‘Empower UCIM, Empower Children’ Project raised awareness on the prevention of child abuse through increasing its advocacy and partnership capacities. Among the project activities were the launch of a LEGO® interactive training set focusing on privacy and children’s rights, creative drama trainings, Child-Friendly Broadcasting Workshop, and trainings of trainers.
LEGO® toy sets, that have triggered the imagination and creativity of children across the world since 1949, broke new ground in cooperation with Teacher Saadet’s Fight Against Child Abuse Association (UCIM) through helping children familiarise with the concepts of privacy and children’s rights.
“Empower UCIM, Empower Children” Project was implemented within the Third Phase of the Civil Society Support Programme by UCIM, a CSO operating in 55 provinces in Türkiye with more than 75 thousand volunteers. One major output of the project was the “My Body, My Rights” trainings, developed in partnership with LEGO® Education Türkiye and Teknokta. The training set was designed for pre-school and first grade students in provinces targeted within the project and was the first interactive training set created for this age group in the world.
Creative drama and child-friendly broadcasting
Attorney Pelin Uzun, Legal Coordinator of UCIM Türkiye, asserted that their aim with the project was to “strengthen the capacity of UCIM, raise further awareness and reach more children.” Uzun added that along with the “My Body, My Rights” trainings, they also provided trainings to different age groups through drama. The “Training on Privacy for Children with Creative Drama”, using theatrical dramatisation method, was developed by UCIM’s educators and psychologists, in collaboration with the Contemporary Drama Association.
Other activities carried out within the “Empower UCIM, Empower Children” Project include the Child-Friendly Broadcasting Workshop organised in cooperation with the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), trainings of trainers for UCIM trainers and volunteers, a documentary on the experiences shared throughout the project, as well as social media campaigns. Pelin Uzun added that following the trainings, the trainers created a butterfly effect through giving these trainings to more UCIM volunteers in their own provinces.
Launch with Instagram live broadcast
UCIM raises awareness on child abuse through its social media campaigns, cautioning that child abuse can happen to anyone, and that abuse can be prevented through education and awareness of families. In fact, the launch of the project took place on 23 April 2022 with an Instagram live broadcast under the moderation of actor and TV presenter Uraz Kaygılaroğlu.
Kaygılaroğlu also facilitated the participation of renowned names such as Ezgi Mola, Nilperi Şahinkaya, Cem Yılmaz, Özge Özpirinçci, Demet Evgar, Gülse Birsel into the campaign with the call, “It can happen to anyone’s child.” The campaign, supported by famous names and participants, made a substantial contribution to the establishment of prevention centres.
UCIM stands by children
Continuing its activities with the motto, “Children will speak, UCIM will stand by them”, UCIM has given trainings on children’s rights, privacy, digital bullying, as well as carrying out awareness activities in hundreds of schools and many universities, to raise awareness on child abuse. UCIM also supports families in abuse cases coming through their hotlines with the help of its volunteer lawyers and provides guidance in the rehabilitation processes. UCIM, combating child abuse across Türkiye, aims to provide further sustainable benefit through getting stronger with the “Empower UCIM, Empower Children” Project.
For photos: https://www.ucim.org.tr/