2024-2025

The project "A Socio-Cultural Model Attempt to Prevent the Disappearance of the Gagauz Language and Culture: Turning Healthy Bilingualism into an Advantage for the Gagauz People" has achieved first place across all fields in the evaluation conducted under the 2530 TÜBİTAK - Moldova (NARD) Bilateral Cooperation Program. The project, carried out in collaboration with Komrat State University, Maltepe University, and Trakya University, will be implemented between 2025 and 2027 under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı.

Maltepe University students' letters were read and delivered to women during the workshops held at the Mimar Sinan Temporary Living Center.

The project titled "A Socio-Cultural Model Experiment to Prevent the Disappearance of the Gagauz Language and Culture: Turning Healthy Bilingualism into an Advantage for the Gagauz People," led by Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı as the principal investigator, has secured first place among all fields in the evaluation conducted within the scope of the 2530 TÜBİTAK - Moldova (NARD) Bilateral Cooperation Program.

The project, which will be carried out in collaboration with SOYAÇ and Komrat State University in the Gagauzia Autonomous Region of Moldova, with the partnership of Trakya University, is set to be implemented between 2025 and 2027.

This international achievement highlights the significance of the sustainable model developed to preserve the endangered Gagauz language and culture within the project conducted under Maltepe University's Center for the Application and Research of Street-Working and Homeless Children (SOYAÇ). At the same time, it paves the way for new perspectives on transforming bilingualism into a social asset. With SOYAÇ's long-standing efforts in the social integration of at-risk children, this project is expected to strengthen academic cooperation between Moldova and Turkey and contribute to the preservation of cultural heritage for future generations.

Textile Workshop at Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center Hosts Another Meaningful Event for Women and Children in Post-Disaster Recovery

Established in collaboration between the Center for the Application and Research of Street-Working and Homeless Children (SOYAÇ) and the Aid Convoy Association in the aftermath of the earthquake, the Textile Workshop at Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center in Antakya continues to serve as a platform for empowering women and children through a gender-sensitive approach to disaster experiences. This time, the workshop welcomes 15 women and their children under the age of 18, taking a significant step toward both individual and collective empowerment.

As part of the "From Layered Burdens to Collective Empowerment: Online Awareness for Women in Post-Disaster Recovery" project, the "Advocacy Workshop: Online Workshop on Our Fundamental Rights After Disasters" is being conducted with the support of Maltepe University Scientific Research Projects (MÜAR). The workshop provides an important opportunity for women to develop coping strategies, enhance their capacity to advocate for their rights, and help reduce the likelihood of at-risk children and adolescents being drawn into crime or street life in the aftermath of disasters. This week's session, which will focus specifically on fundamental rights after disasters, coincides with the beginning of the new year.

The event is led by SOYAÇ Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı, with contributions from volunteer SOYAÇ students Berfin Kurt Algan (Maltepe University Social Work graduate) and Berivan Gökdemir (Maltepe University Social Work student).

Organized by:

Center for the Application and Research of Street-Working and Homeless Children (SOYAÇ)

📅 Date: January 14, 2025
🕑 Time: 14:00
📍 Location: Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center, Antakya

Textile Workshop at Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center Hosts Another Meaningful Event for Women and Children in Post-Disaster Recovery

Established in collaboration between the Center for the Application and Research of Street-Working and Homeless Children (SOYAÇ) and the Aid Convoy Association in the aftermath of the earthquake, the Textile Workshop at Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center in Antakya continues to serve as a platform for empowering women and children through a gender-sensitive approach to disaster experiences. This time, the workshop welcomes 15 women and their children under the age of 18, taking a significant step toward both individual and collective empowerment.

As part of the "From Layered Burdens to Collective Empowerment: Online Awareness Workshop for Women in Post-Disaster Recovery" project, the "Advocacy Workshop: Fundamental Rights for Women After Disasters" is being conducted with the support of Maltepe University Scientific Research Projects (MÜAR). The workshop provides an important opportunity for women to develop coping strategies, enhance their capacity to advocate for their rights, and help reduce the likelihood of at-risk children and adolescents being drawn into crime or street life in the aftermath of disasters. This week's session, which will focus specifically on fundamental rights after disasters, coincides with the beginning of the new year.

The event is led by SOYAÇ Director Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gökçesu Akşit Dudaklı, with contributions from volunteer SOYAÇ students Berfin Kurt Algan (Maltepe University Social Work graduate) and Berivan Gökdemir (Maltepe University Social Work student).

Ras Es-Seni Celebration: Reviving Cultural Heritage and Strengthening Community Bonds

At the same time, another significant milestone is being reached at Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center in Antakya. The Ras Es-Seni celebration, a long-standing New Year tradition in the region, will be organized collectively for 2025.

This event, led by SOYAÇ with the participation of volunteer SOYAÇ students and staff, symbolizes a new beginning in the journey of both individual and collective awareness and empowerment. Beyond preserving cultural heritage, the celebration aims to foster post-earthquake solidarity and rebuild social connections. Different ethnic communities will enrich the gathering with their rituals and traditional dishes, making this event a space that reinforces coexistence and cultural diversity in the region.

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Organized by:

Center for the Application and Research of Street-Working and Homeless Children (SOYAÇ)

📅 Date: January 7, 2025
🕛 Time: 12:00
📍 Location: Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center, Antakya

About the Project

The field collaboration and implementation protocol between SOYAÇ and Aid Convoy Association aims to support individuals who have been severely affected by the February 6, 2023 earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş-Pazarcık and Elbistan and the February 20, 2023 earthquake in Hatay. This project focuses on adolescents (13-18 years old) and women with children (12 years old and under) who are at high risk of:

• Homelessness, child labor, early and forced marriages, and school dropouts due to disruptions in education,
• Becoming involved in crime due to the temporary collapse of social norms (anomie) after the disaster.

By comparing their pre- and post-earthquake lives, the project examines their age- and disaster-related vulnerabilities, the conditions that contribute to these risks, and their impact. Within a clinical sociological framework, it seeks to empower women and children, providing social recovery through sustainable support.

Since June 2024, SOYAÇ has been leading the "Children, Earthquake, and Vulnerability: A Social Recovery Experiment" project to aid communities that have suffered multiple traumas.

In collaboration with Aid Convoy Association, which has been actively working in the Hatay region since February 22, 2023, and operates with official authorization from the Hatay Governor’s Office, SOYAÇ established a Textile Workshop at the Mimar Sinan Temporary Housing Center in Antakya. Designed primarily for women bearing the heaviest burdens after the disaster, this initiative aims to strengthen children and adolescents affected by trauma and enhance community resilience.

The workshop is based on the SOYAÇ Model, which focuses on peer-based therapeutic approaches through attachment-building and clinical sociology to reintegrate disaster-affected children, youth, and women into society.

Workshop Equipment at the Temporary Housing Center

• 2 four-thread overlock sewing machines
• 1 manual Singer straight stitch machine
• 1 semi-automatic Singer straight stitch machine
• 1 cutting machine

Interdisciplinary Approach and Institutional Support

With an interdisciplinary perspective, this project—implemented in collaboration with Maltepe University—aims to provide educational, cognitive, emotional, and social support for disaster-affected individuals. Project activities in Hatay are coordinated by SOYAÇ and managed by the Aid Convoy Association, with support from:

• AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority)
• Hatay Provincial Directorate of National Education
• Hatay Public Education Center