16.3% of the Turkish population lives below the poverty line. While the income derived from farming is not sufficient for the rural population, citizens who migrated from rural areas lack the financial and social capital to adjust successfully to urban life. TPF focuses on strategic interventions to improve the quality of economic and social opportunities currently available to ensure that the economically disadvantaged in rural and urban areas have adequate resources to sustain themselves. Accordingly our programs focus on projects that address the underlying social conditions that systematically deny the opportunities people need to become productive.
Our Goals are:
1. Improving Healthcare in Turkey
As the third country in the OECD with the highest income inequality, Turkey faces the problem of catering to all of its citizens equally. Access to quality and specialized healthcare for those with the lowest income in the most remote villages and in shantytowns remains an issue. Transportation to hospitals in big cities to receive the care needed is a burden many cannot afford. In terms of health indicators, Turkey performs significantly worse when compared to the OECD, finishing 9th to last out of 34 countries. This echoes the fact that per capita spending on healthcare remains low in the country by international standards. According to the OECD, the U.S. led the developed world in 2012, spending $8,745 per capita on health care. Turkey, by contrast, spent just $984 per capita, the lowest among developed countries. Access to care remains financially difficult for the poorest citizens. Improving the health of the workforce is a priority in improving Turkey’s overall competitiveness.
TPF works with NGOs on the ground in Turkey to fill the gap. Allowing children from families with low income with Leukemia to get the care they need while also getting an education at classes specifically designed for them and providing free special education to individuals with Autism are just two examples of the many vital services our partners provide.
2. Eradicating Poverty
Lifting communities out of poverty has been a centuries-old struggle that societies have tried to solve. Over the past several years, it has become apparent that the best way to advance lives is through empowerment. Turkish Philanthropy Funds’ partners are addressing major issues that are hindering development within the country by addressing basic rights.
