Hayat Sende Youth Academy Association

Hayat Sende Youth Academy Association is a youth-led civil society organisation based in Türkiye, founded in 2007 by young people with experience of growing up under state care. The organisation works to strengthen the rights, participation and well-being of children and young people with care experience and to promote improvements in alternative care systems. Hayat Sende works at the intersection of child rights, youth participation, alternative care and social inclusion. Its activities include advocacy, capacity building, training, mentoring, psychosocial and educational support, research, awareness-raising and the development of tools and programmes for professionals and young people. A core strength of the organisation is its meaningful involvement of care-experienced young people in the design and implementation of its work. Hayat Sende has established a Youth Council to strengthen young people's participation in decision-making and to ensure that programmes and policies reflect their lived experiences and needs. The organisation also works closely with public institutions, including the Ministry of Family and Social Services and local social services, as well as universities, civil society organisations and international networks. It has experience in Erasmus+ and other international cooperation projects, project development, advocacy, training and dissemination. Hayat Sende is particularly interested in European cooperation on youth work, child protection, alternative care, trauma-informed approaches, youth participation and the well-being and professional development of practitioners working with vulnerable young people. Through its participation in European partnerships, Hayat Sende aims to contribute its field experience, youth-led perspective and expertise in alternative care while learning from partners and supporting the development of sustainable and inclusive youth work practices.