L'Oréal Group Sustainability Fund Grants Funding

L'Oréal Group Sustainability Fund Grant Imece Initiative Association, which implements the Solar Age program offering solar energy engineering to refugee women in Turkey and the Return to School programs in Istanbul's Basmane district, has been awarded a EUR 35,000 grant from L'Oréal Group's global sustainability fund. With this grant, the Association continues to take concrete steps for refugee women and children in Turkey. In a world with constantly shifting balances, concepts such as sustainability, inclusion and solidarity have become more critical than ever. Aware of the increasingly growing environmental and social changes and their negative effects today, L'Oréal Group has allocated EUR 150 million to address global problems under its "L'Oréal for the Future" program, which sets out global sustainability targets for 2030. The EUR 150 million allocated to take concrete steps for the planet we live on and the societies within it, to contribute to solving social and environmental problems, to protect the environment and to support women, will be evaluated through projects of civil society organizations from around the world targeting women and the environment. EUR 100 million of the global fund is allocated to take necessary action on significant environmental issues and to save damaged natural marine and forest ecosystems, while EUR 50 million is allocated to support women in difficult conditions. Imece France, a civil society organization that applied to the global solidarity fund, through its partner organization Imece Initiative Association in Turkey, has been awarded a EUR 35,000 grant from the L'Oréal Group fund for the implementation of the "Solar Age" and "Return to School in Basmane" programs.

Through the work of Imece Initiative Association in 2022;

- 60 refugee women were introduced to solar energy. - 30 women increased their income. - 49 women attended sexual health and reproductive health awareness activities. - 14 women victims of violence were supported in accessing legal and health services. - 19 refugee children per week accessed school support. - 25 women received agroecology training. - 100 people indirectly benefited from the Solar Age program. "We are pleased to be able to touch the lives of individuals in disadvantaged groups in our country" L'Oréal Turkey General Manager Sinem Sandıkçı Gökçen said on the subject: "Our Group is strengthening its commitments to sustainability and inclusion through the solidarity fund provided under the 'L'Oréal for the Future' sustainability program, a next-generation change model that respects the limited resources of the world and the conditions of societies. In this direction, we have added a new step to the efforts we are making in Turkey. We have provided EUR 35,000 grant support to Imece Initiative Association, which implements inspiring and hopeful projects for refugees. Through the L'Oréal Group global fund, we are pleased to be able to touch the lives of individuals in disadvantaged groups in our country. We invite all NGOs with projects aimed at empowering women and contributing to environmental protection and supporting circular economy to apply to benefit from the fund." Imece Initiative Association Vice Chair Kesire Topaloğlu said on the subject: "As Imece Initiative Association, we work extensively in forgotten settlements of Izmir to support displaced and economically disadvantaged people without discrimination, contribute to their education and empower them. We believe that empathy, education and empowerment programs are essential to successfully create sustainable solutions to the needs of displaced people. The support of the Solar Age and Return to School in Basmane programs we have implemented in this context increases the hope of us and our beneficiaries, and enables us to empower women by using sustainable energy sources such as solar energy, to support people on the move in their difficult journeys and to contribute to the schooling process of children. Therefore, we thank L'Oréal Group for their support." Through the Solar Age program, refugee women produce solar-powered portable devices. The Solar Age program offers refugee women in Turkey a solar energy engineering program. Women participating in the program learn solar panel installation and electrical soldering among other skills, and are able to manufacture solar-powered portable powerbanks called "Energy For Everyone" (EFE). EFE is a solar-powered portable device specially designed for refugees. With the device providing light and phone charging, individuals in difficult situations during their journeys can call rescue services. In 2022, Imece trained 60 refugee women and distributed 320 EFE units (solar-powered portable powerbanks) free of charge in Bosnia and Ukraine as part of the displacement route. Additionally, sexual health awareness sessions and workshops were organized for program participants. 19 children are able to follow their lessons through the Return to School program. The Return to School program supports refugee children living in Istanbul's Basmane district in accessing education. Every week, 19 children are able to follow mathematics, literature, reading and writing, Turkish and foreign language lessons through the program. In addition to lessons, children are able to participate in various artistic activities.