Three Million Trees – Refugee Employment Initiative in Turkey

IB Turkey (IBETH) & Internationaler Bund e.V. (IB) - together with its local partner Darülaceze Foundation (DAV) - carried out the 'Three Million Trees & Three Million Syrians Project' in Gaziantep on the period November 20, 2017 - August 31, 2018, commissioned by GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) under the Supporting Economic Prospects (PEP) Program of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) to focus on creating employment opportunities by providing vocational training.

Background

Turkey has taken in more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees since the beginning of the crisis in Syria, making it the country hosting the most refugees throughout the world. The refugees are provided with basic services by the Turkish state, but most of them lack opportunities for earning income and acquiring vocational qualifications. Against this background, the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) contributes to efforts to provide training and income opportunities for refugees and members of the host communities and supports peacebuilding and intercultural activities with the aim of strengthening social cohesion at local level. Gaziantep had been selected as a project location in phase-2 of the project, for its tremendous challenges posed by mass migration of especially Syrian refugees over the past years, and for its considerable need of opportunities for forestation.

Objective

The project strengthens social cohesion and the social recognition of refugees in their respective Turkish host communities, well as beyond, through joint work experiences and connected awareness measures. At the same time, the project itself combines social and ecological objectives. Through its reforestation activities, a sustainable improvement of the soil and protection aginst erosion damage is ensure, in addtion to sizeable long-term contributions to global climate change mitigation. Within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals, sustainable development means securing both the present and the future while achieving balance in environmental, economic and social areas. 

The economic situation of the Syrian refugees and the Turkish citizens in need in the host communities has temporarily improved. The infrastructure in the communities has been rehabilitated. Implementation of effective and immediate measures to provide livelihood opportunities for Syrian refugees and vulnerable Turkish citizens, while also supporting the host municipalities in providing services to all citizens (by providing Language Training to Syrian refugees for social inclusion and childcare activities to increase the number of women participation in the labor system.)

Project Activities

Syrian refugees and Turkish vulnerable citizens were registered to the project and temporarily employed, with a salary corresponding to the local minimum wage. Among them were also 20% female beneficiaries. The 1^st phase of the project has showed that women having kids would usually not accept to work on the project. To increase the women participation to the project, a childcare center was a part of the project mesaures, providing childcare services during the working hours to enable mother to work on the project.

• Project Management
• Awareness raising and focus group meetings
• Reforestation Activities: Planting  trees in the course of the project.
• Orientation Training: Providing orientation trainings to all project staff and the beneficiaries within the scope of the project. The orientation program included a proper introduction to the project (project partners, project goal, project duration, etc.), what’s expected and where they would fit in to the overall goals.
• Job Safety Training: Job Safety Training was provided to all beneficiaries working on the workplaces related to gardening and the usage of tools and PPE (personal protective equipment).
• Turkish Language Training: Syrian beneficiaries received Turkish Language Training to remove an important barrier to the social integration into Turkish society an enabled them to better access the labor market.
• Childcare Activities: Childcare services provided to enable mothers to work on the project during the working hours to increase the number of women participation in labor market.
• Social Cohesion Activities: Social and cultural activities were organised among different groups (Syrian refugees and vulnerable Turkish citizens) in order to support intercultural communication and social cohesion.
• Work Permit: Work permits were obtained for each Syria refugees.
• Temporary Employment: Beneficiaries were registered to the project and temporarily employed with a salary corresponding to the local minimum wage.  Work contract, social security number and individual bank accounts to receive salary payment were provided to all beneficiaries into formal labor system. 
• Medical Checkups: Medical checkups were performed for the newly employed all beneficiaries at the beginning of the project.
• Catering & Transportation Services: Catering and transportation services provided to the beneficiaries within the scope of the project.   

Ankara German Ambassador Martin Erdmann & Mayor of Gaziantep Municipality Fatma Sahin (03.03.2018)