On the Road to Freedom: Empowerment Against Addiction
FAKTOR Community Health and Sport Association took part as a partner in the Erasmus+ project “On the Road to Freedom: Empowerment Against Addiction”, carried out under the Small-scale Partnerships in Youth action with the project reference 2024-1-TR01-KA210-YOU-000250976. Bringing together organisations from Türkiye, Hungary, and Romania, the project focused on strengthening addiction prevention among young people through awareness-raising, empowerment, healthy lifestyle promotion, and international cooperation.
The project was developed in response to the growing concern surrounding substance addiction among young people, particularly adolescents and young adults. Its main aim was to increase awareness of the physical, psychological, and social risks associated with early substance use and its long-term consequences. The project also addressed important risk factors such as peer pressure, limited emotional skills, unhealthy lifestyles, and excessive technology use. By increasing young people's knowledge and resilience, the project sought to support them in making healthier decisions, resisting harmful behaviours, and developing stronger self-esteem, emotional intelligence, and decision-making skills.
Throughout the project, partner organisations collaborated on a range of activities designed to strengthen addiction prevention and youth empowerment. An international training activity addressed the basic concepts of addiction, risk factors, prevention strategies, and crisis intervention, while partners also shared information and experiences regarding addiction policies in their respective countries. A workshop focusing on independent and healthy living brought young people and youth workers together through seminars, workshops, personal development activities, group discussions, and goal-setting exercises, encouraging participants to reflect on their lifestyles and develop healthier coping strategies.
An important outcome of the project was the creation of a mobile application and website offering accessible and reliable information about addiction prevention, educational resources, relevant institutions, and support services in Türkiye, Hungary, and Romania. The project concluded with a final event in Istanbul, where partners from Hungary and Romania joined the project team for a panel on addiction prevention. The event also provided an opportunity to evaluate the project's achievements, present its results, and introduce the developed mobile application.
Through its partnership in “On the Road to Freedom: Empowerment Against Addiction,” FAKTOR Community Health and Sport Association contributed to international knowledge exchange and cooperation in the field of youth addiction prevention. The project strengthened collaboration between organisations from Türkiye, Hungary, and Romania while promoting awareness, healthy living, personal resilience, and stronger support systems for young people.
