Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided winter clothing to Gazan workers whose work permits were cancelled after the conflict emerged between Palestine and Israel.
After the conflict emerged between Palestine and Israel, Israel canceled the work permits of Gazan workers who were working in Israel. Afterwards, the workers who got stuck in West Bank were put into the centers in Nablus and Jericho.
Under the harsh conditions that have been going on since October 7, when the conflict started, TİKA distributed 2,000 winter clothing sets that include coats, undersuits, and socks to the workers who were not allowed to go back to Gaza and were not prepared for winter conditions.
2,000 winter clothing sets that include coats, undersuits and socks were delivered to the authorities of the Palestinian Ministry of Labour.
The delivery ceremony that took place in Jericho Governor's Building was attended by the Governor of Jericho, Yusra Svayti; Director General of Palestinian Ministry of Labour, Rami Mehdavi; Jericho Commander of National Security, Brigadier General Galip Aşkar; and TİKA’s Coordinator in Palestine, Orhan Aydın.
Governor of Jericho, Svayti, stated that this support they received during difficult times means so much to them.
In his speech, Svayti also stated that their greatest wish is for the war that has been going on in Gaza to end and that they appreciate the efforts of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Türkiye on the matter.
After the ceremony, the delegation visited the Gazan workers at Jericho Military Education Center to give them their best wishes.
Before this, TİKA had also distributed catheters, syringes, bistouries, platinum, gauze bandages, wound drainage sets; medical supplies, food parcels that contained fast-moving consumer goods, and blankets in hospitals and schools of Gaza to thousands of people in need. They also distributed supply kits that contained mattresses, blankets, pillows, towels, and clothes to the workers in West Bank.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided technical equipment support to three vocational education centers of Insight Institute of Management and Technology, active in Sri Lanka, that are in Puttalam, Mawanella, and the capital city, Colombo.
TİKA provided vocational education equipment to the three vocational education centers of Insight Institute of Management and Technology, which is a non-profit organization that provides vocational training to fulfill the country’s need for qualified personnel in the fields of automobile, electricity, air conditioning, and construction, in Puttalam, Mawanella and the capital city, Colombo.
Within the institute, more than 350 students receive full-time courses that are 12 to 18 months long on automobile mechanics, refrigeration and air conditioning expertise, and electricity and construction expertise. Also, to support trainees who come from poor backgrounds, more than half of the young people accepted into the institute are given scholarships.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony of the technical equipment, one of the executives of the Institute, Abdul Kuddoos Muhamad Fawzan, stated: “The teachers who work here became quite happy. With help from God, we will prepare our youth, who will receive education under better conditions, for a bright future. We pray for you and Türkiye.”
Sri Lanka, home to many different cultures, languages, and ethnic backgrounds with a population of 22 million people, has made important regulations in the field of education in recent years and has taken measurements that will increase the quality of vocational education. However, most of the young population do not have the chance to go to university.
In Sri Lanka, more than 300,000 students take the university exam each year, and only 20% of these people can get into universities and other institutes of higher education or vocational and technical education. The remaining students face unemployment due to not having enough resources to pursue education after high school. Because some of these young people go abroad to try to receive an education, the number of people in the productive young population decreases.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed a vegetable and moringa production garden in Niger, in which approximately one thousand people will be employed.
Niger’s region of Tillaberi is among the regions that are most affected by acute drought and terrorism. The harsh conditions negatively affect the supply chain and regional safety, forcing many people living in Tillaberi to migrate to safer regions. This situation brings along many demographic issues.
Intending to ensure security in the region and develop the supply chain, the state of Niger supports forming new production fields. Within this scope, TİKA installed a vegetable and moringa production garden for the members of the M'Bama Women’s Group, which is active in the village of M'Bama in Balleyara, Tillaberi.
The garden, equipped with solar energy systems, water wells, Californian irrigation systems, seed, fertilizer, moringa saplings, training on vegetable and moringa production, and agricultural equipment, stands out as one of the largest production gardens in the region.
In the production garden installed on a 2-hectare field, plants such as onion, potato, tomato, cabbage, beans, carrot, and eggplant will be grown along with moringa leaf.
This project is aimed to become an important source of income shortly, especially because the moringa plant grows fast and is commonly consumed in Niger.
The aim of the project, which approximately 1,000 people will benefit from, is to increase the capacity of vegetable and moringa production in Niger, to develop the supply chain of the region, which is negatively affected by terrorism, to meet the poor families’ need for water and to contribute to the employment in the region.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) renewed certain parts of the Dr. Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas, the capital city of Venezuela, thus making it fit for service.
In the regional countries of South America, physical and technical infrastructure in the field of health is quite inefficient. Adding another one to the list of projects carried out within the scope of the Development of Health Services and Infrastructures in the Region of South America Program, which has been carried out since 2018 to provide the regional countries with qualified health services, TİKA renewed the physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, electrotherapy rooms, consulting rooms, common areas, and administrative units of Dr. Domingo Luciani Hospital on an area of 750 sq meters. An air conditioning system that the hospital did not have prior was installed in the related units, thus making the hospital units fit for treatment.
The opening ceremony of the renewed units was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Caracas, Naci Aydan Karamanoğlu; General Director of the Hospital, Maurilina Guzman; hospital authorities; and press members.
In his speech during the ceremony, Ambassador Karamanoğlu noted that TİKA has been carrying out important projects in the field of health in Venezuela for years and stated that the support from our country in this field will continue.
In the delivery ceremony, the General Director of the Hospital Guzman stated that the hospital is one of the most extensive hospitals in Venezuela and accepts a high number of patients from every medical branch; also, that the hospital has needed renewal and maintenance for many years, and with this project, the capacity of the hospital and the quality of the service will be increased. Guzman stated: “We thank Türkiye for their support in the health sector. We aspire to have better conditions in the hospital with similar projects in the future. I thank you in the name of our President, Nicolas Maduro, the Ministry of Health, and the workers of the Hospital."
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) built a suspension bridge in the Village of Nangerah, in Indonesia’s city of Tasikmalaya. The village has a population of 3200 people.
To replace the 68-year-old bridge made of bamboo, a new bridge that is 50 meters long and 1.2 meters wide was built using iron plates and wire rope materials.
The old bridge used to cause a waste of time and become life-threatening for the people of the two villages who go to their fields and for over five hundred children who go to school, especially during rainy weather. The new bridge enabled safe passage as well as a great saving of time.
In his speech during the opening ceremony, Province mayor Agus Swarlan stated: “We had to renew the old bridge every year, and accidents used to happen from time to time. This new bridge that connects the two villages safely is shortening the long amount of time children spend going to school and increasing their motivation. It will also make it easier to go to polls for the upcoming elections and make tourism gain momentum.”
Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships at TİKA, Uğur Tanyeli, stated: “The bridge is not only connecting the two villages. It also connects Türkiye and Indonesia together. The relationship between Türkiye and Indonesia can be traced back to the 16th century.”
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) held a 1-week eye health screening and treatment camp for free in Nepal’s cities of Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj.
Approximately 3,000 people benefited from the eye health screening and treatment opportunities provided with the cooperation of TİKA and “Nepal Netra Jyoti Sangh”, which is a non-profit organization that is active in the field of eye health in Nepal and already has 27 eye hospitals and 150 eye health centers within.
The patients from Nepal, who do not have the opportunity to have cataract surgery and who live within the limit of the extreme poverty line, regained their health thanks to the eye health treatment camps that were held. Approximately 500 people who have partial or complete vision loss got cataract surgery.
Also, the patients who have eye damage or disorders were transferred to the eye hospitals in the cities of Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi to be treated for free.
About Nepal
Nepal, which is ranked 143rd among 191 countries on the List of countries by Human Development Index, stands out as one of the poorest countries in the world.
Nepal has a population of 30 million, 80 per cent of which are living in urban areas, and more than one-fourth of the population is living below the poverty line. Health services in the country are provided by both the public and private sectors but usually do not meet international standards.
In Nepal, where the rate of catching various illnesses is observed to be higher compared to the other South Asian countries, they are trying to get diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, cholera, and typhoid under control.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided winter clothing to 270 orphans in the provinces of Balkh and Badakhshan in Afghanistan.
Winter clothing was handed out to the orphans with the delivery ceremonies held in two different orphanages that were attended by the Director of Labor and Social Affairs of the Balkh Province, Mufti Nesir Ahmet Ebu Halit; the Director of Labor and Social Affairs of the Badakhshan Province, Mevlevi Hayrullah Safdar; TİKA’s Coordinator in Mazar-i-Sharif, Mikail Taşdemir and Afghan authorities.
The packages, which contain coats, winter shoes, socks, gloves, school uniforms, and Afghan clothing, were distributed to 270 students in total; 190 of whom are in the Province of Badakhshan Fayzabad City Orphanage and 80 of whom are in the Province of Balkh Mazar-i-Sharif City Orphanage.
In their speeches during the ceremonies, the Directors of Labor and Social Affairs of Balkh and Badakhshan stated that Turkish people have always been there for Afghanistan and that the provided support made them overjoyed. Stating that having the needed winter shoes and clothing provided for them directly affects children’s lives, Ebu Halit and Safdar thanked TİKA for their support.
In his speech, TİKA’s Coordinator in Mazar-i-Sharif, Mikail Taşdemir, emphasized that the children who stay in Balkh and Badakhshan orphanages, built and fully equipped by TİKA to be delivered to Afghan authorities, are regularly supported.
In cooperation with the Indonesia Boundless Disabled Persons Association, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) handed out wheelchairs to 100 disabled people.
There are approximately 23 million disabled people in Indonesia, which forms 8.5% of the population. According to the 2022 report of the Indonesia Central Agency of Statistics, the rate of disabled people joining the workforce is approximately 3%.
On the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, celebrated on December 3, TİKA made life easier for 100 Indonesian disabled people. In his speech during the delivery ceremony, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships at TİKA, Uğur Tanyeli, stated that solidarity between the two countries can be traced back to the 16th century, and Indonesia’s support of building 100 village houses in Türkiye after the earthquake will not be forgotten. Noting that their support of projects, which are about community participation of the disabled and disadvantageous groups, will continue, Tanyeli stated: “I believe that successful artists and athletes will be brought up among our disabled brothers and sisters.”
In cooperation with the Indonesian Association of Women with Disabilities (HWDI) and Indonesian Association of Persons with Disabilities (PPDI), the 100 wheelchairs, which are a prerequisite for helping disabled people to become productive members of society, will be used by the disabled people who live in Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, and in the region of West Java.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) distributed 30 tons of climate change-proof rice seeds to two central states of Laos, a Southeast Asian country.
A project was carried out by TİKA to decrease the effects of climate change within the scope of the “Supporting Agriculture in Southeast Asia Program” in cooperation with the Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. In the states of Khammuan and Bolikhamsai, highly efficient and climate change-proof rice seeds will be distributed to the farmers affected by the flood that caused havoc.
The project was brought up during the meeting Türkiye’s Ambassador to Vientiane, Orhan Işık, and TİKA committee held with Laos Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Dr. Phet Phomphiphak.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony of the rice seeds, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Kikeo Singnavong, stated that approximately 3,000 hectares of agricultural fields were damaged in the two regions that were hit by the heavy flood in August. Stating that the rice seeds which were stored for the next season in October were also damaged by the flood, Singnavong announced that 20 tons of rice seeds will be distributed to the state of Khammuan and 10 tons will be distributed to the state of Bolikhamsai, thus starting the implementation stage of the Climate Change Proof Agricultural Project, carried out by the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
In his speech during the ceremony, Ambassador Orhan Işık stated that climate change started to affect the whole world in the last few years, and these effects can be seen in Laos as well. He stated that TİKA’s project will put a smile on the faces of the farmers affected by the flood. Noting that TİKA is operating in many sectors with the shareholder institutions, Işık stated that the activities picked up a pace after the Covid-19 period, and he expressed that he believes it will develop the relationship between the two countries further if it increasingly continues.
Director of the National Agriculture and Forestry Research Centre, Dr.Chay Bounphanousay, stated that the farmers who were affected by the flood in the region will have the opportunity to have access to durable and new seeds when the distributed seeds get shared within the community.
Rice Efficiency is Expected to Increase by 20%
The rice seeds distributed within the project are formed from seven types of climate change-proof rice. Also, these are second-generation seeds that will be planted to produce third-generation seeds on a field of 500 hectares in the 2023-2024 season. From these high-efficiency seeds, rice seeds that will be used on a field of 25,000 hectares in the 2024 season are expected to be produced.
Within the scope of the project carried out by TİKA, the goal is to increase agricultural efficiency, enable food security, and support urban communities in the country.
The project, which was carried out in the two states that were determined with the cooperation of TİKA and Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, is expected to increase the efficiency of rice by 20% and note a 10% increase in the income of the farmers, as a result of the project being implemented across the country by Lao Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. With the planting of the new type of rice, which has immunity from diseases such as corn-cockle and bacterial spot becoming more common, the chemical usage in rice production will also decrease.
Within the scope of the project, 1,000 farmers, half of whom are women, will start to plant the seeds of climate change-proof types of rice (30 kilograms per person), and it will be possible to plant a field of 25,000 hectares with these types of rice in two years. Also, 80% of the farmers participating in this project will have enough rice to consume; thus, food security will be enabled.
Climate change and agriculture within UN Sustainable Development Goals
Climate change is a factor that greatly affects agriculture within the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the agriculture sector, solutions are searched against the challenges caused by climate change within SDGs. Within this scope, the farmers need to adapt to climate change, adopt durable agricultural practices, and manage natural resources efficiently.
To enable them to continue their education activities in better conditions, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) renewed the classrooms and installed a gym in İmadettin Zengi High School and Oğuzhan Secondary School, in which Turkmen students that live in Iraq’s city of Erbil are receiving education. The opening of the Turkmeneli Youth Resource Center in the city of Kirkuk, which was installed and equipped by TİKA to make young people pick up sports, was held.
The necessary renovations were held in the school, and new desks, tables, and stationaries were provided for the students of İmadettin Zengi High School and Oğuzhan Secondary School in Erbil to receive education in better conditions.
The opening of the project was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney; Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY) Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Aydın Maruf; TİKA’s Coordinator in Baghdad, Oğuzhan Dinler, and the invitees.
In his speech, Ambassador Güney stated that it is pleasing that the Turkmen students are receiving education in their language, and the support provided here by TİKA is a source of pride.
Within the project, a meeting was held with the participation of the principals of 15 Turkmen schools in Erbil. Problems faced by Turkmen schools and recommendations for solutions were discussed in the meeting. After the meeting, the computers, which were provided by TİKA to increase the quality of education and make it easier for young people to have access to information, were delivered to the school administrations. The occasion was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney; Kurdistan Regional Government (IKBY) Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Aydın Maruf; and TİKA’s Coordinator in Baghdad, Oğuzhan Dinler.
A Gym was Installed in Kirkuk for Young Turkmens
To enable young Turkmen who live in Kirkuk to pick up sports and make good use of their spare time, TİKA installed the Turkmeneli Youth Resource Center and provided the necessary materials. Its opening was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Baghdad, Ali Rıza Güney; TİKA’s Coordinator in Baghdad, Oğuzhan Dinler; Head of Iraqi Turkmen Front, Hasan Turan; Iraqi Turkmen Student and Youth Association President, Murat İmadettin Türkmen; and the invitees.
The gym, in which young people from Kirkuk can study and improve themselves in various branches of sport such as table tennis and fitness, was opened and put into service.
In his speech during the opening, Ambassador Güney emphasized the importance of sports to keep young people away from harmful habits, and he expressed how pleased he is to see that the project is now completed. He emphasized the importance of the role of TİKA in developing friendly relationships.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) installed a soilless agricultural greenhouse and biofloc fish farm in the village of Purwasari, which is in the Bogor region of Indonesia.
2,226 families in the village of Purwasari are earning a livelihood from animal husbandry, rice cultivation, and fishing. 47% of the population in the village is struggling to make ends meet.
In cooperation with the "Human Initiative" Organization active in Indonesia and the local state authorities, TİKA started a food security program in this region. TİKA put the Soilless Agricultural Greenhouse and Biofloc Fish Farm into service, providing income to many families in the region and being the first of its kind there.
In the soilless agricultural greenhouse, the bok choy plant, which is quite popular among the people in the region, is being produced. The bok choy plant can be harvested monthly. In the greenhouse installed by TİKA, 720 kilograms of the plant will be produced yearly. In the biofloc fish farm, production of which can be harvested every two months, Nila fish, the most consumed type of fish in the region, will be produced. The eggs of the broodfish will be sent to the other regions in tanks, thus providing income to other families as well.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony, the Head of the Department of Foreign Relations and Partnerships at TİKA, Uğur Tanyeli, stated that they brought the salute of Turkish people and expressed how happy he is to see the cooperation between the two countries getting more developed.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided a vehicle and food items to Bolivia Food Bank to be used for distribution activities.
TİKA continues to create solutions to malnourishment and lack of access to food in Latin America as well, two problems turning into an ever-growing crisis for individuals. Within the Preventing and Managing Food Loss and Waste Project in cooperation with the non-profit organization named Bolivia Food Bank (Banco de Alimentos de Bolivia), food distribution activities that happen in the city of Cochabamba can take place in the capital city, La Paz, and the city of El Alto as well.
Bolivia Food Bank is a non-profit organization that gathers the surplus production of food and cleaning items from the factories, marketplaces and big companies in the country. These items will go to waste unless gathered. They transfer these items to their storehouses and distribute them to those in need.
The vehicle which was provided to enable the new food item storehouses to be opened in the capital city, La Paz, and the city of El Alto, Bolivia’s fastest growing and most crowded city, was delivered to the authorities with a ceremony that was attended by TİKA’s authorities and Türkiye’s Ambassador to La Paz, Ertan Yalçın.
In his speech during the delivery ceremony, Ambassador Yalçın emphasized the contribution and support of valuable projects like this to the relationship between the two countries. Also, mentioning the Zero Waste project in his speech, which is being carried out under the patronage of Emine Erdoğan, wife of resident Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, and is turning into an international initiative, Yalçın stated that this project supported by TİKA is also an important step towards preventing waste.
Founder of the Food Bank, Nicole Guerrero, expressed the importance of the received support with her statement: “We believe that the development of a country is based on education, but we need nourished brains and bodies before everything. One of our biggest dreams turned into a reality today; therefore, in the name of the Food Bank and the Republic of Bolivia, I thank the Republic of Türkiye’s Embassy in Bolivia and TİKA.”
Representing Univalle University, which is among the co-founders of Banco de Alimentos, the National Director of the Graduate Faculty at Univalle University, Dr. Sandro Augusto Guerrero Morales made a speech in which he stated that TİKA’s support is a tangible example of international solidarity against hunger and inequality. In his speech, Morales stated: “TİKA has shown a tangible affection, sympathy, and solidarity. This renunciant gesture is hopeful not just for food security but for the future as well.” and emphasized the importance of this project.
In 2017, Bolivia Food Bank, which started as a student initiative, could only transfer 100 kilograms of food to 15 children fighting hunger in Cochabamba. Now, Bolivia Food Bank is distributing 60 tons of food every month to more than 28,500 people across the country.
With support from TİKA, Bolivia Food Bank will be able to reach 20,000 people in El Alto and 18,000 people in the capital city, La Paz, in three years.
Within the scope of the project, Bolivia Food Bank will store, classify, and transfer the food gathered from various supporting companies to the meal centers, foster homes, shelters, and social welfare centers, using the vehicle provided by TİKA that has the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Türkiye logo on.
