KYM International aims to provide short-term relief and sustainable solutions to improve the living conditions of refugees around the world. As a humanitarian aid and development organization, KYM encourages the participation of vulnerable civilians in the implementation of all humanitarian projects. The organization emphasizes the reinforcement of self-worth, and provides refugees with a platform to achieve self-sufficiency. All human beings deserve to have their dignity respected, and ignoring refugees’ capacity to build a better future undermines this goal. For this reason, KYM International designs and executes projects that require active contributions from refugees, to support self-reliance within the context of socioeconomic and health development.
Currently, millions of refugees do not have access to education, medical services, housing or employment. KYM International offers sustainable solutions to transform the living conditions of refugees by building schools, hospitals, vocational training centers and capacity-building programs. KYM International believes that designing, constructing and funding projects that contribute to educational advancement, medical assistance and infrastructure development will have a great impact on the lives of refugees, helping them live with dignity and equal access to sustainable development initiatives.
Our partner organization Kimse Yok Mu has supported refugees through humanitarian aid programs that not only improve living conditions and provide emergent aid, but also empower refugees by acknowledging their role in humanitarian action. The Cash Assistance Project carried out with UNCHR is a strong example of this.
The Cash Assistance Project was funded by UNHCR and coordinated by KYM International, with the aim of providing financial support to Syrian refugee families living in southeast Turkey. During the execution of the project, 2,825 families were identified. After gathering information on these refugees, volunteers opened bank accounts for each family, and cash assistance was deposited into each account based on the number of family members. By mobilizing our 205,000-person volunteer base, we executed the project with an administrative cost of less than 2%. All of the remaining aid was given to refugees. In addition to the efficiency of the initiative, this project gave refugees the right to choose what to purchase, as opposed to distributing standardized basic aid packages.
Kimse Yok Mu also addressed the urgent need to provide adequate education for refugee children through temporary education centers in Kilis and Hatay Yayladağı, Turkish cities inhabited by many refugees. The Ministry of Education refers to these institutions as “Temporary Education Centers.” In these schools, Syrian refugee teachers follow the Syrian school curriculum and educate refugee children in Arabic. In addition, children learn English and Turkish. The program provides employment to refugees, as the principals, teachers and other faculty are from Syria as well. KYM International provides the supplies for these students, and has partnered with NGOs from Singapore and Japan to establish these schools. KYM International has also partnered with UNHCR on a school for Syrian refugees in Erbil, Iraq, and provided all the materials and supplies.
