ACTIVITIES WERE INSPECTED IN MERSIN, HATAY, AND ADANA

SOHEP made evaluations by visiting the establishments that are in-service, under construction, or planned to be opened in Mersin, Hatay, and Adana provinces, to obtain information about the activities that have taken place and to be carried out within the scope of the project and to conduct inspections.

The first official visit has been paid to Mr. Veysel Topkaya, Mersin’s Provincial Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services on 28.03.2022. The visitation is realized by Mr. Salih Bozkurt, Project Coordinator and Head of the Department, and the staff assigned to the project. In the meeting that took place, information about social service activities in Mersin was obtained and ideas were exchanged about the futures of the projects. Afterward, SOHEP personnel carried out inspections in the newly acquired Mersin Provincial Directorate and Social Service Center building, which is under construction in Mersin, under the guidance of Mr. Recep Bozkuş, Deputy Provincial Director. Inspections, which were carried out within the scope of monitoring and evaluation activities, were carried out meticulously. The service building is planned to be operational by the end of the year.

In the course of the provincial visit that was paid to Mersin, monitoring and evaluation activities were carried out at the Day Care Center, which will be opening soon to increase social services for the elderly, under the coordination of the "Project for Increase Accessibility of the Social Services" (SOHEP) carried out within the scope of FRIT II. In addition, the Social Service Center building to be opened in the Yenişehir district has also been visited in this context. It is foreseen that the two organizations will start operating shortly.

One of the places last visited on the same day has been the office of Mr. İbrahim Gürgah, Director of Mersin/Toroslar Social Service Center. Mr. İbrahim Gürgah, Toroslar SHM Director, shared his knowledge and experiences on Social Service Center practices directly with SOHEP personnel.

A different province that was visited after Mersin was Hatay. Mr. Ali Sandıkçı, Hatay Provincial Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, has been visited his office on 29.03.2022. Ali Sandıkçı, the provincial director, conveyed his knowledge and experience to the SOHEP personnel about the works they are carrying out in the province of Hatay and the futures they will be carrying out. On the same day, during the Hatay provincial visit, inspections were made in the Day Care Center building, which will be opened to increase social services for the elderly, under the coordination of the “Project for Increase Accessibility of the Social Services” (SOHEP) carried out within the scope of FRIT II. During the inspection, SOHEP personnel was accompanied by Mr. Mahmut Aldatmaz and Mr. Mehmet Ali Güven, Hatay Provincial Deputy Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services. In the light of the information given and the inspections, a consensus was reached on the feasibility of the building and its suitability for social service. Defne and Samandağı Social Service Centers, which are planned to be opened, were among the places visited during the day. Mr. Mahmut Aldatmaz and Mr. Mehmet Ali Güven also attended the visit together with SOHEP personnel. On-site monitoring and evaluation were carried out by SOHEP personnel by obtaining information about the buildings examined in terms of their suitability and functionality for social service.

Antakya Social Service Center, which continues its activities in the province of Hatay, became one of the places visited. Mr. Mehmet Gazi, Director of the Hatay/Antakya Social Service Center of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, was visited in his office. Given his knowledge and experience about the activities they carry out as a social service center in the Antakya district, Gazi gave the SOHEP personnel a tour of the service building while showing the units of practice and conveying their duties.

Mr. Nevzat Özer, Adana Provincial Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, was visited in his office on 30.03.2022. During the visit, meetings were held about the organizations planned to be opened in Adana under the coordination of the “Project for Increase Accessibility of the Social Services” (SOHEP) carried out within the scope of FRIT II, and the activities in the province of Adana carried out within the scope of the ministry. Mr. Salih Bozkurt, the Project Coordinator and Head of the Department, and the personnel assigned to the project attended the meeting. Another visit to Adana was actualized for the Adana/ Sarıçam Social Service Center building, which will serve to increase social services and is planned to be newly opened. During the visit, the Project Coordinator and Head of Department Mr. Salih Bozkurt, Ministry of Family and Social Services Adana Provincial Deputy Director Mr. Faruk Taştepe, and SOHEP personnel made investigations and exchanged views on the subject. During the visit, Mr.Salih Bozkurt, the Project Coordinator and Head of the Department, Mr. Faruk Taştepe, Adana Provincial Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, and SOHEP personnel, carried out inspections and exchanged ideas on the subject. Similarly, inspections were made in the Day Care Center building, which will be opened to increase social services for the elderly. As a result of the examination, a consensus was reached on whether the building planned to be opened is suitable for social services and its functionality is on spot. Late in the day, Mr. Bahattin Yaşar, Director of Adana Seyhan Social Service Center of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, was visited in his office. During the visit, information was obtained about the activities of the social service center in the Seyhan district, and ideas were exchanged on the planned projects. In addition, the SOHEP project staff monitored and evaluated how social service activities were carried out in the Seyhan district.

Completing its visits, SOHEP carried out monitoring and evaluation activities in three provinces.