The third and final Solidarity Exhibition was opened for visits on January 4th 2024 at a gathering of teachers, master trainers and apprentice students. Please click here to visit our final exhibition. When you click on the relevant poster, you will be able to examine the poster that opens up, to make use of emojis to support the activity and, by pressing the “play” button on the visual in the bottom right-hand corner of the poster, to watch a video of the project.
On display in the final Solidarity Exhibition are the solidarity projects carried out by the Şahinbey and Şehitkamil Vocational Training Centres (VTCs) in Gaziantep, which took part with two separate projects, the Çukurova VTC from Adana, the İskenderun VTC from Hatay, and the Tarsus and Akdeniz VTCs from Mersin. The exhibition also features, under three main themes, the efforts made as part of İMEP in the wake of the earthquakes,
The “Smart Bank” project carried out by the Gaziantep Şahinbey Municipality Vocational Training Centre aims to solve the problem of charging mobile devices in open spaces and public institutions in a sustainable and nature-friendly manner. A smart bank was designed for converting solar energy into electrical energy. The process was then completed by using waste metal materials to form the bank. A patent application has been made for the smart bank system developed under the project. In addition, students at the school were informed about the system. As part of these promotional activities, awareness-raising activities were conducted regarding the importance of renewable energy.
The second project by the Gaziantep Şahinbey Municipality Vocational Training Centre was the “Eco Multi-Socket” project, aiming to prevent the waste of electricity and bring about green and technological transformation. Under this project, a smart multi-socket plug was developed that reduces the electricity used by electrical appliances when in standby mode to zero. This product was given the name “eco multi-socket”. An application was made to register the eco multi-socket developed under the project as a trademark. Moreover, information about the product was provided to all the students at the school and to the workplaces located around the school. During these activities, attention was drawn to energy saving and the sustainable use of energy.
The “My Charger is on my Back” project carried out by the Gaziantep Şehitkamil Vocational Training Centre also focused on energy issues. Inspired by the fact that solar energy is clean and sustainable, this project aimed to develop a product that can be used frequently in everyday life and reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. In cooperation with the Gaziantep Şahinbey Municipality VTC, a portable smart rucksack with a solar energy charger was designed and produced. Information was then provided about the product in various schools and workplaces. As the project was developed jointly by teams from two schools, it greased the wheels of solidarity.
The “Green Philanthropy” project conducted by the Adana Çukurova Vocational Training Centre concentrated on the development of a sense of ecological social responsibility in apprenticeship training. To support the needs of street animals for shelter, the furniture and interior design students in the team and their teachers used waste wooden materials obtained in cooperation with local businesses to create cat houses and dog kennels. The men’s hairdressing students and their teachers visited an old people’s home and cut the hair and trimmed the beards of residents who wanted this service. The hair that had been cut was then buried under the trees in the school garden so that it would benefit nature as a fertiliser.
The “We’re Lighting the Nights with Solar Power” project carried out by the Hatay İskenderun Vocational Training Centre aimed to emphasise the importance of using renewable energy, increase the use of solar power and strengthen the students’ vocational capabilities as well as drawing attention to climate change. A group of students were provided with theoretical and practical training with a view to setting up a system that would provide automatic lightening after dark using a modular solar power system mounted on the school roof together with a photocell relay. Following the training, the system was installed and put into use. In this way, the spirit of solidarity for our planet with respect to our use of energy was strengthened.
The Mersin Tarsus Vocational Training Centre carried out a project entitled “Old Benches Turn to Arbours” in order to put disused, discarded and waste materials back into use by means of advanced recycling. Under the project, an arbour was made out of benches and desks at the school that were no longer being used. The arbour was constructed through teamwork and then positioned in the school garden in a place where it could be seen from outside. This project strengthened the spirit of solidarity for the application of sustainability principles to vocational practice.
With its project “A Drop of Life”, the Mersin Akdeniz Vocational Training Centre determined to store the water dripping from air conditioners and regain it for plants. The aim was also to create awareness about the importance of every single drop of water. To this end, a solar-powered device was developed for storing the air conditioner water and watering trees. Informational activities about the use of the device were conducted in the school. The device was placed in the school garden, thus ensuring that the plants in the school garden are watered using this sustainable system.
The support provided as part of İMEP (VET4JOB) to meet the daily needs of individuals living in the region affected by the earthquakes was summed up under the title “We’re Supporting Daily Life in the Post-Earthquake Period”. During this period, sleeping bags, sets of sheets and quilt-covers, and clothes were sewn for families that had lost their homes and belongings in the quakes. Packages containing basic foodstuffs were prepared and distributed to the families. Shampoo and hygiene sets were distributed to meet the hygiene needs of families living in tent and container settlements. Three toilets with sections for men and women were constructed with the labour of metal technology students and teachers, and arrangements were made to install these toilets in tent and container settlements in Hatay.
The support provided for the needs of individuals living in the region affected by the earthquake was conveyed through the item “We’re Supporting Personal Care in the Post-Earthquake Period”. Personal care spaces were set up in temporary accommodation centres and tent and container settlements, and personal care equipment was installed. Services were provided to children, women and men in the personal care centres that had been set up. Personal care services were also provided in hospitals for earthquake victims undergoing treatment. All these efforts strengthened our abilities to show solidarity in hard times.
The exhibit “We’re Supporting Social Life in the Post-Earthquake Period” covered the work done with the aim of supporting the psychological wellbeing of individuals living in the region affected by the earthquakes. Biscuits and cakes were baked for small children affected by the earthquake and their families. Hobby courses were organised for people living in the tent and container settlements to support their morale. Psychosocial support sessions were conducted in some of the adult training courses. Social adaptation activities were conducted for apprentice students who changed their places of residence after the earthquakes and for their families. Logistical and financial support was provided for the courses arranged by adult education centres cooperating with İMEP for primary school, middle school and high school students who had had to interrupt their education. Painting exhibitions were organised with the participation of apprentice students, and the proceeds from sales of the works in the exhibitions were used to support earthquake victims.
