RUNNING TOWARDS HOPE

Coordinators: Umut Çocukları Derneği; Ferhat Şahin Bakırköy Gençlik Hizmetleri Spor Ve İlçe Müdürlüğü Ahmet Cömert Spor Salonu; Metin Albayrak, Özel Okmeydanı Hastanesi; Ercan Kesal& Şükrü Balcı Polis Meslek Yüksek Okulu; Süleyman Gelen

GROUNDS

  1. We will run for our turbulent streets with individuals experiencing homelessness and abused various illegal substances and adolescents who have to work on the streets as a result of lack of education and injustices in income distribution.
  2. Majority of the participants were sheltered by institutions and NGOs from an early age and ran away from the institutions or were forced to leave because they were over 18. As a result, they choose to live on the streets in spite of the negative living conditions.
  3. We see today that although there have been various organizations and experts that conducted projects to save people experiencing homelessness these projects were insufficient. The reason for that is there is not enough studies for adolescents and lack of social involvement in Turkey.
  4. Based on this point, we decided with the friends we had from our times living on the streets that we should consider these subjects with our experiences on the streets and make our thoughts to be noticed.
  5. We do not think that where we are today is merely a chance. We are who we are to help our friends and brothers who are still living in unlivable conditions. In spite of all the drugs we abused, we will run 8 km for all the people experiencing homelessness all around the world.

AIM:

  1. To promote the project in places where population of people experiencing homelessness is dense, and to enable sustainable sports activities.
  2. To promote change in people who are forced to live on the streets, acquired bad habits, and became illegal substance abusers by cutting them off from the streets and include them in sports activities even for short periods of time.
  3. To integrate people experiencing homelessness into society, to find them jobs, and educate them and also provide them with basic needs such as shelter and food.

APPLICATION:

  1. Umut Çocukları Derneği is responsible to make the project work and to conclude the project at the time and place determined by cooperating with organizations and institutions to acquire the help necessary.
  2. Decathlon provides the sports equipments, cloths, shoes, medals, and items that are needed for the project.
  3. Decathlon also provides for required nutrition and partial allowance during the training of 10 individuals that will run for project, “Running towards Hope”.
  4. Bakırköy Youth Services and County Directorate’s Ahmet Cömert Sport Center Provides the participants’ training program and necessary training.
  5. Bakırköy Youth Services and County Directorate’s Ahmet Cömert Sport Center provides location for press conferences and coordination meetings.
  6. Umut Çocukları Derneği undertakes the project’s operability.

TARGET SEGMENT AND BENEFIT

  1. People who will be trained for the project were faced with all the negativities of living on the streets and abused various substances as a coping mechanism. They will encourage the others experiencing homelessness who are in despair because of their past experiences and they will be the light of hope for them.
  2. Participants will be awarded with a certificate and a plaque engraved with the names of all the organizations that helped to realize this project.

STARTING AND ENDING LOCATIONS:

STARTING AND ENDING DATE OF THE PROJECT:

  1. Start: 23 December 2013
  2. End: 31 May 2014