Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) distributed food packages to 400 families in need in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic of Azerbaijan.
In collaboration with the Consulate General of the Republic of Türkiye in Nakhchivan and the Ministry of Religious Affairs of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, the aid packages were handed over to families during a ceremony.
Speaking at the ceremony, Türkiye’s Consul General in Nakhchivan, Asip Kaya, emphasized that the brotherhood between Türkiye and Azerbaijan holds a unique place in the world. He added, “TİKA is expanding its activities in Nakhchivan day by day as a reflection of this brotherhood.”
TİKA’s Coordinator in Baku Hayrettin Özçelik stated that, in addition to providing food aid, they would also come together with the families of martyrs and veterans for an iftar program in Nakhchivan. He said, “As TİKA, we have implemented more than 1,500 projects in Azerbaijan over the past 31 years. Today, we are here with our brothers and sisters from Nakhchivan to unite around the iftar table.”
As part of the “Ramadan Programs” organized by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), an iftar program was held at Bondhere Orphanage, home to 300 orphaned girls, where festive clothes were also distributed.
Years of civil war, terrorism, and drought in Somalia have left thousands of children orphaned and in need of care. In particular, children who lost their parents due to war and conflict are struggling to survive under harsh conditions.
In this challenging period, Bondhere Orphanage, which shelters 300 girls aged between 5 and 16, continues to provide for their housing and educational needs.
To keep the spirit of solidarity and sharing during Ramadan alive, TİKA organized an iftar dinner for the children at the orphanage and gifted them festive clothes.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) organized an iftar program for 100 orphaned children in Jordan during Ramadan.
TİKA hosted 100 orphaned children living in refugee camps at an iftar dinner in Amman, the capital of Jordan. The event, attended by Turkish Ambassador to Jordan Yakup Caymazoğlu and TİKA’s Vice President Dr. Rahman Nurdun, embodied the spirit of sharing and solidarity during Ramadan.
In his speech at the event, Ambassador Caymazoğlu highlighted the significance of TİKA’s projects in Jordan and emphasized that such initiatives strengthen the bonds of friendship between the two countries.
Following the iftar, various gifts were distributed to the children.
Since 2015, TİKA has been implementing projects in the fields of health, education, and humanitarian aid in Jordan, reflecting Türkiye’s ongoing support for friendly and brotherly nations.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided food parcels to 500 families in need, including people with disabilities, in Liberia during Ramadan.
TİKA, in collaboration with the National Council of Imams of Liberia, distributed food parcels to 500 families in need as part of the Ramadan program in the capital, Monrovia.
Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Imam Sheikh Ali Krayee expressed his gratitude, stating that TİKA has once again stood by Liberian Muslims, as it does every year. He emphasized that this support, especially for families with no income, will help them experience a peaceful Ramadan. Krayee expressed his gratitude to TİKA for the support provided.
TİKA continues to share the blessings of Ramadan with those in need across Africa through its humanitarian aid efforts.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has strengthened vocational training opportunities for women by providing sewing machines, a hairdressing training room, a playground, and a water tank to the Buikwe Touch Rehabilitation Center Uganda (BTRCU), located in Uganda’s Buikwe region.
Situated 80 kilometers from Kampala, the capital of Uganda, Buikwe holds significant economic importance due to its location along a major trade route. Since 2007, the Buikwe Touch Rehabilitation Center has been offering vocational training in hairdressing, tailoring, and handicrafts. The center aims to create employment opportunities, particularly for widows and young mothers, while equipping young girls with essential vocational skills and knowledge.
TİKA has provided 25 sewing machines, a fully equipped hairdressing training hall, a playground for the orphaned children of the center’s working mothers, and a 10,000-liter water tank to address capacity shortages affecting the vocational training process.
With TİKA’s support, the initiative aims to expand educational opportunities at the center and enhance women’s participation in the workforce. These efforts will help women in the region gain economic independence through vocational skills while also contributing to local development.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has supplied two cold storage containers to Govi-Altai province to enhance food safety in educational institutions across rural Mongolia.
Given Mongolia’s harsh climatic conditions, proper food storage is crucial. The cold storage units provided by TİKA will ensure the long-term preservation of food supplies for schools and kindergartens in the Govi-Altai region, contributing to the healthy and balanced nutrition of children in rural areas.
Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Govi-Altai Governor Chinbat Gombosuren thanked Türkiye, emphasizing that this support provided by TİKA will improve the nutritional conditions of children in the region and contribute positively to the education process.
TİKA continues to support development initiatives in Mongolia, particularly in the fields of education and healthcare.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) is supporting handicraft education in Senegal by equipping the Dakar Handicraft Training Center with modern machinery and equipment.
On March 8, International Women’s Day, Marie Khone Faye, wife of the President of Senegal, visited the Dakar Handicraft Training Center. Accompanied by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Dakar Nur Sağman, Mrs. Faye toured the three workshop classrooms that were renovated by TİKA and inaugurated in July 2024.
Mrs. Faye highlighted that the modern machinery and equipment provided by TİKA have enhanced the quality of education and strengthened the center’s production capacity. She emphasized that the center plays a vital role in equipping young girls with vocational skills.
Expressing her gratitude, she thanked TİKA for its contributions to the development of handicrafts in Senegal.
As part of the project, a collaboration was established between the African Culture House in Türkiye and the Dakar Handicraft Training Center. TİKA has provided the center with 130 different machines and pieces of equipment for leather processing, jewelry making, woodworking, pottery and ceramics, and sewing workshops.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) is providing hot meals to Arakanese Muslim refugees living in camps in the Cox’s Bazar region of Bangladesh throughout Ramadan.
More than one million Arakanese Muslims, who were forced to flee their homes following the violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State in 2017, continue to struggle under difficult conditions in the camps within Bangladesh’s borders. TİKA seeks to alleviate their hardships through emergency humanitarian aid, as well as social and cultural projects aimed at improving their living conditions.
Iftar meals provided during Ramadan
As part of TİKA’s Ramadan programs, 1,000 families living in Camp 16 in Cox’s Bazar receive regular hot meals at iftar time. More than 25,000 Arakanese Muslim refugees are expected to benefit from this initiative, which is being carried out from the distribution point previously established by TİKA. The refugees, who have no means of economic livelihood, are in urgent need of basic necessities, particularly food.
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Bangladesh, Ramis Şen, along with an embassy delegation and representatives of Turkish organizations operating in the field, attended the first iftar distribution of the year.
Ambassador Şen, RRRC Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, representatives of Turkish institutions, and Arakanese refugees gathered for the first iftar of Ramadan in Bangladesh at the kitchen established by TİKA during the 2017 refugee migration.
Various projects implemented in the camps
During the 2017 crisis, TİKA swiftly established a kitchen and provided hot meals to 25,000 people daily. Since then, TİKA has continued to support Arakanese Muslims, implementing various projects within the camps, including playgrounds, learning centers, and multi-purpose facilities.
Arakanese refugees expressed their gratitude to TİKA and Türkiye for the regular meal distributions provided to families identified by camp authorities, stating that they pray for Türkiye. Arakanese Muslims living in the Cox’s Bazar camps deeply appreciate the support and assistance extended by Türkiye.
TİKA’s humanitarian aid efforts for Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh have remained uninterrupted since the onset of the Myanmar crisis. Meanwhile, Türkiye continues its efforts to draw the attention of the international community to this ongoing humanitarian crisis and to improve the living conditions of Rohingya Muslims.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) modernized sensory and stress rooms, renovated entertainment areas, and established a computer classroom at Taman Sinar Harapan Ziyad Zolkefli Cheras Nursing Home for autistic children in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Operating under the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development, the center provides specialized care for autistic children. As part of its support, TİKA renovated the facility’s sensory and stress rooms to enhance therapy sessions and learning experiences. Additionally, a new computer classroom has been set up to help children develop their digital skills.
The project was inaugurated with the participation of Emir Salim Yüksel, Türkiye’s Ambassador to Kuala Lumpur; Dr. Ümit Naci Yorulmaz, Vice President of TİKA; and officials from Malaysia’s Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, TİKA’s Vice President Yorulmaz emphasized that TİKA prioritizes projects for disadvantaged groups in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and stated: “We are honored to stand in solidarity today with our brothers and sisters under the protection of the Malaysian state. In 2023, we took the first step by establishing a computer laboratory here. In 2024, we modernized the center’s sensory and stress rooms to create better-equipped spaces. We believe that empowering the most vulnerable members of society is key to building a stronger future.”
About Taman Sinar Harapan Ziyad Zolkefli Cheras Nursing Home
The center in Kuala Lumpur provides care, protection, rehabilitation, and education to approximately 100 autistic children with learning disabilities. Across the country, more than 1,000 Malay, Chinese, and Indian individuals benefit from similar support at seven different centers. Those without family support receive lifelong care and protection while being taught essential daily living skills.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and the IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation Disaster Management jointly organized an Advanced Urban Search and Rescue Training program with the participation of 30 volunteers from the Sindh Scouts Association and the Alkhidmat Foundation.
Volunteers who successfully completed the training program were awarded certificates at a ceremony. The event was attended by former Ombudsman of Sindh Province, Aijaz Ali Khan; TİKA’s Coordinator in Karachi, Halil İbrahim Başaran; Director General of Colleges of Sindh Province, Dr. Navaid Rab Siddiqui; IHH Disaster Management Trainers, the Karachi Metropolitan Municipality urban search and rescue team, and numerous distinguished guests.
Former Ombudsman of Sindh Province, Ali Khan, stated that disasters frequently occur in Sindh and emphasized the importance of such training programs.
TİKA Coordinator Başaran highlighted that the long-standing efforts initiated in Pakistan following the devastating floods and the earthquakes in Türkiye are ongoing, and this training program has further strengthened cooperation.
Scout team leader Tauhid Fatima, one of the volunteers who participated in the training, shared that they had an excellent training experience, learning the values of teamwork and perseverance. Fatima expressed her excitement about participating in every training program organized by TİKA and conveyed her gratitude to TİKA for providing this opportunity and to the IHH disaster management trainers for their invaluable contributions.
Search and rescue training to continue with TİKA’s support
As part of the search and rescue training program launched in 2023, a total of four training sessions have been conducted in Pakistan so far. The program, structured in two main phases—search and rescue in natural environments and urban search and rescue—has successfully reached its final stages. Additionally, the third phase, focusing on search and rescue in water, is scheduled to take place in Türkiye.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), in collaboration with the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Indonesia, has supported the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants on an 8,000-square-meter plot to improve healthcare and enhance the economic well-being of the Baduy tribe, which continues to uphold its traditional way of life.
The Baduy tribe, comprising 15,000 people in the Lebak Regency of Indonesia’s Banten province, has lived in harmony with nature for centuries, adhering to age-old traditions. Rejecting modern medical treatments, they rely exclusively on herbal and natural remedies to treat ailments. The Baduy people, who shun modern conveniences such as electricity, telephones, and hospitals, reside in bamboo houses and sustain themselves through agriculture and livestock farming.
As part of the project carried out in cooperation with TİKA and the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Indonesia, the cultivation of eight different medicinal and aromatic plants on an 8,000-square-meter plot was encouraged to address the health needs of the Baduy tribe and support their economic development. This initiative not only ensured the sustainable production of plants used in traditional medicine—many of which are scarce in nature—but also created a new source of livelihood for the tribe.
As part of the project, TİKA’s Vice President Dr. Ümit Naci Yorulmaz, along with academics, undergraduate and graduate students from the University of Indonesia, joined Baduy tribe members during the harvest period. Dr. Yorulmaz emphasized that the project holds great significance not only for healthcare but also for economic and cultural sustainability.
With TİKA’s support, the project aims to preserve the traditional knowledge of the Baduy people while promoting a healthier lifestyle and strengthening their economic well-being.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided a mobile hemodialysis unit to the National Centre for Prevention and Treatment of Renal Failure to support patients battling kidney disease in Côte d’Ivoire.
Due to the rising prevalence of kidney disease, the center has been struggling to meet the increasing demand for treatment. In response, TİKA has supplied a state-of-the-art mobile dialysis unit,
which will enable healthcare professionals to reach patients in remote areas where treatment centers are unavailable and provide care in their homes. This initiative is expected to benefit approximately 5,000 patients annually, making a significant contribution to the country’s health infrastructure.
Speaking at the delivery ceremony, Pierre N’Gou Dimba, Minister of Health and Public Hygiene of Côte d’Ivoire, expressed his gratitude to Türkiye, stating: “This high-tech portable dialysis unit can be used in emergency rooms and in the homes of critically ill patients. Additionally, its integrated water purification system will enhance its efficiency. This valuable support is a testament to our strong cooperation with Türkiye in the field of healthcare.”
Türkiye’s Ambassador to Abidjan, Deniz Erdoğan Barım highlighted that the advanced dialysis unit provided by TİKA would bring significant relief to patients suffering from kidney failure. Emphasizing that this initiative further strengthens Türkiye-Côte d’Ivoire health cooperation, Barım added that TİKA and the private sector will continue expanding their efforts in this field.
