Dove and UNICEF announced that they are collaborating to provide psycho-social support trainings to young people and their families so that they can heal the wounds of the earthquake. The project will play a key role in rebuilding the lost trust and hope of young people affected by the earthquake and their families. The methodology of the Dove Trust Project complements and enriches the psycho-social support programs that UNICEF is implementing in earthquake-affected areas.
Five months after two devastating earthquakes and multiple aftershocks that hit southeast Turkey, millions of children and youth still need humanitarian support. The earthquake deprived children and youth of basic services such as development opportunities, safe spaces for peer interaction, and access to health and hygiene services.
Continuing the Dove Self-Confidence Project throughout Turkey without slowing down since 2015, Dove says “trust” this time, based on the fact that the basic sense of trust of the people living in the region was shaken after the 6 February earthquake disaster. Education Scientist Dr. Under the leadership of Özgür Bolat, the pilot studies of the Dove Güven Project in Hatay were completed in June, with two different training modules designed for both young people and their parents by a team of clinical psychologists. In cooperation with UNICEF, Dove will continue to build trust in the region by moving to Adıyaman, its second stop after Hatay.
“WE ARE TRYING TO REBUILD THE FEELING OF TRUST”
Unilever Turkey Skin Care and Personal Care Category Innovation & Strategy Brand Manager Helin Tural Yıldırım; “After the devastating earthquake that indescribably affected 11 of our provinces, Unilever Turkey continued our work in cooperation with relevant institutions by being at the forefront of the great solidarity movement. In order to create lasting and long-term positive effects for society, the environment and our planet, in addition to acute and urgent needs, we, as Dove, have seen that one of the main problems in the region is ‘loss of trust’ and its psychological effects, based on the analyzes we have conducted and the data we have collected in the region.
Based on this, we have shifted the focus of the Dove Confidence Project, which we have been conducting throughout Turkey for many years, to the Dove Confidence Project, which we carry out in cooperation with UNICEF, taking into account the needs of the region. With the Dove Trust Project, Dr. With two different training modules prepared by clinical psychologists under the leadership of Özgür Bolat, we provide psycho-social support to young people and parents affected by the earthquake, and aim to rebuild the sense of trust that has been shaken. Thank you to UNICEF, who took responsibility for all operational processes in the Dove Trust Project, and our dear Dr. I would like to thank Özgür Bolat for being with us, and I would like to underline that we will continue to create a long-term and lasting positive impact.”
DOVE AND UNICEF LEND A HELPING HAND TO YOUTH AND THEIR FAMILIES WITH THE DOVE TRUST PROJECT
Paolo Marchi, UNICEF Deputy Representative in Türkiye He continues as follows: “As UNICEF, we implement programs for the realization of the rights of children and young people in Turkey as well as all over the world. February 6 is undoubtedly a historic turning point for Turkey, and we have been working day and night to provide humanitarian support to children and youth affected by the earthquake since day one. Our collaboration with Dove complements some of our psycho-social support and skills programs. When we met Dove, we saw that our goals and schedules would be in perfect harmony. As part of the project, we will continue to engage and partner with young people, build on their strengths, address their loss of trust, and help them and their families regain hope. For many young people, the road to recovery is long and we are here to continue to support them.”
İnci Haseki, Executive Director of UNICEF Turkish National Committee He expressed his thoughts on the project as follows; “It takes a long time to heal the wounds of disasters. UNICEF has been working for children affected by the February 6 earthquake since day one. But the needs still remain. Our collaborations enable us to reach more children, faster. For this purpose, providing psycho-social support for children within the scope of Dove and Dove Trust Project, which is a partner in our effort, is very valuable.”
“WE FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS OF TWO DIFFERENT GROUPS”
Leading the Dove Trust Project Educational Scientist, Academician and Author Dr. Ozgur Bolat He talks about the main starting point of the education and the content of the education as follows: “We focused on the analysis of the emotional and intellectual situation of young people and parents after the earthquake and the needs of these two groups, both in the field and in our pilot study. We have witnessed firsthand that the youth living in the earthquake area experience anxiety, despair, anger, guilt, sadness and shame. Young people’s sense of ‘basic confidence’ is greatly shaken. Most high school students believe that ‘I am not in the safe area’, ‘I am not safe’, ‘my emotional needs are not being met’. Self-perceptions are also damaged due to different thought patterns. If their sense of self is damaged, young people lose hope and think they can’t cope with life. For this reason, with the training content we have prepared for our young people, together with our clinical psychologist team, we are trying to restore the basic sense of trust and to cultivate a sense of hope for the future. The second group is parents. The goal here is to both restore the parents’ sense of trust after the earthquake and to guide them in the communication they have with their children. As an educational scientist who has been there and seen the need, we are very grateful to Dove and our partner in the field, UNICEF.”
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