Human Resource Development Foundation - HRDF

 

HRDF is a non-profit organization dedicated to the empowerment of vulnerable groups.

The mission of the Foundation is to perform any and all activities in order to contribute to the solution of health, education and employment problems, which have a negative impact on the economic, social and cultural development of human resource.

HRDF works to empower the human resource, women, youth and children in particular, through advocacy, training and service provision in areas of population and sustainable development.

HRDF has been working in collaboration with several donor organizations including international and national organizations on the project basis to be able to realize its mission. Each of these projects is a part of the main programs of HRDF and these programs are also interrelated. 


Main programs of HRDF are:

  • Program to support Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, since 1988
  • Program to Support Refugees and Asylum Seekers, since 1988
  • Combating Human Trafficking Program, since 2003

 

Key dates of HRDF are:

  • 1988     Founded in Istanbul by 40 social and medical scientists and businessperson
  • 1997     Accredited as an international executing agency by the UNFPA
  • 2001     Obtained tax-exempt status from the Turkish Government
  • 2002     Obtained special consultative NGO status by UN ECOSOC.

 

 

HRDF?s Program of Combating Human Trafficking

HRDF has started its anti trafficking activities in 2003 and it is the first NGO in Turkey that introduced anti trafficking work to the civil society sector in Turkey.  The overall objective of HRDF is to contribute to the national and international efforts to combat TIP. To reach this goal HRDF implements activities under three main programme components:

Trainings for the service providers including law enforcement, health service providers, judiciary staff and NGO representatives

  • Victim support
  • Collaboration with national and international organizations- networking


For successful implementation of the program HRDF signed two protocols for cooperation

  • MoI General Directorate of Security / September 04, 2003
  • General Commandership of Gendarme / June 14, 2004

 

Through these protocols the roles and responsibilities of each party have been clarified and the principles of collaboration have been set. These protocols established the basis of a strong collaboration.

 


Victim Support Component

First shelter for victims of trafficking has been established by HRDF at the end of 2004 in Istanbul. It is a home-like environment with space for up to 8 women. The victims support program comprises of 3 bi-lingual housing counselors speaking Russian and Turkish, one part time psychologist, one part time physician, one part time handcraft trainer, one manager and one program coordinator.

Services provided include: psychological counseling; medical care in state hospitals, which is free of charge for identified victims through the Ministry of Health circular, as well as accommodation, translation assistance, covering of urgent needs.


 

Profile of the women enrolled in HRDF?S program

More than 400 women, who have been identified as victims, have been enrolled in HRDF?s victim assistance program within 5 years (since November 2004).

Nationalities of these women: A total of 31% of the victims are from the Moldova, 20% from Ukraine, 13% from Russia, %10 from Uzbekistan, %7 from Turkmenistan and %7 from Kyrgyzstan and the remaining is from other countries in the region.

Age groups of these women: More than half of them is in the age group 18-24; one fourth is in the age group 25-29; ten percent is above 30 and three percent is below 18.


 

Funding for the Victims Support Component

There is no permanent funding for the victims support activities, funding has been received from several organizations since 2004. Some of them are, World Bank funded Mitigation of Social Risk Problem implemented under the TR Prime Ministry, Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality, TR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Phillip Morris Inc., IOM/Turkey, other small funding coming from several organizations