Page 12 - Turkinsurance Digital Magazine

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Allianz Teknik, in collaboration with TEGV, will provide earthquake awareness
training to children

Allianz Turkey, with the consultancy of Allianz Teknik and
in collaboration with the Turkish Educational Volunteers
Foundation (TEGV), is launching a new corporate social
responsibility program for children aged 7-14. The program,
“Conscious Steps, Safe Tomorrows,” aims to raise awareness
among children about what should be done before, during, and
after an earthquake. This program will be implemented as a
mandatory training module at all TEGV locations. The program,
which will be supported by one-on-one and online Allianz Teknik
visits as well as board games that reinforce the learnings, aims
to reach 135,000 children in 34 cities over the course of 3 years.
Allianz Turkey has launched a new corporate social responsibility
program in its 5th year of the Allianz Teknik Earthquake and
Fire Test and Training Center, with the goal of increasing societal
risk awareness regarding earthquakes and fires. The “Conscious
Steps, Safe Tomorrows” program, which will be conducted entire country, we focused on social solidarity to quickly heal the
under the consultancy of Allianz Teknik and in collaboration wounds of the earthquake. With the 120 million TL fund we have
with the Turkish Educational Volunteers Foundation (TEGV) established at Allianz, we initially focused on search and rescue
to contribute to building an aware society against disasters in and emergency relief activities. In the medium and long term,
earthquake-prone Turkey, was introduced at a press conference we concentrated on addressing post-disaster recovery, supporting
hosted by Allianz Turkey CEO Tolga Gürkan and TEGV General social development, and reducing disaster risks. We know that
Manager Sait Tosyalı at Allianz Teknik. the most important step to take for the critical risks our country
faces is to take preventive measures before risks occur. The key to
The program will reach 135,000 children achieving this is through raising both individual and institutional
awareness. For this purpose, and with our responsibility to future
generations as “Allianz of Turkey,” we are pleased to launch the
Designed as a three-layered education program, the “Conscious
Steps, Safe Tomorrows” program aims to have children aged “Bilinçli Adımlar, Güvenli Yarınlar” program. Our goal is to raise
7-14 participate in a mandatory two-module training at all TEGV disaster awareness in children at an early age and support them
locations in the first phase. The goal is to raise awareness among in building a safer society in the future. Equipping our children
children about the correct behaviors to adopt before, during, and with disaster awareness will not only provide them with a great
after an earthquake. In the training, children will learn through sense of security but will also be a significant assurance for their
activities, videos, drills, and games how to recognize natural families and communities.”
disasters, what the “drop, cover, and hold on” method is, and “Over the course of 5 years, tests lasting more than a total of
how to apply it. In the second phase of the program, the focus 10,000 hours were conducted”
will be on increasing disaster and risk awareness among children
who visit Allianz Teknik either in person or online. Additionally, a
special board game has been designed to reinforce the earthquake- In his speech, Tolga Gürkan also made special remarks on the
related education and learnings children have gained. The board 5th anniversary of the establishment of Allianz Teknik: “Allianz
game, aimed at raising earthquake awareness, will be available Teknik is one of the most important investments we have made
for all children to use at TEGV locations. The program will also with our sustainable value creation model. When we established
be supported during free class hours in schools collaborating with Allianz Teknik in 2019 with an investment of 30 million TL,
TEGV. Additionally, the board game will be available for sale at our goal was to increase societal risk awareness regarding the
the TEGV Shop, with all proceeds from the sales being donated earthquake and fire hazards our country faces. With the tests
to TEGV to support children’s access to quality education. The we have conducted, the training we provide, and the consulting
“Conscious Steps, Safe Tomorrows” program, which has been services we offer under the roof of Allianz Teknik, Turkey’s first
piloted over the past year with approximately 500 children in and only accredited laboratory equipped with modern equipment
Istanbul, Ankara, and Van, aims to reach 135,000 children that combines fire and earthquake tests in a single center, we have
across 34 cities over the next 3 years through its expansion. helped not only our stakeholders but also every segment of society
take steps toward a secure future. In the past five years, we have
Tolga Gürkan: “Children who are aware of disaster conducted tests totaling over 10,000 hours. These tests not only
preparedness will also become a source of security for their helped in developing safer products but also contributed to making
families and communities” our country more prepared for disasters. With the environmental
and climate change services we launched at Allianz Teknik last
year, we are providing services to businesses, especially SMEs,
In his speech at the meeting, Allianz Türkiye CEO Tolga Gürkan
emphasized the importance of raising social risk awareness, on their green transformation journey. These services include
stating: “We were painfully reminded of the fact that Turkey is calculating and reducing greenhouse gas emissions, identifying
an earthquake-prone country with the February 6 earthquakes the impacts of climate change, and managing the risks arising in
last year, in which we suffered heavy losses. Together with the this context.”