What is the project about?

The Korean Government funded project aims to establish an Orthosis/Prosthesis Manufacturing Atelier within Malatya Metropolitan Municipality to provide services to persons with disabilities and carry out social and vocational training activities. Thus, amputees who are financially incapable of obtaining orthosis/prosthesis and need social support will be benefited.

 What has been the situation? 

The earthquake-affected provinces exhibit severe socio-economic vulnerabilities. Especially persons with disabilities and those who need tailored care, people with cognitive deficiencies like dementia, and other psychological disorders were hit hardest since available public resources for their basic needs were already very limited before the disaster. 

The ratio of persons with disabilities in the general population is 6.9%. If it is assumed that the ratio is the same for the earthquake region, the persons with disabilities population should be around 967,000. On the demand side, more people have become disabled due to physical injuries, amputations and adverse psychological effects of the earthquake. According to the official data shared by the government, 60,000 people are amputees. The elderly and persons with disabilities need accessible and predictable safe spaces for socializing, care and support. Life-long learning opportunities and volunteer community actions prove to be successful measures to increase their functionality. People with severe health conditions, who need tailored care and cannot take care of themselves and are unattended in the post-disaster context should be provided with adequate services according to their underlying conditions. 

What is our mission? 

Developing an Inclusive Model for Providing Social and Assistive Services Capacity to Persons with Disabilities Project, which is funded by the Korean Government will ensure the creation and delivery of social services that are both accessible and responsive to gender-specific needs for individuals with disabilities residing in the earthquake-affected area.

How are we doing this? 

Firstly, the current situation in all disability categories will be discussed and needs will be determined. The Orthosis/Prosthesis Manufacturing Atelier will be established in an area of 450 square meters in the Kernek Complex Multi-Purpose Social Facility for women, elderly, and persons with disabilities, which belongs to Malatya Metropolitan Municipality. 

Wheelchair maintenance and repair atelier, computer course atelier, rosary atelier, music atelier, and carpet weaving atelier will be established in the same building as the Orthosis and Prosthesis Manufacturing Atelier. These ateliers will be used by disadvantaged groups, particularly by persons with disabilities. After the ateliers are opened, vocational training will be provided especially for persons with disabilities who still live in container cities.

How will Türkiye benefit? 

Malatya Metropolitan Municipality will be the 2nd municipality with such a facility in Türkiye after Gaziantep. The atelier will serve the provinces affected by the earthquake and all of Türkiye. The facility is expected to serve 100 amputees every year. 1,000 persons with disabilities will participate in the vocational training in new social ateliers. In addition, prostheses will be given to 20 persons with disabilities who received incorrect interventions in different provinces in the scope of the project.