IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation in collaboration with Qatar RAF Organization and Turkish Ministry of Family and Social Policy is opening RAF-IHH City for Human Welfare built on a 100-decar estate. The facility is going to accommodate 990 Syrian children who lost their parents during Syrian war. The opening ceremony is on 18th of May, 2017.
The Syrian war, which is in its seventh year, left over 1 million orphan children behind. The orphans while vulnerable against human traffickers and organ mafia and other life threatening situations do not receive the love and compassion that they so much need.
IHH, which is aware of the dangers awaiting orphans, realized this giant project with the goal to alleviate the suffering and pain of orphan children a bit. To this end in Antioch`s Reyhanli town IHH and its sponsor RAF organization established RAF-IHH City for Human Welfare that will meet all needs of orphan children primarily housing and education and including healthcare, psychological support, food, clothes and other miscellaneous things in a cosy home environment.
18 Children Will Stay in Each 2-storey Villa
As a result of the protocol signed with the Ministry of Family and Social Policy the construction of the huge facility started on July 2nd, 2015 on a huge estate at the size of a village. In the RAF-IHH City for Human Welfare that is carefully designed for children 35 villas for boys and 20 villas for girls have been built. Each villa is 350 square meters and two storeys and designed to accommodate 18 children. It features bedrooms; a room for caregivers, and bathrooms upstairs while ground floor plan includes kitchen, dining room, study and reading room as well as playroom, ablution area and toilets.
The dining rooms in each house will serve as study rooms outside mealtimes. So each child will both be able to join social activities and do their homework.
Every Detail is Thought Out
The compound will feature admin building, a mosque, primary and secondary schools, a big rehab center, health clinic, multipurpose cultural activity centre, indoor and outdoor sports area, social facilities, staff housing, guest house, a theatre house where children can show their talents, family meeting building, playground, patches of land for planting, promenade and a zoo.
330 Staff
Regarding the administration of RAF-IHH City for Human Welfare for IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation Orphan Department director Murat Yılmaz said:
"There will be six care-givers in each house. They will be both male and female trained and certified caregivers with high qualifications. There will be 330 staff in fifty-five houses. The ministry of Education will provide all kinds of education materials from tablets to the tubes in chemistry lab, to the salaries of teachers. The ministry of family and social policy is also involved in the project. We are planning to run the facility hand in hand with them. Last but not least ministry of health will contribute to the health clinics.”
The Outcome
- Orphan children who do not have homes and stay on the streets, or parks or in strangers’ houses will have a safe environment to live
- The children will overcome their traumas and psychological problems related to war.
- The children who fall prey to missionary organizations will be in safe hands.
- A safe environment against crime syndicates and mafia. The children will get education from a very good team of educators.
- They will have the social and cultural environment they need.
- The children will look to the future with hope. Their confidence in themselves and in others will improve.
- The solidarity between Syria and Turkey will pass to the next generation through these orphan children.
Opening Ceremony Event
Date: 18 Mayıs 2017 Perşembe
Time: 11:00
Venue: Hatay – Reyhanlı
