United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Turkey office’s Youth Center in Diyarbakır, which is run by UNFPA's implementing partner Community Volunteers Foundation, organized a sports activity event branded “Overhead kick for healthy tomorrows” on 18 October 2017. The main aim of this event is to enable the social inclusion of the Syrian refugees into the local community they are all now part of. With this friendship match, the organizers hope to accomplish three goals: To have young Syrian men take part in healthy activities; to open new ways for communication and interactions with the locals; to show that these sports activities can be considered more than just a hobby.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Women Empowerment Expert Gül Erdost said during the event that “We are aiming to build a bridge between Syrian refugees and locals by means of activities like these. Sports is a peaceful tool that unites people which is a common interest for both cultures. We would like to expand this activity that we did in Diyarbakır to all other provinces in Turkey.” 

Psychologist Reyhan Ferzin İpekyüz from the Community Volunteers Foundation's Diyarbakır Youth Center, said that 144 young Syrian men played throughout the football tournament that was organized by the center in Diyarbakır. The main aim of the tournament, İpekyüz added, was to facilitate social inclusion and build two-way communication between the local Turkish citizens and the Syrian refugees residing in the area. The tournament ended with a friendship game, İpekyüz noted, and concluded that "Playing football helps young Syrian refugee men to improve their psychological and physical health" 

Yenişehir Municipality Sports and Culture Services Manager along with Kayapınar Municipality Sports Services Manager attended the event in Diyarbakır.

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) was established in 1969 as the biggest aid source with international funding in the area of population operating around the world. UNFPA operates in more than 150 countries for creating policies and strategies that support sustainable development. Having started its activities on a project basis, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has been working on reproductive health, encouraging social-gender equality, and collecting, using and distributing data about development and humanitarian aid in Turkey since 1971. Within this framework, the first Country Program lasted from 1988 to 1992 and now the Sixth Country Program (2016-2020) is being executed.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person's potential is fulfilled. To this end, UNFPA focuses especially on 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs); SDG 3: Good health and well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, SDG 5: Gender Equality and finally, SDG 17: Partnerships for Goals

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