RAIN
It aims to raise awareness of the risks associated with natural disasters, strengthen the spirit of volunteering, prepare young people for emergencies, and encourage their active participation in disaster management processes.
Period
May 2025 - November 2026
Area
natural disasters, volunteering
Status
Active
About the project
The project brings together institutions and organisations from Türkiye, Portugal, and Italy. Despite their different contexts, these countries face significant natural hazards, including earthquakes, floods, wildfires, and volcanic eruptions.
These challenges have highlighted a common need: to strengthen preparedness and cooperation before a disaster occurs, train people with appropriate disaster management knowledge, ensure the sustainability of volunteer networks, and develop psychosocial support skills.
In this context, the project focuses on strengthening response capacity before disasters occur, so that subsequent intervention can be faster, more coordinated, and more effective.
Its main areas of intervention include the training and capacity building of volunteers, the development of local and transnational volunteer networks, the integration of young people aged 13 to 18 and schools into preparedness systems, and the strengthening of psychosocial support skills in crisis situations.
By promoting international cooperation and knowledge sharing between Türkiye, Portugal, and Italy, RAIN seeks to create a more integrated approach to disaster prevention and management.
Consortium
Coordinator
Haymana District Directorate of National Education
Turkey
International partners
CHECK-IN Association
Portugal
Federico II di Svevia (SVEVIA)
Italy
Ankara University – AFAM (Disaster Management Application and Research Center)
Türkiye
AFAD (Ankara Provincial Disaster and Emergency Directorate)
Türkiye
CBM Italy – Christian Blind Mission
Italy
Objectives
- 1Raise young people’s awareness of disasters
- 2Strengthen volunteering networks
- 3Increase the visibility of young people’s role in disaster management processes
- 4Promote the international exchange of knowledge and experiences
Activities
Kick off Meeting
September 2025 - Haymana, Turkey - Meeting of partners to coordinate the partnership, define the next steps, responsibilities, timeline, and project activities.
1st Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity
September 2025 - Ankara, Turkey - Volunteer training: AFAM (Center for Application and Research in Disaster Management) at Ankara University and AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Authority) led the training, which focused on disaster management and the principles of volunteering, strengthening participants’ practical skills and preparing them to respond to emergency situations.
2nd Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity
November 2025 - Lisbon, Portugal - Visits to volunteer projects at local public institutions: Study visits were conducted to IPMA (Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere), the Dom Luís Institute, the Portuguese Red Cross, Quake, and the Cascais Civil Protection Agency, promoting the sharing of best practices in volunteering, emergency prevention, and response.
3rd Learning, Teaching, and Training Activity
May 2026 – Milan and Catania, Italy – Project evaluation and closure: assessment of the project’s results and impact, integration of the methodologies into school curricula, and visits to the Civil Protection Training Center in Milan, the Civil Protection Agency in San Giovanni La Punta, and the INGV in Nicolosi, with a focus on emergency prevention and response.
Outreach Activities
May–September 2026 — Italy, Portugal, and Turkey — Awareness-raising activities: organizing seminars in schools, training sessions for educators, and hands-on workshops with young people, volunteers, and local communities, with the aim of raising awareness about.
Produced materials
Natural Disaster Prevention Booklet
An educational booklet with practical guidelines for preventing risks and responding to natural disasters.
Article about the event in Lisbon
Description of visits to organizations in Lisbon that promote best practices in volunteering
Consult materialsGallery
Learn more
Visit the project's website and discover all the activities, results, and news!