Lotus Flower Grown in the Swamp

Lotus Youth Association was founded in 2014 to conduct studies for the youth. Following the conflicts and curfew in Sur/Diyarbakır in 2015, they continue their studies with women and children.

Now, the Association works on new projects to establish new ways of communication between the locals and the refugees. We interviewed about the studies of the Association with president Seyhan Alu.

How was Lotus Youth Association founded?

I have been working in CSOs since 2007. I started working in Community Volunteers Foundation and continued in Civil Society Development Center. Other members of the Association are also experienced in civil society work. We worked together beforehand, that’s why we knew what to do and how to do it. We applied to funds and establish the Association.

When was it founded and where does the name “Lotus” come from?

Lotus is a flower grown in the swamp. We work with disadvantaged groups in a difficult region. We thought we must be productive even in the most problematic place and we chose this name. We started in 2014 as an association for the youth but after the conflicts in Sur our field of study changed totally. We have been working with women and children for almost three years.