The Suna’s Girls (Suna’nın Kızları) initiative, which operates under the Suna and Inan Kıraç Foundation, is setting up a children’s hub in the Pazarcık district of Kahramanmaraş, one of the provinces that have been affected by the pair of devastating earthquakes that rocked southeastern Türkiye early in February.

The aim of the initiative, which was launched in 2021 under the umbrella of the Suna and Inan Kıraç Foundation, to keep alive and further the efforts, values and goals of visionary businessperson Suna Kıraç in the field of education, is to create safe spaces that cater to the needs of all children, particularly girls, with the support of the Turkish Philanthropy Fund and in partnership with the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

Following the earthquake, the initiative launched the project to ensure that the unique needs of girls impacted by the disaster are considered during recovery.

Between March 9-12, 2023, the team of the Suna’s Girls initiative and a group of expert consultants conducted on-site visits in Hatay, Kahramanmaraş, Adıyaman, and Gaziantep, which were the provinces that were most impacted by the Feb. 6 earthquakes.

The team utilized a girl-focused design approach to evaluate the temporary shelters in the earthquake-stricken areas, and interviews were conducted with girls aged 13 and above.

The results of the trip were collected in a report, which identified priority needs including: establishing inclusive common areas for children over the age of 12, increasing and standardizing the equipment, facilities and security of temporary shelter areas, ensuring and enabling access to education and other services as well as supporting and prioritizing the well-being of all children in temporary accommodation areas, with particular focus on girls.

Ipek Kıraç, the founder of Suna’s Girls, who visited the field right after the report was published, stated that providing safe spaces for adolescents to continue their learning journey and socialize with their peers has become an even more critical issue than it was before the earthquakes.

"The impression I got from the people we met during our visits to the field is that the normalization process will take time. However, in this process, it is very important not to ignore the unique needs of children," Kıraç said.

Per their reports, it was seen that basic vital needs are being addressed; Kıraç noted that "our focus should be on creating safe spaces, especially for children aged 12-18, both for not falling behind from school and for their emotional and physical well-being."

"Of course, in addition to these, taking time to have fun and rest is also a part of this healing process. We aim to meet the developmental needs of children holistically, thanks to our children’s hubs, the first of which we have established in Pazarcık," she added.

Explaining that the inclusive areas that consider the unique needs of children between the ages of 12-18, especially girls, are very limited in temporary shelter areas, Kıraç furtherly noted that their hubs consist of multipurpose rooms and workshops. The workshops will offer programs that promote both the physical and emotional well-being of children in this age group, in addition to a meeting room where children can access socio-psychologic support, a quiet room where they can spend time on their own and a cafeteria where they can socialize with their peers.

The Turkish Philanthropy Funds’ Earthquake Relief grant program funds the first Children’s Hub established by the Istanbul-based initiative. This donation was announced on International Women’s Day. At the same time, the children’s hub will be established in Hatay within the scope of the organization’s cooperation protocol with the Ministry of Family and Social Services.

According to the initiative, in line with the needs and expectations of the children who complete this program, children then actively participate in workshops and support programs organized by Suna’s Girls and by members of the Suna’nın Kızları network. Furthermore, thanks to the hubs, it will be possible for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to work together effectively and in coordination with the Ministry of Family and Social Services.