OUR REFUGEE PROJECTS
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Medical Homes for Children with Cancer
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“Educational Support
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''Food Security Program''
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Education Center for Children with Cancer
Medical Homes for Children with Cancer
We have been providing shelter services to children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses who have come to Turkey from Syria for treatment purposes since 2017.
“To ensure the provision of necessary medical assistance and health care to all children with emphasis on the development of primary health care;” (art. 24.2/ Convention on the Rights of the Child)
As one of its leading projects, AFAS operates two homes for Syrian refugees with severe medical conditions. Over seventy percent of all children requiring medical treatment are sent to Adana, the city in which these medical homes are located.
The medical homes, which are three story apartment buildings with a total of 15 rooms, serve refugee children battling cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. These homes can host up to 40 children and one caretaker per child. It is our highest priority to foster a sense of security and belonging for the children in our care, and to promote their health and well-being.
Educational Support
We fight against child labor and early marriage with the educational support we provide to more than 90 girls.
(The child) shall be given an education which will promote his general culture and enable him, on a basis of equal opportunity, to develop his abilities, his individual judgement, and his sense of moral and social responsibility, and to become a useful member of society. (Principle 7 / UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1959)
Syrian refugee children are a highly vulnerable, at-risk demographic with limited access to education. By providing scholarships for refugee girls to attend school, they have the opportunity to further their education, thereby empowering them to attain an improved quality of life in a protected environment aimed at their social and scholastic development.
Some of the 90 girls on Anything for A Smile’s Scholarship Program for refugee girls.
Food Security Program
The food security program, which began in 2016, continues to grow. We are currently providing monthly food aid to 170 families in need. These food boxes meet basic food needs for at least two weeks and are literally lifesavers for refugee families struggling to rebuild their lives. Many of these refugee families have been displaced multiple times.
Access to food and nutrition is a fundamental, indispensable, universal right for human beings.
Monthly food packages are given to widows who have lost their spouses, families with children who are victims of war and children who are struggling with serious diseases such as cancer.
In addition to the monthly distributions, we also provide various aid to meet other basic food needs such as milk and meat for children with life threatening illnesses.
Education Center for Children with Cancer
Our “Smiles” learning center for refugee children with life-threatening illnesses who cannot attend school provides art therapy, fun activities in Turkish, Arabic and English every week.
Twice a week, refugee children with diverse health challenges gather at our “Smiles” learning center for classes in English and Arabic. Most attendees have been unable to access formal education due to their medical conditions.
There is also a playroom for preschoolers. Additionally, an art studio provides classes in art, pottery and various crafts, fostering creativity and skill development
