Creating Opportunities Together

Visit from our Turkish partner organization, Imece

Projects in Turkey and northern Syria

Personal Exchange

October 2026 — On October 13th 2026, we were pleased to welcome Ali Güray and Hazal Durak from our long-standing Turkish partner organization, Imece, to our Munich office. For many years, we have been working together on projects to help people affected by displacement, forced migration, and the consequences of war. The severe earthquakes in February 2023 have further exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in Turkey and northern Syria. Many people lost their homes, and schools and other facilities were damaged or destroyed. To this day, the need for support remains great. During our face-to-face meeting, we discussed ongoing relief efforts, new project ideas, and the future of our collaboration.

Ali and Hazal brought a special gift: a set of Montessori learning materials that Imece is currently distributing to schoolchildren in northern Syria. Using puzzles and hands-on materials, the children learn letters, numbers, arithmetic, and the continents. They can also discover the planets of our solar system in a playful way. The materials encourage independent learning through hands-on exploration and experimentation.

The educational materials are part of a joint project through which LandsAid and Imece are working to improve educational opportunities for children in northern Syria. Many families who had sought refuge in Turkey are now returning to Syria. There, suitable educational materials and well-equipped classrooms are often lacking.

Ali told us about Mohamed, a teacher who used to live in Izmir and has since returned to Syria. There, he is working to improve learning conditions. Many schools need to be renovated, and classrooms need to be refurnished.

Imece is therefore planning another mission to northern Syria in the spring of 2027. Together with volunteers, the team hopes to renovate classrooms, paint walls, and provide new desks. The needs were assessed in consultation with school administrators. Since funds are limited, Imece has initially selected a nursery as a potential beneficiary. Local authorities will be involved before work begins.

In addition to educational programs, Imece supports people in northern Syria as well as Syrian refugees in Izmir through food distributions. We assisted our Turkish partner with distributions in camps around Izmir.

Another key topic of the discussion was the “Back to Home” programme, which Imece has been implementing for about two years in a “village” near Izmir. It is primarily aimed at Syrian women who wish to return to their homeland, and their children.

The women are collected from Izmir and brought back after the workshops. Through training courses in electrical work, auto painting, carpentry, permaculture, and sustainable agriculture, they acquire practical skills that can help them build their own livelihoods. Separate activities are organized for the children at the same time.

This programme is particularly important for women who are the sole breadwinners for their families. Vocational skills can help them earn their own income and pass on their knowledge to other women. Upon their return, they can also use these skills to help rebuild their home communities.

Imece hopes to reach more women in the future, particularly mothers with children. To this end, additional childcare services will be established. Seven volunteers are currently working at the village, and additional social-educational support is needed.

Many Syrian refugees continue to live in difficult conditions in the Izmir area, many of them in informal settlements near Izmir. Their economic situation is deteriorating. Many refugees are finding it increasingly difficult to find work as seasonal agricultural workers. As Winter approaches, the pressure on these families is mounting.

The discussion also touched on the challenging conditions facing humanitarian organizations. Declining donations and reduced funding are making it difficult for both us and Imece to finance our work. We are therefore looking for new ways to ensure the long-term sustainability of our projects.

Women’s projects were also a topic of discussion. We reported on our project in Mozambique, where psychosocial interventions help women process traumatic experiences and strengthen their sense of self-determination.

During our conversation, we began to explore ways in which we could continue and expand our collaboration in the future. These face-to-face discussions help us better understand the situation on the ground, assess needs together, and plan potential new projects.

We wrapped up our afternoon together in our office with coffee and Turkish nougat. We’ve already received an invitation to visit Izmir in return, and we’re looking forward to continuing our personal exchange there.

The meeting once again demonstrated how important it is to work in close cooperation with local partner organizations. They understand the living conditions of the people, recognize changes on the ground, and tailor their services to actual needs. Building on this foundation, we intend to continue providing aid together in the future.

Our local partner organization, the Imece Initiative, was founded in Izmir in 2014 in response to the Syrian refugee crisis and was registered as a nonprofit organization in March 2016. Since then, the organization has been supporting refugees and disadvantaged people in the region through educational programmes, humanitarian aid, and initiatives to promote self-reliance, among other efforts.

Imece works directly with the affected communities and local organizations. The organization is active both in the Izmir region and in Syrian areas immediately across the Turkish border. LandsAid has been working with Imece for several years and, together with the organization, supports projects for people affected by flight, displacement, and the consequences of war.

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2026-10-21T12:34:35+00:00

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