As Türkiye Gençlik ve Eğitime Hizmet Vakfı (TÜRGEV), the "Increase Well-Being, Empower Youth" Project we conducted for young people in the earthquake zone with the support of the Ministry of Youth and Sports (GSB) was discussed as a model application in the workshop we held in Gaziantep after 10 months of field implementation.

We shared the results of the project we conducted in Gaziantep between March and December 2025 with the public at the workshop we held on December 24, 2025, at TÜRGEV Hatice Hatun Higher Education Dormitory. In the workshop, we evaluated together that the effects of disasters are not limited to physical impacts; they also leave deep marks on young people's perspectives on life and their social relationships.

Fieldwork empowered young people

As part of the project, we directly reached 500 young people aged 14-29;

we contributed to more than 1,000 people indirectly during this process. With all these efforts, we aimed to strengthen young people's skills in coping with trauma and uncertainty.

We comprehensively evaluated our ten-month field experience in workshop sessions attended by academics, psychologists, and representatives of public institutions.

New support model for young people after disasters

At the workshop, we shared the "Post-Disaster Psycho-Social Support Processes" e-book prepared based on the findings we obtained during the project process with the participants. In the sessions, the contribution of art-based practices to recovery, the impact of group work on resilience, and the importance of inter-institutional cooperation were discussed.

Our participants shared their views and suggestions regarding the applicability of the support model we proposed in different disaster conditions.

"The path to permanent recovery goes through continuity"

Our General Manager Dr. Selim Gençal emphasized the importance of conducting support efforts for young people in post-disaster processes with a human-centered, holistic, and continuity-based approach in his evaluation at the workshop.

Gençal stated that our culture of solidarity and strong social memory add strength to these processes, emphasizing that transforming the experience gained into a scalable model would yield lasting results for young people.

We aim for a sustainable and widespread structure

In the workshop outputs, it was highlighted that psycho-social work after disasters should not be limited to temporary interventions. We expressed a common will for the model developed in collaboration with TÜRGEV and GSB to become a scalable application in the long term.

In this direction, we aim to enrich the e-book we published by updating it throughout the process and to transform the accumulated knowledge into policy recommendations.

The project was completed with a closing program held in Gaziantep

We held the closing program of our project on December 25 in Gaziantep. During the program, we shared the experiences and learning outcomes we gained throughout the project; we presented the e-book and workshop results to the public. Additionally, the works produced by our young people in our art-based workshop also met with the participants.

As TÜRGEV, we will continue to carry out our efforts centered on strengthening the well-being of our young people with determination.