Evyap Launches "Take Care of Yourself Youth" Program

Evyap, under the leadership of its R&D department, stating that "they will build Turkey's next century," has launched the "Take Care of Yourself Youth Program," a comprehensive social support program aimed at supporting university students in overcoming economic, social, and psychological challenges. 

The "Take Care of Yourself Youth Program," developed to support young people facing economic, social, and psychological difficulties in their educational lives, was detailed through a gathering of all stakeholders contributing to the initiative, and solutions addressing the challenges faced by youth were discussed. 

The program developed under Evyap's R&D leadership responds to the findings of the 2024 TOG research, which reveals that during a period when families face hardship, 68% of university students need scholarships, 43% need internships, 45% need psychological support, 35% need computers, 28% need books, and 17% need internet packages; additionally, 78% of students cannot access cultural and arts events due to economic reasons. Özlem Esen, General Manager of Evyap Personal Care Category, noted that the project was inspired by the clause in Evyap's founding protocol regarding allocating a portion of earnings to social assistance and support, and stated that this understanding has been maintained for three generations. Özlem Esen spoke about the scope of the program as follows:
 
"Why are we here in this project? Because young people facing economic hardship are not only struggling to meet their basic needs, but also experiencing major difficulties in continuing their education and social lives. Through the "Take Care of Yourself Youth Program," our aim is to support young people's personal care, hygiene, mental and physical health, and to bring them to society as stronger individuals. Within the scope of the program, throughout the 2024-2025 academic year, in cooperation with Ahbap Association, we are providing comprehensive support to 100 university students in need.

 Every two months, we send personal care packages containing shampoo, shower gel, soap, wet wipes, cologne, deodorant, shaving foam, toothpaste, and cream. However, we do not only provide hygiene support; to help young people maintain their mental and physical health, we offer online psychological counseling, nutrition, and sports consultation services through the HiDoctor platform. This way, students can receive expert support in managing stress in their academic and personal lives. Additionally, by measuring the impact of the program, we can observe its effect on young people's lives."

Nimet Uzun Kalender, Evyap R&D Hygiene Group Manager, stating that young people's social lives must be supported in addition to their physical and mental health, explained the cultural and social components of the program as follows:

"Through a partnership with Biletinial, we provide each student with TRY 1,000 worth of monthly culture-arts tickets, enabling free participation in events such as cinema, theater, and concerts. Due to economic hardship, many young people are forced to withdraw from social life. Yet such events are of great importance for individual development. We want to support our youth's access to arts, culture, and social interaction."

Haluk Levent: "Young people are not alone, we are with them"
Haluk Levent, President of Ahbap Association and artist, drew attention to the economic and social difficulties faced by young people, emphasizing that more projects need to be implemented to make them feel that they are not alone.

"In the last three years, approximately 1 million students have been forced to abandon their education due to financial constraints. Today, we are delighted to be part of the 'Take Care of Yourself Youth' project that we are conducting with Evyap. This project supports young people not only economically but also psychologically and socially. It touches the lives of many young people and helps them complete their unfinished stories."

Fatoş Karahasan: "Young People Are Under Mental and Social Pressure"
Fatoş Karahasan, a seasoned journalist, academic, and author who moderated the program and mentioned the program in her recently published book "Being Young in Turkey," drew attention to the economic and social challenges faced by university students in Turkey, based on her work on youth research and social projects:

"Today, there are more than 7 million university students in Turkey. However, in recent years, the number of students unable to continue their education due to economic reasons is increasing rapidly. Our young people are under significant pressure not only financially but also mentally. The "Take Care of Yourself Youth Program" is designed with every stage carefully considered to ensure that young people feel good about themselves mentally, physically, and socially."

Supporting Young People's Psychological Health
Ahmet Bal, CEO of HiDoctor, emphasizing that young people are struggling in both academic and social life due to increasing stress and psychological pressure, and that it is critical for the program to focus on mental and physical health support, stated: "According to the 2024 World Happiness Report, Turkey ranks 101st in the happiness level of young people under 30. According to our research with Deloitte, the need for psychological support is among the top priorities in this age group. Their psychological strength is critical not only individually but also for society. Students receiving support report feeling transformation in their lives. Psychological support directly affects their success in their educational lives."

Culture and Arts as Youth's Energy Source
Murat Erim, Board Member of Biletinial, emphasized the importance of young people's access to cultural and arts events, stating:

"Access to cultural events is critical for young people's socialization and the development of their emotional intelligence. Through this project, we provided access to cinema, theater, and concerts. We see that young people are most interested in cinema and theater events. According to our research, young people's ticket purchase rates have increased by 17% in the last three years, but a large portion still cannot allocate a budget for these events. Evyap's project supports young people's emotional and social development by enabling them to engage more closely with arts and culture."

Changes in Young People's Lives Supported by Data
Nurhan Keeler, Managing Partner of Trend Group, emphasized that measuring real impact is a prerequisite for the sustainability of social projects; the "Take Care of Yourself Youth Program" must create sustainable change in young people's lives, not just temporary assistance. Nurhan Keeler, stating that Trend Group evaluates this impact through multi-layered research and individual feedback work comparing data before and after the program, added: "This program offers a comprehensive and sincere model that supports young people's social, career, and individual development. In other words, when compared even to major youth programs worldwide, it is perhaps more genuine, more heartfelt, and more rooted in real life." 
 
Students benefiting from the program expressed the following about the program:
"The hygiene package support provided by Evyap, HiDoctor's online counseling services, and culture-arts events are very valuable to me. Thanks to this project, I can take better care of myself and protect my health and mental well-being. Thanks to Ahbap and Evyap, I can continue my education and feel psychologically stronger. This support makes a real difference in our lives."