ensuring that their programs are designed and implemented with children’s best interests at heart.
Building Stronger Civil Society Organisations
Every child deserves a safe, nurturing environment to reach their full potential. For this purpose, we’ve invested £1,169,651 million in 62 grants to support organisations protecting children’s rights. Our grants have:
Supporting Children’s Education in Kahramanmaraş
Yuva Association, in partnership with ÇABAÇAM (Multi-Purpose Early Childhood Education Centre), brought education and hope to earthquake-affected communities in Kahramanmaraş. Their ÇABAÇAM Kahramanmaraş Education Support Unit, established with our support, provides early childhood education for 4-6-year-olds, helping them prepare for primary school through art, storytelling, drama, music, and sports. It also offers psychosocial support, giving children a safe space to heal and regain confidence. Watch our video interview to see their inspiring work.
Making a Difference
Every child deserves a safe, nurturing environment to reach their full potential. For this purpose, we’ve invested over £1,3 million in 72 grants to support organisations protecting children’s rights. Our grants have:
- Supported children’s access to quality education,
- Offered psychosocial support to children affected by violence and abuse,
- Created safe environments for children’s physical, emotional, and mental development,
- Fostered collaboration and partnerships among organisations dedicated to child welfare.
In 2018, we established our Children’s Fund to address critical issues related to children’s rights. To date, this fund has provided 27 grants with £138,215 to support initiatives in this field.
Explore the full list of grants we’ve provided, supporting impactful projects across various areas of work since our inception.
Grants in Action
Flying Broom Women’s Communication and Research Association (Uçan Süpürge Kadın İletişim ve Araştırma Derneği), based in Ankara, advocates for the right to education and combats early and forced marriages, to highlight the impact of gender inequality. With the Girls Can STEM project, the association reached 500 girls and caregivers through workshops and role-model connections, challenging gender stereotypes and empowering girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
Nirengi Association (Nirengi Derneği) works to prevent child abuse, peer bullying, and dating violence through a multidisciplinary approach and policy recommendations. With our support, the association launched the Helpline Against Child Abuse, providing free psychosocial and legal counselling to children and caregivers. Public awareness was raised through media campaigns, and the grant strengthened the association’s capacity to develop replicable support models and referral mechanisms.
Olive Seeds Association (Zeytin Çekirdekleri Derneği), based in Balıkesir, supports children’s rights to education and arts, particularly those affected by socio-economic challenges. With our support, the association organised four sets of five-day workshops in Ayvalık, engaging more than 100 children, including earthquake survivors through reading, music, and art activities, along with specialised literacy support. The association, with a network of volunteers and local partners, empowered children to overcome challenges for a better future.
We believe that investing in children’s rights today will create a society where every child can thrive, make a positive contribution to their communities and shape a more promising tomorrow.
Donate today and stand with us.
More of Mozaik in Action
Gender Equality
Find out how we support civil society efforts promoting gender equality and women’s rights.
Learn More »
Environment
Discover how our grants support environmental initiatives across Türkiye.
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Emergencies
Explore how we support the people and regions affected by natural disasters and humanitarian crises.
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