"UMUT için GÜNEŞ" (Sun for Hope) PROJECT PARTICIPATION INVITATION
Dear Friends,
On the first anniversary of the February 6th earthquake, I have a heartfelt appeal for you: Become a mentor (Sun) to a student who has lost a parent, and influence their perspective on life and development. Your support will not only benefit them but will undoubtedly enrich your own life, much like it has for me.
How it began:
When our Istanbul Rotary Club planned to provide support to the region immediately after the earthquake, we aimed to reach those in need in areas that had not been prioritized. Through the extraordinary efforts of a few volunteers among us, who either lived in the region for an extended period or frequently traveled there, we successfully delivered 22 trucks of supplies directly to those in need in Hatay and Adıyaman.
As these contributions naturally dwindled over time, we had the opportunity to identify other needs in the region. One pressing issue was the lack of financial and emotional support for children and young people who had lost their parents in the earthquake, and even though their surviving legal guardians were well-intentioned, they expressed their inability to adequately care for these earthquake survivors. With this significant need in mind, the Hatay-based "UMUT İÇİN GÜNEŞ PROJECT" (sun for hope project) was born, aiming to support school-aged childrens.
This project is not just a scholarship initiative. It is a project that aims to connect school-aged childrens who have experienced the earthquake disaster with mentors (called Suns) who desire to provide them with both financial and emotional support to help them:
• Connect with life,
• Continue their education,
• Maximize their potential.
Childrens eligible for pairing in this program are determined based on the criteria of having lost one or both parents in the earthquake, having homes destroyed or rendered uninhabitable, and being of school age. The initial screening process is voluntarily conducted by teachers from the supported region's schools to ensure that childrens can resume their education as soon as possible after the earthquake.
In the second stage, a group of volunteers, all members of the "Umut için Güneş project group," visits the region. They conduct meetings with potential childrens and their guardians, obtaining written permissions that comply with GDPR regulations, and ultimately determine the final lists.
As of February 13, 2024:
• 55 students have found their Suns,
• 67 students are in the matching process.
The Suns are expected to provide the following within the initial three-month adaptation period:
There are no further obligations during the adaptation phase. What matters is that since the project's modest beginnings on August 23, 55 Suns out of 53 are still continuing to provide financial and emotional support in ways they deemed fit after the three-month adaptation period. This reaffirms our hope that both the students and mentor candidates have been correctly identified, and the project will have continuity.
I am confident that before the earthquake, many of you were providing educational support through various aid organizations or NGO's. Perhaps you preferred anonymity in your giving. However, the earthquake changed everything for these children who lost their parents and guides. Now is the time for a paradigm shift, a time for positive discrimination.
Especially in the Hatay region, a region we all know too well.
In conclusion, please decide to be a Sun today, and reach out to me privately. If you have any questions, I will gladly answer them and plan the next steps together.
Warm regards
20/2/2024
TARIK SARIOGLU
Chairman of Rotary International D-2420
Umut Icin Gunes Committee