The Association for Solidarity with Asylum Seekers and Migrants (ASAM), one of the 10 finalists in the “Build A World of Play” Challenge launched by the LEGO Foundation worldwide, promotes the effectiveness of the play therapy approach and develops new practices by employing techniques suitable for social and cultural dynamics. Chosen to be among the finalists upon the evaluation of 300 interdisciplinary expert reviewers, the Project was evaluated based on the following criteria: whether it was impactful, feasible, community-centered, and sustainable.

The overall objectives of the Project include identifying the needs of refugee children with special needs, building the necessary capacity for play therapy in ASAM centers for children, and raising awareness on the use of play therapy as a feasible method.

Having regard to the fact that children’s early life experiences are deeply related to their future emotional, cognitive and social development, the Project seeks to have both positive and long-term impacts on society. With the idea of “Leverage Box” to create a common space for children with special needs from both refugee and host communities to play together and learn from one another, the Project aspires to ensure that every child has equal opportunities.

The Project, in which caregivers are also included in all stages with the help of focus group discussions and in-depth interviews, will be implemented for 12 months in Adana, Ankara and İzmir provinces with large refugee populations.