Imece logo in gray with a green and blue chain-link icon and yellow sunburst on a black background.

A Non-Profit Organization Responding to the Syrian Refugee Crisis and Beyond

Imece Initiative is a non-profit organization founded in 2014 in Izmir, Turkey, in direct response to the Syrian refugee crisis. What started as a small community effort has grown into a humanitarian organization supporting displaced families of all nationalities through education, solar energy training, and emergency aid across the Izmir region.

Since 2014, Imece has worked directly in the neighborhoods and informal settlements where displaced families in Izmir have rebuilt their lives — from tent classrooms in Torbalı to the Imece Village education center in Çeşme. Our name comes from the Turkish word for a tradition of neighbors coming together to solve a shared problem, and it reflects how we work: not as outside aid, but alongside the communities we serve.

Who We Support

The Syrian refugee crisis remains the reason Imece exists, but our programs have never been limited to one nationality. Over the past decade, Imece has also supported:

  • Distribution of education kids to children effected by the war in Ukraine
  • Afghan families, many arriving in Izmir following more recent waves of displacement
  • Iraqi and other Middle Eastern refugee communities settled in the region
  • Syrian Dom communities, often identified as among the most marginalized within Turkey's broader refugee population
  • Supporting Palestine and Lebenon through the distribution of hygiene products and educational kids 
  • Local Turkish families in need, particularly in Imece's earliest years

Meet Our Founder, Ali Güray Yalvaçlı

Imece was founded by Ali Güray Yalvaçlı, an Izmir native who began organizing community aid in 2014 and shifted the organization's focus to the Syrian refugee crisis the following year. Under his leadership, Imece built Imece Village in Çeşme and launched the Solar Age project, training refugee women as solar engineers in partnership with Barefoot College.
Read his full story
A non-profit organization based in Izmir, Turkey, on the border of the Greek island of Chios. We support displaced people in Turkey in access to school for migrant children, training in solar engineering, access to electricity on the roads of exile.

IMECE

Solidarity or collaboration. This word comes from rural Turkey and describes the effort of a community towards a common goal.

INISIYATIFI

Initiative. To act or to take charge in order to resolve a problem or improve a situation. To use imagination and common sense and to take responsibility for your actions.
Six people sitting in a wildflower field with a house and trees in the background.

Responding to crisis

Founded in Çeşme, Turkey in 2012 Imece was created with the intention of supporting the local community but had to shift focus at the start of the “European Refugee Crisis”. Although Çeşme and Chios have always been key areas for migrating populations, the security situation of the Middle East in 2015 created a massive influx of people trying to cross into Europe. Most of the help we provided was an emergency distribution of goods needed to ensure these families’ survival (food, water, medical aid, etc).

The EU - Turkey agreement

Prior to the EU-Turkey Agreement of March 2016, many people were crossing illegally into Chios, form where they could safely and legally find access to the European continent. Since the Agreement, they now need to complete all their administrative authorisations within the Greek islands, which can take up to two years. During this time, many are staying in settlements with very poor living conditions. Because of this, many displaced people have opted to stay in Turkey.
Blue flag with yellow stars flying from a white pole against a blue sky with clouds.
Six people sitting in a wildflower field with a house and trees in the background.

6.05 million people in desperate need

here are 6.05 million registered displaced persons in Turkey, representing approximately 7.2% of the country’s total population. These figures do not include individuals who are not included in official registration systems.
Izmir has a population of approximately 4 million people, with the city’s migrant population estimated at around 300,000 individuals, of whom approximately 150,000 are registered. Due to this high concentration, access to official registration and services is managed according to specific prioritization criteria, such as disability or special health conditions.
Many civil society organizations limit their activities to groups included in official registration systems. At Imece, we aim to carry out accessible, needs-based support activities for everyone, in accordance with the applicable legal framework.

Paving the way towards sustainable autonomy

We host displaced women and children in our community center in Basmane, a deprived neighborhood of Izmir. The children follow a dedicated program aimed at providing them with the necessary knowledge to re-enter the school system.

The women, or "Solar Ladies" learn the basics of solar engineering, solar panel manufacturing and EFE solar batteries. These practical skills aim to facilitate access to economic independence.
Person crafting with a hand tool at a table covered with electronics, wires, and materials.
Two young girls sitting at a table in a classroom, with one holding a book and the other holding a cup.

Sustainable education and support

In our Basmane community center in Izmir, and in Torbalı settlements, children follow a weekly education programme with workshops adapted to each children's age groups. In small groups, children learn the basics of the Latin alphabet, Turkish language, mathematics, and all the necessary skills to enter school.

Finally, Imece provides legal and social support to their families so they can enroll their children in school.
Learn more about our projects!

Imece Belgesel / Documentary

Our activities in France
Our activities in Germany
Our activities in Turkey

Activities

FAQs

The Syrian refugee crisis refers to the mass displacement of people from Syria following the outbreak of civil war in 2011. Millions of Syrians sought safety in neighboring countries, including Turkey, which hosts more Syrian refugees than any other country in the world.

Turkey hosts millions of registered Syrian refugees, with populations concentrated in border provinces and cities including Izmir. For current, precise figures, Turkey's Directorate of Migration Management (DGMM) publishes official registration data by province.

Imece Initiative is a non-profit organization providing education, solar energy training, and emergency aid to displaced families in Izmir, Turkey. Core programs include tent-based schooling for refugee children, the Solar Age solar-charging initiative, and the Barefoot College partnership.

Alongside Syrian refugees, Imece supports Afghan and Iraqi refugee families, Syrian Dom communities, and, in its earliest years, local Turkish families in need — reflecting founder Ali Güray Yalvaçlı's principle of aid without political or religious distinction.

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