Who Are We? – Deep Poverty Network
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Who Are We?

Deep Poverty Network was established by its volunteers and members in 2019.
We are a solidarity and research network that continues to grow thanks to the participation of its
volunteers, supporters, local authorities, public authorities as well as those who experience deep
poverty directly.

As we endeavour to make visible unsustainable conditions imposed by deep poverty and initiate
debate on poverty as a human rights violation, we offer support for basic needs of those who
experience poverty with our #ChangeFromYourHome campaign, as a means of emergency
intervention.

Organizational History

Çimenev Science and Arts Center (2016)
Hacer Foggo, who has been engaged in journalism and activism regarding urban poverty and human rights for many years, and volunteers, who have been engaged in children rights, established the Çimenev Science and Arts Center in Harbiye/Elmadağ. With the collaboration between volunteers, universities, and NGO’s; many children, women, and youth have attended arts, drama, yoga, music, field studies, reading-writing, human rights, children rights, and coding workshops that are conducted within Çimenev. The center carries on its activities as Şişli Municipality İnönü Neighbourhood Home since November 2020.

Open Space Association (2018)
Open Space Association was established in 2018, Istanbul with the collaboration between Çimenev coordinators, workshop initiators and volunteers in order to establish a social innovation ecosystem that aims to improve the capacity of individuals from diverse social-economic-cultural backgrounds in terms of education (mainly aimed at youth as well as women and children), civil society awareness, social entrepreneurship, and technology. Further, this ecosystem also aims to allow individuals or institutions, who have been involved in production, research, and development, to share their innovative experiences as well as sustainable solutions in order to contribute to the progress of social and economic development and improve collaboration.

Deep Poverty Network (2019)
As a result of the experiences and observations gathered from Çimenev workshops and the field, a group of researchers, sociologist, psychologist and journalist established the Deep Poverty Network (DPN) to investigate the deepening poverty, unveil its dimensions, monitor human rights, and open the phenomenon of poverty to the discussion as a human rights violation.
In March 2020, due to the measures taken as a part of the combat with the pandemic, in order to support the urgent needs of individuals who work in daily precarious jobs, who have been laid off,  given unpaid leave, and living in deep poverty, the Change From Home campaign has been initiated. Thus, a system that provides direct support to households in terms of nourishment, basic care, diaper, and baby formula by supporters and the online market has been established.  Through this system, DPN has been providing support to over 3,000 households within over 160 neighbourhoods in 32 districts of Istanbul.
DPN, which has been engaged in active communication with the individuals living in deep poverty and the field, aims to conduct human rights monitoring, open the multi-aspects of poverty to the discussion and make it visible, and perform advocacy activities before the public institutions as well as local governments.