Joint visit to Genç Alan by the Ministry of Youth and Sports UNICEF and Netflix to mark the 1st year of the earthquake

GAZİANTEP, 5 February 2024– Today Dr. Enes Eminoğlu, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Paolo Marchi, Representative to UNICEF Türkiye and Pelin Mavili, Director, Public Policy, Türkiye & MENA met with the children and adolescents at the “Genç Alan” (Youth Area) in Nurdağı, Gaziantep. This Genç Alan was built with the financial support of Netflix Türkiye as part of the partnership programme between UNICEF and the Ministry of Youth and Sports to give an opportunity to children and young people to unlock their potential and reintegrate them into social life.

Dr. Enes Eminoğlu, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Youth and Sports said: “We will continue to heal together, while supporting each other, hand in hand ”

“GENÇ ALAN” PREPARES YOUTH FOR THE FUTURE

Genç Alan, a dynamic center offering a variety of youth-friendly activities and social interaction opportunities, provides a safe environment for young people to participate in cultural, sports and artistic programs. UNICEF conducts special training programmes at “Genç Alan” to equip young people with new competencies, improve their social skills and facilitate their reintegration into society. In addition to funding the center, Netflix Türkiye also organized a workshop and mentoring programme in partnership with Bahçeşehir University to tap into the creativity of young people and bring them into the creative ecosystem. Drawing from the healing power of artistic production, Netflix Turkey aims to ignite curiosity and encourage youth to explore new avenues. The company also promotes hands-on involvement of young people in content creation by providing training on storytelling, screenwriting and filmmaking techniques. Netflix plans to bring young people together with the leading figures of the creative sector soon.

Pelin Mavili, Director, Public Policy, Turkey & MENA, commented on the activities at “Genç Alan” and emphasized Netflix Turkey’s increasing commitment to supporting youth and the affected region, “Following the earthquake disaster we experienced a year ago, Genç Alan (Youth Area), which we launched together with UNICEF Turkey under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and Sports, has hosted countless young people and has been a beacon of hope for them. As Netflix Turkey, we are proud to have the opportunity to bring our youth together with the healing power of art by financing this project. During the training activities at Genç Alan, we met young people who made us say 'Future screenwriters and directors will come out of Nurdağı, Genç Alan' and we learned a lot from them on our behalf. We would like to thank the Ministry of Youth and Sports and UNICEF Turkiye officials for making this meaningful project possible, and Bahçeşehir University for strongly supporting our project with the training activities they organized. We will continue to work with all our strength to heal the wounds of young people in the earthquake region and ensure that they look to the future with hope.”

In the times of greatest need, we look upon children and young people...

UNICEF has been working with the Government of Türkiye and partners responding to the immediate and long-term needs of affected children and families. UNICEF has provided critical support including safe water, immunization and hygiene kits, psychosocial support, and education through learning centers and service hubs, and reached 4.7 million people including 2.4 million children.

Paolo Marchi, UNICEF Representative in Türkiye said: “This center is a center of hope. It is a cradle of talents, ideas and solutions. This is a place where young people can come together and take leadership in rebuilding their communities and their future. We are providing them with the space, programmes and tools to do so. Especially in these times of greatest need. We look upon young people, upon their hopes, upon their fearlessness, and upon their willingness to drive the very change they wish to see in our time. Since the first days of the earthquake we are on the ground working with the partners and reached More than 54,000 adolescents and young people benefiting from youth engagement programs in 10 earthquake-affected provinces. I would like to thank Netflix once more for their special attention and kind support to create a youth-friendly environment in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake. With their financial support, and under the leadership of MOYS, we built this center for the continuity of youth services and opportunities. I hope that with the support of youth volunteers, we will create a lasting model that supports children and youth in the region”.