PepsiCo Foundation Opens Youth Center in Hatay on the 3rd Anniversary of the Earthquake

PepsiCo Foundation has added another initiative to its support for Hatay, which was heavily affected by the 6 February earthquakes, on the third anniversary of the disaster. PepsiCo Foundation, in collaboration with Ahbap Association, opened a Youth Centre in Defne district of Hatay.

The Hatay Defne Youth Centre aims to support the educational, personal development and psycho-social needs of young people affected by the earthquake, preparing them for the future. The centre will provide young people with a safe social space while offering opportunities to develop themselves in various fields ranging from arts to digital skills.

The centre was designed to respond to the educational, personal development and social needs of young people in the earthquake region. In addition, efforts to encourage youth participation in decision-making processes and to improve wellbeing will be carried out at Hatay Defne Youth Centre. The centre houses a Music Workshop, Handicrafts Workshop, Computer Workshop, Academic Workshop and library. The facility aims to create a safe environment where young people can both learn and develop themselves.

This project also stands out as one of the most concrete examples of PepsiCo's commitment to a sustainable future and its social investment commitments in Turkey.

"We remain committed to standing by the people of the region following the 6 February earthquakes"
PepsiCo Turkey General Manager Ergün Günay, stating that they continue to work with all their efforts to heal the wounds of the region's people, said: "On the anniversary of the 6 February earthquakes, we remember all those we have lost with respect and sympathy, and we extend once again our condolences and patience to the families and loved ones left behind. We are aware that the traces of what happened will not be easily erased and that the region needs a long-term recovery process. I believe that everyone should fulfil their responsibilities during this process. As PepsiCo Turkey, we took action to stand by the people of the region immediately after the earthquake. First, we provided support for meeting urgent short-term needs. But we did not stop there. We prioritised developing sustainable projects for the long-term reconstruction and recovery of the region. One of the important projects we implemented in this context was the 'Joint Action, Renewed Abundance' Project that we launched in Hatay Samandağ with the support of PepsiCo Foundation and in collaboration with Anadolu Meadows. With this project, we not only provided financial support to farmers in the region; we also empowered them with knowledge, guidance and sustainable agricultural practices. Within the scope of the project, we provided grant support to farmers, offered training and mentoring programmes, and worked on a resilient food network model suitable to the region's climate and needs. Through Samandağ Agricultural Development Cooperative, we provided farmers with opportunities to produce both on their own land and in the greenhouses and open areas of the Community-Based Production Area we established within the project scope. Today, thanks to this project, our farmers are contributing to the regional economy by producing Samandağ peppers, a geographical indication product, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms and seedlings, and are rebuilding their own sources of livelihood."

"We care greatly about helping young people reconnect with life through sports, arts and education"
Günay, stating that they have given special attention to developing various projects not only for infrastructure and economic recovery but also for the psychological, social and cultural revitalisation of young people following the earthquake, said: "We greatly care about helping young people reconnect with life through sports, arts and education. In this context, we restructured our 'Pepsi Star Footballer Seminars' project two years ago as the 'Pepsi Support for Future Star Footballers Project' in the earthquake region and continued to provide benefit to our country's young footballers as intended. We launched our project with the aim of providing some morale to young people in the region who are passionate about football and contributing to the rekindling of hope. As PepsiCo Turkey, we believe in the healing power of football and we care about providing positive contributions to the development of talented young people interested in this field. In this direction, we are delighted to support all U19 Elite A and B League teams in the earthquake-affected region, namely Hatayspor, Gaziantep FK, Adana Demirspor, Yeni Malatyaspor and Adanaspor A.Ş. clubs."

"An inclusive space for young people's social and cultural development"
Günay said: "We have now opened a Youth Centre in Hatay in collaboration with Ahbap Association. This centre, which we opened in Defne, was designed to support the social, cultural and academic development of our young people with 427 square metres of enclosed space, approximately 500 square metres of garden and extensive workshop facilities. Young people aged 12 to 29 will be able to benefit from facilities such as music, handicrafts, computers, academic support and library, and will also have opportunities to develop themselves through social clubs, volunteer teams, sports and cultural activities. We believe that the energy of our young people will be decisive in Hatay's recovery, and we hope that this centre will be a meeting point that inspires them."

Ahbap Association Founder and Board Chair Haluk Levent said: "We have been in frequent contact with PepsiCo Foundation since the earthquake. The Defne Youth Centre that we present today to the young people of Hatay was designed as a space where young people can come together, produce, learn and develop themselves. We believe that this centre, where young people can spend time, study, and acquire new skills through various courses, will be a strong meeting point for young people in Hatay. We thank PepsiCo Foundation for bringing Hatay's first youth centre to life together with us."