As the Asylum Seekers and Refugees Solidarity Association (ARSA), we concluded the summer term courses and workshops we carried out this year with a vibrant closing ceremony on 5 September 2025, Friday. The program, where our children, youth, and women participants presented their efforts, attracted great interest from families, volunteers, and esteemed protocol members. Throughout the day, we celebrated our students’ achievements and shared the joy of learning together.

Opening Speeches

Our ceremony began with announcements by our hosts, ARSA’s Legal Advisor Fatma Doğru and MEAL & Capacity Building Officer Meltem Demirel. Then, our founder and president Dr. Zakira Hekmat delivered the opening speech. In our address, we emphasized the importance of the education, social cohesion, and protection activities we have been conducting for many years. We especially highlighted the universality of the right to education and the fact that non-formal education serves as a vital bridge for displaced communities. We shared how education not only provides knowledge and skills but also instills self-confidence and enables social participation.

The opening part also featured speeches from Ahmet Serdar Altıntuğ, President of Kayseri Metropolitan Municipality City Council, Nihat Altınoluk, Director of Kocasinan Public Education Center, and Hamdi Pancar, Kayseri Provincial Coordinator of IMEP, who expressed their support for our efforts.

Our Children and Youth on Stage

Our youngest participants performed a dance show they had prepared with great excitement, which was warmly applauded. Following this, our youth presented a musical performance as the ARSA choir, adding a vibrant note to the ceremony. Together, we shared in their enthusiasm and celebrated their hard work.

Certificates for Our Participants

We proudly invited the women who successfully completed the Turkish A1 language course that we carried out in cooperation with IMEP Kayseri and the Kocasinan Public Education Center.

Among them, two women read poems in both Persian and Turkish, expressing their gratitude. They shared how learning Turkish and overcoming the language barrier had changed their lives, describing the course as a turning point. This emotional moment received heartfelt applause from the audience.

Afterwards, we presented the graduates with their certificates, handed over by protocol members. In addition, we honored all our workshop and course instructors by presenting them with recognition & appreciation certificates for their dedication and contributions throughout the summer.

Workshop Exhibition and Rocket Show

We organized an exhibition showcasing the products of our summer workshops, including painting, handicrafts, and robotics coding. Visitors admired the creativity and dedication reflected in the works of our participants. Following the exhibition, our Robotics Coding Workshop students amazed the audience with a rocket launch demonstration, which became one of the most exciting moments of the day.

Sharing the Day Together

After the shows, we took a group photo to immortalize the day. We also served lunch to our participants. At the same time, we continued with free activities such as painting, face painting, and games, ensuring that both children and families enjoyed a fun and engaging afternoon together.

With Our Gratitude…

We sincerely thank all our trainers, partner institutions, families, and participants who supported us throughout this process. As ARSA, we not only provided knowledge and skills through our workshops but also strengthened self-confidence, sharing, and the culture of solidarity.

We look forward to coming together in many more inspiring events.