Major strides to break the cycle of deep poverty in Turkey

May 16, 2023Farm to Fork, Food Security, Inspiring initiative

ACCTING aims to understand the impact of Green Deal policies on vulnerable groups, prevent inequalities, and produce knowledge and innovations to advance behavioural change at individual and collective levels for an inclusive and equal European Green Deal. This bottom-up initiative was collected by Burcu Borhan Türeli; Esin Düzel and Ayşe Gül Altınay within ACCTING’s mapping of inspiring practice cases, within the Food Security Research Line. Read our report on all 693 mapped initiatives.

Deep Poverty Network, Turkey

During the pandemic, the Deep Poverty Network was established in 2019 as a solidarity network “that carries rights-based work in dozens of poor neighbourhoods that tackle urban poverty” in Istanbul. Besides their educational and policy activities on the root causes, dimensions and implications of poverty as lived by the most vulnerable (homeless, unemployed, Roma, and on the brink of starvation), the Deep Poverty Network carried out a food access campaign to 1000 families, 60 of which are women-led. It was founded by activists, researchers, sociologists, psychologists, and journalists. The project aims to break the cycle of poverty by eradicating the deep poverty some people have fallen into. This organisation has collaborated with social workers, volunteers, professionals, public institutions, local governments, and other national and international NGOs.  

Food security and distributive justice for vulnerable groups   

The project has been making major strides since its launch. Among these:

Established a system that directly supports households regarding nourishment (healthy food), basic care, diaper, and baby formula via direct purchases made by individual supporters through online markets.
Provided support to over 2,000 households living in 171 neighbourhoods of 34 districts of Istanbul
Provided a refillable grocery card or a digital grocery code with a monthly balance of 400 or 600 TL with the households supported in their network to use them in specific markets. 
Prepared five research reports, four information notes, two emergency calls, one storybook (“Absent Stories”), and an audiobook to discuss the unsustainable conditions of poverty as a human rights violation to mobilize the media and public institutions.  
Prepared regularly the monthly poverty agenda monitoring in the parliament as a series where one can follow the questions, research commission proposals and law proposals themed on human rights violations caused by poverty. All their content is available in Turkish and English on their website.  
Visited families in their neighbourhood and conducted individual interviews with each family member.  
Provided information and guidance to support groups to reach Social Service Centers and various NGOs in line with their needs.
Engaged in employment and training in cooperation with various institutions when possible.  
Supported women producers and families to participate in the Women’s Labour Markets organized by the Istanbul Volunteers. 
Reached more than 15,000 people living in conditions of deep poverty in over 3,000 households within over 160 neighbourhoods in 32 districts of Istanbul (Between March 2020 and December 2021)
Guided families, particularly single women and single mothers, to apply and benefit from specific social support schemes and helped them to get an identity card for their children if needed.