• Five new ÇATOMs were started Mardin-Midyat, Benusen neighborhood in Diyarbakir, Kayabaglar settlement in Kurtalan-Siirt, Mardin-Nusaybin and Sanliurfa-Bozova;
• On 24 December 2002, a second ÇATOM was opened in Kilis with the support of YOYAV (Foundation for Helping the Poor);
• The "Wheelchair Campaign" was launched in January this year. Under this campaign, governmental and non-governmental organizations act jointly to identify persons in need of wheelchair.
• "Best Practice": The ÇATOM among 23 projects presented by Turkey to the Sustainable Development Summit - Rio + 10 held in Johannesburg in September 2002.
• The 3^rd World Water Forum convened in Kyoto, Japan from 16 to 23 March 2002. There were more than 1,000 projects contesting in the context of Water Action Plan during the Forum. ÇATOM was among 150 projects making the top among these projects. The GAP-RDA had a porter presentation of the ÇATOM in Kyoto during 18-19 March 2003.
• Reforestation activities in Mardin ÇATOM.

The GAP-RDA and Mardin nursery provided 1,035 saplings consisting of stone pine, cypress and ivy. There was further cooperation with the TEMA Foundation to select spaces for planting. The surroundings of ÇATOM building sand the slope behind the high school were plated and named "GAP-ÇATOM and Youth Center Memorial Forest." Women and young people were also given saplings to plant around their houses.

During this work taking place in March, 540 saplings were planted behind the high school and 145 to the surroundings of the ÇATOM building. While 150 saplings were distributed to ÇATOM and Culture Center participants, other were planted in such places as Ayfer Gökçe School (120 saplings), Dargeçit ÇATOM (50 saplings), Ömerli ÇATOM (20 saplings) and KEDV kindergarten (10 saplings).

• The local ÇATOM and governmental organizations jointly made environmental arrangements and plantings around ÇATOM building in Cizre.

45 saplings provided by the local nursery with the support of the District Governorate were planted in the yard of Cizre ÇATOM. Each plant is given the name of a specific ÇATOM participant, who is in charge of caring and watering fresh saplings. The local military unit is going to make a trellis in the garden. The Municipality took over the work of building a wall around the building and paving the way leading to the building.

• Official wedding and exhibition in Taslica village (7 April 2003).

With the presence of the Governor of Mardin and District Governor of Ömerli, young girls and women from Ömerli ÇATOM were in the ceremony. Health workers from local health units informed participants about family planning and hygiene. Three couples from the villages had civil marriage contracts during the event. Young girls and women asked the District Governor to start a ÇATOM in their village.

• People of Kaynakkaya applied for a ÇATOM in their village as well. District Governor of Ömerli took the appeal seriously and started preliminary work for a ÇATOM.
• Directorate of Education of Ömerli and ÇATOM joined hands to start a "Pre-School Education Program" for children. This program will cover infant class students in primary schools attached to the District Directorate of Education. These classes will use CDs sent to ÇATOMs by the Regional Directorate of GAP as well as overhead projectors and TV sets. The program will cover Atatürk, Mehmetçik and Cumhuriyet primary schools in the district. On 14 April 2003, start was given in Atatürk primary school.
• Immunization Campaign by the Health Center and ÇATOM.

During the immunization campaign led by the district health center, 15 ÇATOM participants volunteered for 6-day work in polio immunization. These volunteers covered 3 neighborhoods at the district center and nearby villages. After this work, a team from the health center led by doctor Hayri Sezer visited Ömerli ÇATOM and stated their appreciation for the support given by the ÇATOM. The team also informed ÇATOM management about the details and coverage of the campaign.

Last Update : July 7^th, 2003