Eight New Grants Supporting Long-Term Recovery in Hatay

We are excited to announce the grantee partners of the third phase of our Regional Recovery Support Program. 

Launched under our Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund, activated within hours of the February 2023 earthquakes, this program has been central to our long-term response. Through this fund and other programmes, we have provided over £3,9 million through 125 grants, reaching more than 750,000 people across the earthquake-affected region.

Our grants have supported both urgent and long-term needs, including essential supplies, psychosocial care, safe spaces for women and children, education, healthcare, livelihoods, environmental restoration, and civil society capacity-building.

Nearly three years on, many donors have left the region, leaving local organisations with fewer resources despite ongoing needs. Recovery is still far from complete; continued support is vital to sustain services, protect vulnerable groups, and help communities rebuild.

In this third phase, we are supporting eight organisations in Hatay, working to bring communities together, advance gender equality, strengthen education and culture, and support sustainable livelihoods in the earthquake-affected region.

Please see below for information on the grantees and their projects:

Association for Women’s Freedom and Equality (Kadına Özgürlük ve Eşitlik Derneği – KOVED)

KOVED advocates for women’s and LGBTI+ rights, combats discrimination, and improves access to justice by working with public institutions and civil society.

With our previous grants, KOVED established the Women’s Life Centre in Adana, reaching over 4,000 women and children with counselling, workshops, and vocational training. t later opened a second centre in Hatay, trained Community Ambassadors for Gender Equality, and conducted a two-year study on child, early, and forced marriages in four provinces.

KOVED’s new project, implemented with the Women’s Coalition and Samandağ Women’s Solidarity Association, focuses on people with disabilities and their caregivers. Based at the Samandağ Women’s Life Centre, it will provide psychosocial support, empowerment workshops, inclusive arts activities, and an accessible library. Twice-monthly respite sessions will support caregivers. The project will reach 45 people with disabilities, 45 caregivers, 180 families, and indirectly benefit more than 700 relatives and 75 local representatives.

Talebeyiz Biz Association (Talebeyiz Biz Derneği)

Founded in 2023, Talebeyiz Biz Association expands young people’s access to culture and the arts through education programmes, exhibitions, and public events.

Our earlier support enabled theatre, visual arts, and music workshops in Hatay, resulting in 44 artworks, including a play and two original music pieces. Exhibitions in Arsuz and DEPO Istanbul reached more than 3,600 visitors. The project engaged 678 participants, supported 11 Art Ambassadors, and established the Youth Space and Music Studio in Arsuz.

The new project will deliver the second phase of the Art Ambassadors model, deepening young people’s roles in cultural production. A summer programme in Arsuz will bring together 30 young people and 10 artists to create more than 30 artworks. Exhibitions and a digital catalogue will reach over 3,000 people. The project will further develop the Arsuz Life Centre as a creative hub and strengthen young people’s leadership in the arts.

Füsun Sayek Association for the Development of Health and Education (Füsun Sayek Sağlık ve Eğitim Geliştirme Derneği)

The association provides free health screenings and awareness activities, particularly for women and children, and organises educational workshops, talks, and symposiums. 

With our previous support, the association launched the Weaving Lives project in Arsuz, establishing a workshop with wooden looms and sewing machines. Women received training in weaving, design, and business development, producing income-generating works and helping preserve regional silk weaving traditions.

The new project will continue to offer creative workshops, educational activities, and community events at the Arsuz Life Centre. Around 400 children will join art and play-based sessions, and 50 women will participate in empowerment workshops. The Arsuz Children’s Choir will expand through training for 10 music teachers and by establishing new choirs in nearby villages. The Weaving Workshop will continue to support women’s production and income generation.

Teachers Network (Öğretmen Ağı)

Teacher’s Network aims to empower teachers by creating a sustainable learning environment in which they can collaborate with their colleagues and various stakeholders. 

Our earlier grant supported a programme across eight centres in four provinces. 43 teachers reached 1,728 children and 71 parents through art workshops, nature walks, and academic support, fostering healing and strengthening solidarity among teachers.

The new project will further strengthen teachers’ resilience and their ability to create inclusive learning environments. Condensed versions of the Creative Problem Solving and Core Thinking Skills modules will be delivered, incorporating Mino’s Song to support children’s autonomy and boundary-setting. 60 teachers and 1,200 students will benefit through in-person and online sessions, and teachers’ solutions will be shared widely.

Rural Schools Transformation Network (Köy Okulları Değişim Ağı Derneği – KODA)

KODA works to improve the quality of rural education by supporting teachers through its Teacher Communities Program, fostering peer learning, solidarity, and professional growth.

With previous grant, KODA supported 87 teachers, who reached 960 students and 545 parents through social-emotional learning (SEL) activities and workshops. The project improved wellbeing, strengthened classroom practices, and helped KODA develop a new impact assessment model to track teachers’ progress.

The new project will deliver KODA’s core teacher training modules in the earthquake-affected region through 11 in-person workshops and two online sessions. Reaching 400 teachers, the programme will improve classroom practices, rebuild student–teacher trust, and enhance teacher wellbeing, contributing to long-term recovery.

Hatay Symphony Orchestra Culture and Art Association (Hatay Senfoni Orkestrası Kültür ve Sanat Derneği – HSO)

Founded in 2019 as the city’s first symphony orchestra, HSO enriches Hatay’s cultural landscape through performances and music education.

Our previous support enabled weekly rehearsals with 60 musicians and six concerts held in container settlements and public spaces, reaching more than 7,500 people. Masterclasses strengthened musicians’ technical and artistic skills. By combining training and public concerts, HSO supported cultural recovery and reconnected communities through music.

With additional support, HSO will expand the Hatay Academy Children and Youth Multivoice Choir Program, offering sustained music education to 50 children and young people aged 7–17. Participants will benefit from weekly rehearsals, psychologist-led monitoring, and a cultural trip to Mersin Opera and Ballet. The programme will provide a safe, inclusive space for creative expression and contribute to psychosocial recovery and long-term cultural resilience in Hatay.

Earthquake Solidarity Association (Deprem Dayanışması Derneği)

Established by local volunteer networks after the 2023 earthquakes, the Earthquake Solidarity Association works on long-term recovery in urban culture, agriculture, ecology, children’s wellbeing, women’s rights, education, and health.

As a partner of the Architecture for All Association and Architecture Sans Frontières UK, the association contributed to the participatory design and construction of the Çekmece Community Centre in Defne and helped prepare a Community Action Plan. The centre, opened in December 2024, has since hosted cultural and community events, providing a model for community-led reconstruction.

With this new project, the association will strengthen its organisational capacity and document the collective memory of Antakya’s recovery. It will archive its work, develop a digital platform, revitalise communications, and employ a communication officer and finance expert. Workshops across its three hubs will enhance visibility, organisational learning, and long-term resilience.

Istanbul Mor Dayanışma Association (Istanbul Mor Dayanışma Derneği)

Istanbul Mor Dayanışma Association addresses women’s rights, gender equality, and urban rights through feminist programmes. It offers psychosocial, legal, and health-related counselling and carries out cultural and advocacy activities.

Our previous grants enabled the delivery of essential supplies to women and children in Hatay; psychosocial and legal workshops reaching 500 people; and the re-establishment of its Samandağ centre, where 2,200 people received counselling and group support on issues including domestic violence, child abuse, and digital violence.

With this new project, the association will expand services from Serinyol to Defne and Antakya, offering legal guidance on gender-based violence, housing, and family law, alongside empowerment-focused group sessions. The programme will strengthen women’s confidence, self-defence skills, and collective resilience, and conclude with an international symposium engaging 1,000 women and reaching many more online.