Volunteer Projects

Social and Welfare Services

Urgent Need Foundation Project
The Foundation gives support to economically disadvantaged families and their children. The foundation provides food aid, clothing, medicine and health check ups. Additionally, the foundation provides scholarships to students as well as uniforms and books. The Foundation also organizes courses, and cultural activities to museums, theatres, and other excursions. Aid is also provided to disaster areas as needed.

Volunteers help staff with the office work and help prepare monthly aid boxes.  They also work with children directly in the areas of computer technology, arts & crafts, music, sports, language, chaperoning excursions, etc.

"Friendly Hands" - DOST ELLER
The objective is to seek out and support - immigrant families, students, the homeless, the unemployed, single mothers and the elderly - who need care and assistance by providing food, shelter, and educational resources regardless of their age, sex, political or religious beliefs. They accept donations of money as well as goods, and prepare monthly food aid boxes for delivery to the needy.

Volunteers work in the Friendly Hands Shop, accepting and organizing donations of food, clothing, or other donations, preparing the donation boxes, and going out into the community to assist with deliveries.

Woman Coordination Center
This center helps women by educating, giving financial, food and assistance with clothing. Volunteers work in the secondhand clothes donation department.

Education

Children's Friends Association
The Children's Friends Association has established a home for orphans, and for children of missing parents. The children live in the association's building and go to state schools. The main objective is to give disadvantaged children a safe, happy living atmosphere, to enable them to continue their education and to go on to have productive and healthy lives. The association depends on donations of money, food, clothing and of volunteer work for its continuing operations.

Task description: Volunteers are welcome at the association during the school term from September to June and they may work as language teachers, at computer training, coaching sports, or teaching music (teaching to sing, introducing instruments), drawing, handcrafts, ceramics etc. Working hours are flexible depending on the school schedules. Project is available from September to June.

Children Study Halls
Since 2009 Study Halls has offered students courses in Mathematics, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, Turkish and foreign languages. Our volunteers work mainly as language teachers in the centers. They also support the existing teaching staff.

Beyoglu Municipality Youth Center and Information House
The youth information program's aim is to give young people information about the European Union Youth Program, teach them how to write and create a project, have discussions on different topics, training, workshops and seminars.

Peace Education Center
This project takes place at the Bosphorus University. Activities such as education peaceful communication, human rights and conflict resolution. Willing and knowledgeable volunteers are welcome.

YASOM- Informal Education Youth Center
This project involves "free conversation clubs" held in different languages. Volunteers are expected to help organize events and projects hosted by the center.

Food Banking and Social Market
Families in need visit the center and receive whatever goods are useful to them. Volunteers are expected to work in the collecting and serving area alongside local staff members and volunteers.

Traditional Turkish Arts

Foundation for Serving Turkish Culture
The project is run by the Foundation for serving Turkish Culture in a former Ottoman Medrese (a school for Islamic and secular education) built in 1559 by the Ottoman architect “Mimar Sinan”, and located in an old part of Istanbul. 

Following the renovations of the Medrese in 1989, the foundation organizes  traditional Ottoman handcraft and musical  courses and workshops,  both for locals and foreigners.

More than 20 different courses are offered including:  Ebru (traditional Turkish  marbling), gilding, porcelain decoration, calligraphy, ceramic, stained  glass, miniature, reed flute and leed. The center also hosts music and art exhibitions.

Volunteers will attend classes, help exhibit work, clean and organize classrooms; and assist staff in serving English speaking visitors.

Assisting those with Disabilities

Six Dot Foundation for the Blind
The main objective of the foundation is to help blind persons adapt to community life and become productive members of society. They offer room and board to 35 students at a time, from the ages of 18-35, as well as provide basic skills workshops and basic job training.

The center is located in Emirgan, one of the oldest residential areas by the Bosporus. Volunteers should have some experience working with the blind. Tutoring is usually on one to one basis therefore working hours can be flexible. The project is available all year long.

Schizoprenia Friends Association
The main objective of the project is to educate patients and their families about schizophrenia, to overcome stereotypes in their society, and help patients to socialize. They have separate courses for patients and their families in the center. There are also classes in singing, painting, folk dances as well as daily excursions and summer camps.

Tasks: Males (25+) only, should have experience or willingness to work with this special group.  Seeking Male educators (25+) only with experience or interest work (music, drama, drawing, language, handcrafts, dance). Hours are 11am-6pm weekdays (including lunch).  Available all year.

Environment

Sea Turtle Research & Rescue
The project includes rescue and research studies on sea turtles. Research includes: nest relocation, nest protection, embryonic developments, sex determination, genetic research and pollution. In addition, ill or injured sea turtles are rescued and rehabilitated.

The project takes place in Dalyan- Iztuzu Beach. The town is a protected breeding ground for the endangered loggerhead sea turtle species.

In a typical day:  Walking about 10 kms, feeding turtles, cleaning pools, dressing wounds, giving information to visitors. During summer months relocation and protection of nests and caring for newborns.

Regular hours are between 8 am – 5 pm & during the summer 10 pm to 2 or 3 am. Volunteers stay in tents or dorms, with the expectation of contributing to communal food preparation, cleanliness and being a responsible team member.  Participants are responsible for costs to/from Istanbul airport to project site.  Project available all year.

WWF--Sea Turtle Conservation 
The main aim of this project is to enhance the conservation of Turkey's sea turtle population, and to promote the sustainable use of its vast natural resources. The project area is located in Adana Province in the Mediterranean region of Turkey. Adana is the gateway to the Cukurova plain, the large stretch of flat and fertile land which lies to the south-east of the Taurus Mountains. The lakes and the linked lagoons are the places where unique land and sea creatures, especially green sea turtles and birds, reproduce and shelter.

Volunteer's Task: The position involves lots of walking along the 22km. beach. Tasks include marking turtle's nests, preserving them and helping baby sea turtles find their way to the sea when they hatch. Volunteers will stay in shared tents (supplied by WWF) with other volunteers (local & international), and will share cooking and other chores in camp or are free to bring their own tent and sleeping bag. Project available June to September; office work is available all year when administrative and web site work is needed.

Botanical Garden
The aim of this project is to create an educational garden; to increase knowledge and interest of the public about plant diversity and the environment. The volunteer can undertake research projects to help protect threatened endemic and develop a reference library. Volunteers can also be helpful in six themed gardens, by collecting data, documenting, researching and taking part in educational activities.