Kars Move Ahead Project took a start with a press meeting in Kars organized by the project coordinator, Women Entrepreneurs Association of Turkey – KAGİDER, on the 27 December 2010. The project aims to contribute to the continuation of girls in their secondary school educations in Kars and to enable their participation in the labour market. The project is co-financed by the European Union and the Turkish Republic under ‘Increasing School Enrolment Rates Especially for Girls’ Programme.
Press meeting of the project was realised with the participation of Nilgün Yorgancılar Erekli (Daddy Send me to School Project Coordinator and Milliyet Newspaper representative) and Hande Sabuncuoğlu (Dogan Media Marketing and Corporate Communications Director), Ayla Sevand (Vice President of KAGİDER), Leyla Arsan (CEO of TAGES and Risk Manager of the project), Ali Osman Engin and Nezihe Aslan (Kafkas University), Nilüfer Yılmaz (KAMER), Ayşe Yüksel (Sabancı University), Eylem Karakaya (Turkish Family Health & Planning Foundation) and Bora Caldu (Youth for Habitat) in Kars Grand Castle Otel. In the press meeting which was realized for the presentation and announcement of the project, detailed information about the project, project targets and planned activities were shared with participants and press.
Ayla Sevand, the Vice President of KAGİDER, stated that enrollment of girls and increasing their vocational skills is an important driving force and vehicle for empowerment of women. Sevand continued her speech as following: ‘Girls in Kars Move Ahead Project make us very excited because we will touch approximately 350 girls’ who are living in three dormitories which are build under the Daddy Send me to School Project; Kars Merkez Sabancı Female Students Dormitory, Kars Merkez Yadigar Mehmet Binal Female Students Dormitory and Kars Sarıkamış Milliyet Newspaper Female Students Dormitory and the parents of these students life. She also gave detailed information about aims, target groups, partners and their rolls, timing, actions of the project. Sevand stated that they are giving great importance to share experiences for strengthening the position of women and they are very glad to transfer their experiences and knowledge to the project with other project partners and associate partners.
Hande Sabuncuoğlu from Milliyet Newspaper emphasized that the project activities would provide benefit for girls and Nilgün Yorgancılar Erekli, Doğan Media Marketing and Corporate Communications Director, stated that they aimed to bring girls to society as productive individuals.
The press meeting was followed by a partners’ meeting with the contribution of project partners, associate partners, Milliyet Newspaper representatives and dormitory directors to discuss on the project and the action plan.
As also stated in the project press meeting, project methodology will include the conducting of surveys on 350 girls living in the dormitories to analyse their psychological situation, information level, interests and intentions. Based on this analysis, teacher trainings will be provided to the teachers by Sabancı University and KAMER in the linked schools and dorms. In the end, these teachers should guide the girl students, monitor them closely, direct and support these girls in their training processes.. Moreover, the girl students will be provided different trainings depending on each dorm’s individual needs and characteristics. Girl students at Kars Sarıkamış Milliyet Gazetesi Kız Öğrenci Yurdu will given basic computer skills training which is the most basic professional skill today by Association of Youth for Habitat. Since most of the student in the Kars Merkez Sabancı Kız Öğrenci Yurdu study in the Healthcare Profession High School, for these girls, the focus shall be on the lacks in the adaptation of the education they get for being a healthcare professional to the working life. . To this end, a training program shall be designed by the associate partner TAPV directed at developing the professional knowledge and skills to increase their employment choices and possibilities. Motivation meetings will be held in dormitories during or after the completion of the trainings and girls with success stories who can be role models for the girls targeted in the Action as well as business owners who can give schoolgirls employment opportunities will be invited. Awareness seminars on gender equality in public to which extensive participation is expected will also be given by KAMER, the local partner of the Action, for the families of the schoolgirls and the society. Each of the schoolgirls can be monitored as based on each activity during the Action and that measures can be taken in that regard in the activity to follow. In the end, a contribution shall have been made in creating motivation in the girls to study, to be trained, to gain professional skills, and then to have a job and in developing their current conditions
According to the opinion of the meeting participants, project will be an important and sustainable step for the future of girls in Kars. Because the project covers girls’ parents and teachers, it will be more effective and well-founded. Also it is expected that the project will be a great example for the other cities.
