By Melis Figanmese | Program Assistant
Dear Friend,
TPF is working diligently to make your donation go as far as possible and have the maximum impact to provide relief to the victims of the disaster in Soma. Immediatley following the disaster, we turned to our partners on the ground who are the experts in the field and who know what is needed most. However, our partners have experienced obstacles in providing immediate relief in the area. Up until recently, the Turkish government was not allowing nonprofits provide social services in the town. They themselves have provided relief and scholarships to the victims and their families. TPF and other nonprofits, in the interim, have been assessing the situation to learn how to provide the most sustainable, long-term support.
The current situation revealed that the mine that exploded was in Soma, but those affected from the tragedy spread to over 15 towns. Therefore, our partners are generating plans to provide support and relief to surrounding towns. We've also learned that 32% of the children who lost their fathers are under the age of five, 38% are in primary school and 24% are over the age of 12. Of the 418 children affected, eight are disabled. Additionally, nine of the wives of vicitims are pregnant.
From these statistics, TPF has futher adjusted it's plans within the area to the following sectors. Nonprofits in Turkey are all interested in projects that can provide long-term impact and solution to the problem of mining in Turkey. We're also intereted in diversifying options for income generation or advocating on energy policies will have an impact on the whole community, not just the ones directly impacted by the tragedy. And lastly, the most important and urgent need is noted as pscyho-social support. Right now, these services are only provided by the government.
We have finally been able to identify key projects with whom TPF will be working. We will be making the announcement in the coming days and will keep all donors up to date. It is important to note that some donors have specified where they would like their donations to be used and TPF will be allocating those funds as per their request.
Please keep an eye out for our next report that will give a more detailed explanation as to the usage of the funds.
Thank you,
Melis
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