Hazar Foundation’s Touch Life Project is an awareness project that aims to work with the youth, also known as the Y Generation. Our foundation wants to create awareness in our youth with this project and help them take responsibility for their history, culture and the society overall.
The students of Imam Hatip high schools of Uskudar, Istanbul was chosen as our focus group in this project. In order to reach the students, there were three competitions conducted amongst the high school students. The first competition was an essay competition on senior centres and nursing homes. The second one is a film contest about the disability and the lives of disabled people. The third competition is a photography competition on the historical places of Istanbul.
Our first goal in this project was to help the students develop their skills on creative writing, photography and filming. Our second goal was to let the students meet non-profit organizations and civil society institutions in order to encourage them to take more responsibility for the society. Through this project, the students were more aware of their society and they could think about nursing homes, disability and relate to other members in the society. Our third goal was to let the students gain positive hobbies and distance them from the possibility of addiction to harmful habits.
In every competition, students that came in the first, the second and the third place was awarded with the following:
First place award: 1.500 TL
Second place award: 1.250 TL
Third place award: 1.000 TL
The Interview/Essay Competition
Title: Elderliness and Nursing Home
Our Goal: We’d like the youth to think deeply about elderliness and nursing homes in our society by letting them meet with the old people at the nursing homes. We also want to help them with their creative writing skills and encourage them to express their ideas in writing.
Our Method: Students interview the people at the nursing home and write an essay on the following themes: elderliness, nursing homes, loneliness, love, compassion and family. The essay should be around 3-4 pages. The participants of this competition will be given a workshop on how to conduct an interview by the professionals.
The Assessment Board
Emeti Saruhan; Yeni Şafak Newspaper
Cihan Aktaş; Researcher-Author
Meryem İlayda Atlas; The Editor of Lacivert Magazine
Yıldız Ramazanoğlu; Researcher-Author
Short Film Competition
Title: The difficulties the disabled people face on a daily basis
Our goal: We want the young people to think about disability and empathize with the disabled members of our community and create and awareness in the society. We also want to help them develop skills on script writing, film editing. In their chosen theme of the film, the students will focus on at least one aspect of the difficulty the disabled people face on a daily basis.
The students who participate in this competition will be given an example short film screening and they will be given a workshop on how to make a short film. The workshop and the screening will take place at the foundation centre.
The Assessment Board
Ayşe Böhürler: Documentary Producer and Director
Sevda Noyan: Producer
Tülin Tezel: Documentary Director at TRT
Photography Contest
Title: Photographing the historical buildings of Uskudar, Istanbul.
Our goal: We want the youth to meet with its history through architecture. We also want to help students develop their photography skills and gain a creative hobby.
Method: Students will take photographs of historical architecture from different angles and at different times of the day then they will prepare a photo album of ten photos. A photography workshop will be given to students who participate in this contest.
The Assessment Board
Aras Nefçi; Photographer, Architect
Hilal Korucu; Photographer
Dr. Olcay Aydemir: Architect
The award ceremony took place at Baglarbasi Cultural Centre on 21 May 2016.
