Sport for Solidarity uses sport to help young refugees and asylum seekers feel safe and protected, while building links with their local communities, in seven of the most densely populated cities in Tϋrkiye: Istanbul, Izmir, Ankara, Adana, Bursa, Mersin and Şanlıurfa.
Tϋrkiye hosts the greatest number of refugees and asylum seekers in the world with over 3.7 million Syrian refugees and over 400,000 asylum seekers from countries including Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran and Somalia.
The growing number of displaced people has led to increased tension between refugee and host communities, resulting in heightened risks of bullying, discrimination and gender-based violence towards young refugees. Through sport, we know we can have a positive impact on all of this and help young people find a sense of belonging.
Building on the success of a previous Olympic Refuge Foundation-funded programme in Tϋrkiye, we’re working with partners on the ground to run sport sessions, festivals and camps where young refugees get a chance to mix with host communities. We’re training coaches so they can run these sessions safely while also imparting important life skills like teamwork and leadership.
We’re providing extra mental health and well-being support through professional youth workers, trainers and psychologists. In addition, our partners are running awareness-raising activities aimed at young refugees’ family members, friends and other community members on sport, nutrition, hygiene, child development, gender awareness and child rights.
We’re supporting the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Tϋrkiye (MoYS) and local NGO, the Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM), to deliver this programme together with UNHCR Tϋrkiye and the Turkish Olympic Committee in a supportive role.
The Sport for Solidarity programme launched in May 2022 and will run for three years with the aim of reaching more than 25,200 young people through safe sport. USD $9.13 million is being invested in this project with co-investment of $4 million from the Olympic Refuge Foundation and $5.13 million from the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The programme Sport for Solidarity programme launched in May 2022 and will run for three years with the aim of reaching more than 25,200 young people through safe sport.
