Imece Insiyatifi Dernegi

Once we comprehend that we can give meaning to our lives not just by benefitting ourselves but equally caring for the welfare of others and when we find ourselves making the active choice to help the poor or striving towards ending poverty; this is when we are a group of people who have chosen to exist through actions that will contribute to the ending of poverty endeavouring for solidarity and cooperation amongst all of humanity.
In 2014, we initiated our activities in Cesme district of Izmir and in March 2016 we established our association. Initially we started working with the local people and students living in Cesme and its surrounding, who had limited access to public services. Up to now our activities are related to socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
In November 2015, we made a decision to concentrate mostly on the refugees and seasonal agricultural workers from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and other countries. Those are the people, who have come to Cesme in the hope to pass through to Greece, but they have stayed in the rural areas around Izmir living in tents, without having any access to basic human needs and services, e.g. like electricity, food and schooling.
Thus, during 2016 – 2017, we regularly distributed food, necessities’ packages, educational materials, informative brochures. At the same time we continued with our efforts to assist mainly refugees and disadvantaged groups in acquiring livelihood in different ways, e.g providing sewing materials.
Early 2017, we started creating the concept of Imece Village, where we would plan, organize and implement our activities, while functioning, living together with our volunteers and our beneficiaries within a unique system side on side.
For us, Imece is more than bylaws, reports and figures. It is a way of living, it is a path which we are walking together.