Hello everyone from the fourteenth edition of our News from the Ecosystem series!
As IDEMA – International Development Management, Needs Map, INOGAR and INOgarden we work together in coordination within the same ecosystem, sharing updates from our ecosystem, projects, and happenings in the field in our monthly newsletters.
In this month’s issues, we are bringing you news from the ecosystem in December.
We wish you pleasant reading!
Disaster Preparedness and Post-Disaster Reconstruction
The “Team Paribu Seninle” (Team Paribu Is With You) project, which was realized in collaboration with Needs Map and Team Paribu, came together with children
December 2, 2024
With the “Team Paribu Seninle” (Team Paribu Is With You) project, which was organized in cooperation with Needs Map and Team Paribu, we introduced sports to nearly 20,000 children and young people in 44 different provinces. We provided sports equipment and support to schools. Following the February 6 earthquakes, we created sports fields in Needs Map Container Living Areas in Hatay and Kahramanmaraş.
As part of the project, this time Team Paribu came together with children in Sultanbeyli, Istanbul. You can now watch the movie of this event on Paribu’s Youtube channel.
We delivered 11 sanitation trucks to Hatay
December 4, 2024
We delivered 11 hygiene trucks sent by Kenvue to Hatay in cooperation with Direct Relief.
We distributed the hygiene kits in partnership with Hatay Metropolitan Municipality, Antakya Municipality and Defne Municipality. We also added these kits to the suitcases given to university students as part of Hatay Metropolitan Municipality’s “One Ticket One Suitcase” project.
We participated in the “Solidarity: Rebuilding Life Together with Children” workshop organized by Nesin Foundation
December 5, 2024
Yan Yanayız (Side by Side) Project, which was developed by Needs Map, participated in Nesin Foundation’s “Solidarity: Rebuilding Life Together with Children” workshop.
Needs Map Project Implementation and Staff Support Coordinator Psy. S. Şükran Bahçel, and a part of our Psychosocial Support Team, Psy. S.Pelin Karataş, organized self-care workshops for the field staff as a part of our employee support activities. They also gave information about our online psychosocial support platform.
We attended the Southeast Turkey Protection Sector Workshop with the “Yan Yanayız” Project
December 23rd, 2024
We were at the Southeast Turkey Protection Sector Workshop!
On December 19 and 20, we met with 130 protection representatives at the Southeast Turkey Protection Sector Planning Workshop, which was organized at the invitation of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees).
In the staff support session led by our project team, we shared the difficulties, emotions and sources of motivation after the February 6 earthquakes. We also talked about Yan Yanayız (Side by Side) Psychosocial Support Platform and other facilities they can benefit from.
Together in 2025 with Needs Map, Zurich Foundation, Zurich Insurance Turkey and Heymo
28 December 2024
The “Yan Yanayız” (“Side by Side”) project that Needs Map, Z Zurich Foundation, Zurich Insurance Turkey and Heymo started together in 2021 is continuing in 2025!
Through the “Yan Yanayız” (“Side by Side”) project, we have touched the lives of more than 100,000 people through psychosocial support sessions with earthquake survivors, teachers, health professionals, disaster relief workers and volunteers.
We will continue to stand side by side with our three psychosocial support centres in the field and online sessions.
For more information and to register, please visit www.yanyanayiz.com.tr.
Technology for Goodness
We were at the 8th Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Congress
3 December 2024
We were at the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Congress!
Organised by the Chamber of Map and Cadastre Engineers on behalf of UCTEA (Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects) and supported by the chambers affiliated to the Union of Chambers of Turkish Engineers and Architects, the congress was held in Ankara from 20 to 22 November with the main theme “Collective Consciousness with Spatial Intelligence”.
Needs Map attended the congress with Özge Acar, Deputy General Manager of our Technology Department, Uğurcan Gül, Team Leader, and Fatih Sönmez, Geographical Information Systems Analyst.
Our Deputy General Manager Özge Acar gave a presentation on the Child-Focused City Map Geographical Information System project, which was implemented in cooperation with AÇEV (Mother Child Education Foundation), Fisa Child Rights Centre, ERG (Education Reform Initiative), KUSİF (Koç University Social Impact Forum), Nirengi Association and SGDD-ASAM (Association for Social Development and Aid Mobilization), as well as Needs Map and TESEV (Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation) under the leadership of Suna’s Daughters.
We Received the “Special Partners Award” at the Esri Turkey Partners Meeting
December 23, 2024
We were honored with the “Special Partners Award” at the Esri Turkey Partners Meeting!
As IDEMA and the Needs Map, we collaborate with Esri Turkey to develop geographic information system-based products and projects, particularly focusing on ensuring faster and more efficient connections between needs and resources during disasters and crises.
Volunteering
We Came Together at the Pre-Launch of the Volunteers Map Hosted by Istanbul Bilgi University
December 6, 2024
In a special event filled with the spirit of solidarity, where we followed #ThePathofVolunteering, discussed new perspectives on the future of volunteering through inspiring sessions, and built networks by talking about collaborations, we gathered at the pre-launch of the Volunteers Map, hosted by Istanbul Bilgi University.
After opening speeches by Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Bilgi University, Suat Özçağdaş, Member of the Turkish Grand National Assembly, and Sait Beyazyürek, General Manager of the Needs Map, Özge Acar, Deputy General Manager of the Technology Department at the Needs Map, presented the Volunteers Map.
Click here to read the full article.
We Handed the Microphone to Our Stakeholders on World Volunteers Day
December 5, 2024
On December 5th, World Volunteers Day, we came together with many of our stakeholders from the public sector, private sector, civil society organizations, and academia at the Volunteers Day Pre-Launch. Throughout the day, we conducted interviews, extending the microphone to our stakeholders. In these interviews, we talked about what volunteering is, its importance, the needs in the field, the messages they want to share with volunteers, and introduced the Volunteers Map.
Our interviews included Sait Beyazyürek, General Manager of the Needs Map, Dorukhan Demirbilek, Deputy General Manager of the Needs Map, Yağmur Pal, Community Manager of Suna’s Daughters, Ece Akyel, Program Manager at Esas Social, Esra Arslan, Member of the Board of Directors of the Needs Map, Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart, Dean of the Faculty of Communication at Istanbul Bilgi University, Berna Övül, Deputy General Manager of the Needs Map, Birbey Kılınçcı, Volunteer Programs Director, Bahadırhan Gökmen, Volunteer Programs Specialist, Uzm. Psk. İlknur Yurtseven, Project Coordinator, Mehmet Sarıca, Chairman of the INOGAR Board, Ahmet Türker, Chairman of the Social Impact Association, Director Tufan Şimşekcan, and Özge Acar, Deputy General Manager of the Technology Department at the Needs Map.
You can access our interviews via our social media accounts.
Culture & Art
“Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality” Exhibition Opens
December 23, 2024
The participants, advisors, and the Istanbul Research Institute, in collaboration with the Suna’s Daughters Research Support Community, are pleased to announce the opening of the “Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality” exhibition. The exhibition is now open for anyone who is seeking a more equal and just city for children!
The exhibition consists of two parts. In the first section, there are maps of Istanbul showing how school and extracurricular supportive services for children align with neighborhood-scale needs. These data, the product of a year-long collective effort for the Child-Centered City digital platform, emphasize the importance of providing urban services for children in a way that does not create inequalities.
The second part of the exhibition takes us through the eyes of children, showcasing the results of workshops with girls aged 8 and above. Through talking photographs and fantastical creatures created by the children, it highlights how important the pursuit of equality is for them.
The exhibition is also accompanied by urban photographs of children by Bekir Dindar and the Suna and İnan Kıraç Foundation’s photography collection.
You can visit the “Child-Centered City: A Quest for Equality” exhibition at the Istanbul Research Institute’s exhibition hall in Tepebaşı, Beyoğlu, free of charge until May 4, 2025.
We Were at the “Current Trends and Opportunities in Cultural and Creative Industries” Event
December 24, 2024
In collaboration with the U.S. Consulate General in Istanbul and A Corner in the World, this event featured a valuable conversation on financing, social impact, and development in the creative industries, with the participation of Gizem Aktaş Zara, Deputy General Manager of IDEMA’s Corporate Social Impact and Sustainability Department, and expert stakeholders from the creative industries field.
Youth Services
We Were with University Students at the Sustainable Living Festival
December 1, 2024
We gathered with university students at the Sustainable Living Festival!
On Sunday, December 1, at the Boğaziçi Cultural Arts Center, we came together for the session titled “The Needs Map of the World” under the theme “Youth Movement for the Planet!” The session, moderated by Aslı Dede, Founder of the Sustainable Living School, featured Dr. Ali Ercan Özgür, Mert Fırat, and Ayşe Deren Bildirici, Founding Partners of the Needs Map, IDEMA, and INOGAR, as well as Ayşe Deren Bildirici, a student at Yeditepe University.
Click here to learn more about what was discussed at the Sustainable Living Festival and to read the full news.
Promotion of the “Social Impact Communication Teen Up Advertising Competition” Held
December 2, 2024
The promotion of the “Social Impact Communication Teen Up Advertising Competition”, which is scheduled to take place in March 2025, was held in collaboration with the Pamukkale University (PAÜ) Faculty of Communication and the Denizli Inogarden Innovation Center.
Ayhan Soyfidan, Founder of the Denizli Inogarden Innovation Center affiliated with Inogar Cooperative, and Hasan Sarı, Director of Youth Services at the Denizli Directorate of Youth and Sports, jointly presented the event.
“How Are We, Youth? Student Communities Competition” Held as Part of the Side by Side Project
December 19, 2024
This competition, aimed at supporting the psychological resilience and well-being of young people so that they do not feel alone in their mental health journeys and can be better prepared for crises, was specifically opened to university student communities.
Through this competition, the Side by Side Project, which seeks to create solidarity and awareness among young people by reaching a wider audience with the “How Are We, Youth?” mini-series, offered first, second, and third place prizes to university student communities for use in their activities.
The results will be announced in January 2025.
Team Paribu Seninle Project Makes Its Final School Visit of the Year
December 26, 2024
As part of the Team Paribu Seninle project, carried out in collaboration with the Needs Map and Team Paribu, the final school visit of the year took place at Orhangazi Primary School in Maltepe, Istanbul.
Students had the opportunity to experience wrestling alongside Team Paribu athlete and national wrestler Kerem Kamal. They also watched the documentary My World, filmed as part of the Team Paribu Chronicles project, and had the chance to ask the national athlete their questions.
Partnerships for Purpose
We Were at the Enerjisa Better Future Platform Advisory Board Meeting
December 6, 2024
We held the Enerjisa Better Future Platform Advisory Board meeting.
In the meeting where we evaluated our 2025 projects, we shaped the roadmap for our “Improving Business Efficiency Capacities through Big Data Analytics” project.
Following the opening speech by Göktürk Demirel, Communications Director at Enerjisa, our Deputy General Manager at IDEMA, Gizem Aktaş, moderated the session where our Advisory Board member, Akan Abdula, shared data reflecting the current situation of SMEs in the fields of productivity and technology. The session continued with presentations by our academic advisory board members, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nihan Yıldırım and Prof. Dr. Özgür Kayalıca, who provided details on the project. We identified the steps to be taken to strengthen businesses’ data analytics capabilities.
We Visited UNDP Turkey’s Newly Appointed Resident Representative Monica Merino
December 7, 2024
We visited Monica Merino, the newly appointed Resident Representative of UNDP Turkey, with the participation of Mert Fırat, Co-Founder of the Needs Map and UNDP Turkey Goodwill Ambassador.
During the meeting, we discussed our ongoing collaboration with UNDP Turkey, the future plans of the Needs Map both nationally and internationally, as well as the ongoing and upcoming activities in the earthquake-affected regions.
We Hosted the London’s Community Kitchen (LCK) Team in İzmir
December 10, 2024
We hosted the team from London’s Community Kitchen (LCK) in İzmir.
To conduct strategic work on global projects we will be leading, we welcomed Taz Khan, the founder of LCK, and his team in İzmir, with the participation of Dr. Ali Ercan Özgür, Co-Founder of IDEMA, the Needs Map, and INOGAR, as well as Mehmet Sarıca, Board Member of INOGAR.
With our partnerships with IDEMA, Needs Map Global, and DasDas Box London, we took important steps towards projects that aim to drive social, cultural, and economic development.
While evaluating our future projects and strategies, we discussed how these partnerships can strengthen social impact.
Sait Beyazyürek, General Manager of the Needs Map, Was a Guest on the New Episode of the Repair Workshop Podcast
December 16, 2024
Sait Beyazyürek, General Manager of the Needs Map, was a guest on the new episode of the Repair Workshop Podcast!
Sait Beyazyürek and the Repair Workshop Podcast explored communities, impact, disasters, crisis intervention, and solutions.
Solution-oriented communities play a crucial role during challenging times, especially in crises that require rapid intervention and in long-term issues!
Click here to listen to the podcast.
The Needs Map Signed a Protocol Formalizing Its Collaboration with Neitin Cooperative in Spain
December 17, 2024
We have signed a protocol formalizing our collaboration with Neitin Cooperative in Spain. The protocol aims to ensure equal opportunities in line with sustainable development goals, address the needs of disadvantaged areas, and develop innovative solutions.
Through this collaboration, we will start with projects related to disaster preparedness and support environmental, economic, social, and cultural development efforts across Spain, starting from Valencia. In this framework, we will develop concrete solutions in areas such as education, healthcare, gender equality, and more.
Click here to read the full article.
We Visited Sevim Sayım Madak, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Family and Social Services
December 23, 2024
A meeting was held with Sevim Sayım Madak, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, with the participation of Mert Fırat, Co-Founder of the Needs Map, Sait Beyazyürek, our General Manager, and Özge Çelebi, our MHPSS Director.
In the meeting, we discussed critical topics such as identifying needs and planning capacity-building training for disaster and emergency response, creating support programs for workers, and preparing guidelines for mental health and psychosocial support interventions during disasters.
We Held a Meeting with Green Easy
December 23, 2024
Utku Akkurt, IDEMA UK Director, met with Green Easy to introduce the sustainable cultural arts center DasDas Box and the Urban Farmer project, which demonstrates how food-growing plants can be cultivated inside buildings. This innovative project offers an approach that could be evaluated within the framework of sustainability standards such as BREEAM in the future.
The Ecosystem in 2024
Needs Map
Throughout 2024, a total of 1286 people shared their needs with the Needs Map. We confirmed and published 4851 of these. 68% of these needs were met. The needs were concentrated in 10 categories: education, clothing, culture and arts, babies and children, electronics, cleaning and hygiene, household goods, street animals, sports and health. 64.23% of the confirmed needs fall into the category of education.
Hatay was the province with the highest demand this year. Other provinces included Istanbul, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa and Ankara. While 74.8 percent of the requests were made by women, 69.63 percent of the people who supported the requests were women.
This year we implemented and continued many projects. In cooperation with Duru, the “Hayal Gemisi” (“Dream Ship”) project organised 41 workshops with 597 children in the earthquake region, and worked on the children’s creative thinking, social and cognitive skills. In partnership with Pluxee, we supported 500 university students in 11 earthquake-affected cities with meal vouchers through the “Yanında” project. In cooperation with Team Paribu, we supported 11,746 children in 37 schools in 14 cities with sports equipment through the “Team Paribu Seninle” project. Through the “Yan Yan Yanayız” (“Side by Side”) project, in collaboration with Zurich Turkey and supported by the Z Zurich Foundation, we touched the lives of more than 100,000 people by organising psychosocial support sessions with earthquake survivors, teachers, healthcare professionals, civil protection officials and volunteers.
IDEMA
Throughout the year, we served as project consultants and implementers for over 20 different themes, including sustainability, culture and arts, social impact, education, and cooperativism. We embarked on a journey from Hatay to Ankara, from Lisbon to Senegal. We implemented 10 projects with our private sector, public, and civil society stakeholders! We were in the field for over 1000 hours, conducting workshops, trainings, analyses, and implementations. In 2024, we reached over 5000 people!
INOGAR
This year, we conducted training sessions with the participation of 805 people in projects focused on fair trade, entrepreneurship, disaster management, and culture and arts. We were in the field for 1540 hours with project implementations, workshops, and training sessions. We held collaboration discussions with 120 institutions from the private sector, public, civil society organizations, and academia. We conducted individual consultancy and mentoring sessions with 662 people and provided psychosocial support to 466 individuals.
idemahaber
Throughout 2024, we continued our work with the mission of development journalism. We shared 135 news articles in areas such as disasters, ecology, education, technology, culture and arts, entrepreneurship, cooperativism, youth, gender equality, sports, and local governance. The thematic distribution of our news content was as follows: disasters 19%, cooperativism 15.2%, ecology 14.3%, culture and arts 12.4%, local governance 9.5%, entrepreneurship 8.6%, technology 8.6%, youth 6.7%, gender equality 2.9%, and education 2.9%.
Throughout 2024, we amplified our voice by sharing 17 newsletters, including the “News from the Ecosystem” newsletter, which featured news from IDEMA, the Needs Map, Inogar, and INOgarden, as well as special-themed newsletters. These newsletters reached over 4050 subscribers. Our special editions included topics such as “Our Message on International Women’s Day,” “Next Generation Local Governance,” “Development is Possible with Youth,” “A Better Tomorrow with Cooperatives,” “What Does Being a Disaster Volunteer Change?” and “Needs Map Global’s Flood Map for Spain.”
We conducted special interviews with Prof. Dr. Itır Erhart, Prof. Dr. Hakan Çörekçioğlu, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bülent Karabey, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tuba Bircan. Additionally, we produced 4 video interview series with 24 experts from the private sector, public, civil society, and academia.
Conclusion
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You can follow IDEMA, the Needs Map, INOGAR, and INOgarden on their social media accounts. If you have topics or events you’d like to see featured in idemahaber, you can send them to us at iletisim@idema.com.tr. Feel free to reach out for collaboration opportunities and to discuss the needs of your projects.
We look forward to seeing you in our next issue!
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