BİLGİ Umut Var

BİLGİ Umut Var has been organized by İstanbul Bilgi University in order to support the stories of kindness that give hope, courage, and inspiration to people, to increase the recognition of these stories by the public, and to encourage new stories. In the project aiming to reinforce the belief that world is a good place, 33 stories were identified on the basis of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These stories were presented to popular vote through ‘bilgiumutvar.com’ website and 10 stories that received the highest number of votes as a result of the two-weeks voting process were announced on the ‘BİLGİ Umut Var’ night that took place on santralistanbul Campus on December 13, 2018.

The Heroes of Kindness Stories

AHBAP

AHBAP is a movement of kindness led by Haluk Levent and which has spread all across Turkey. It started out to strengthen the awareness of social cooperation and solidarity and to popularize scientific and artistic activities. It continues its works in 58 cities and with approximately 7000 volunteers. It gave scholarship to 231 students and fulfilled the needs of 1400 families. It lent a helping hand to street animals for 75 times. It organized 139 blood and stem cell campaigns. It planted thousands of treelets for Ayvalık and Tire forests.

Don’t Throw It Away! Let It Be Repaired, Let It Bring Hope

With his project titled ‘Don’t Throw It Away! Let It Be Repaired, Let It Bring Hope’, Muammer Kavazoğlu who lives in Bursa Orhangazi recycles toys. In the shop that he rented, he repairs old toys that people from all over Turkey sends to him through cargo. Kavazoğlu’s mother Şükriye Kavazoğlu repairs stuffed toys and dolls. These toys are repaired and then gifted to children who need them.

Bir Tebessüm İçin Derneği

Bir Tebessüm İçin Derneği is composed of university students set out to create a smile on the faces of people who lead different lives. The team that came together during their high school years creates bonds between university students and the people living in Anatolia. It aims to raise the awareness of young people in the fields of social cooperation and solidarity. As part of ‘Daydreamer Rooms’, one of the projects that they have realized for this end, they build rooms with libraries, playgrounds, and toys so that the students at village schools can spend quality time.

Enka Kindness Project

Enka Kindness Project provides support for children who need protection from diseases and the chance to benefit from treatment and quality education opportunities. By teaching the children the concept of solidarity at an early age, it strengthens their empathy skills and contributes to raising them as individuals useful to their society and sensitive to their environment.

Life Fixer

Hasan Kızıl who lives in Mardik, Derik enables the handicapped animals to walk with the prostheses he makes. He is known as ‘life fixer.’ With the walkers and prostheses that he made with his own means, he enabled more than 300 animals to walk.

Hayata Saril Restaurant

Hayata Saril is a social initiative that Ayşe Tükrükçü initiated two years ago for the people living in the streets that are ignored by society. In Hayata Saril Restaurant that they opened in Beyoğlu, they serve food in exchange for money by day and offer food for the homeless free of charge in the evenings.

Kitap Koala

The animal with the lowest adaptability in the world, koala bears cannot live in any place with no eucalyptus trees, they live only by eating eucalyptus. This is the reason why koala bears hold on tight to eucalyptus trees. In ‘Kitap Koala’ project, koala bears are hugging the trees. All the profit that is acquired from selling books is transferred to street animals. The injured street animals are treated and animal ambulance system is financed.

Leyla’dan Sonra Volunteers

Three friends from İstanbul University Faculty of Medicine initiated a kindness project in order to give hope to children with chronic diseases and make them cling to life. In time, this act of kindness grew among medical students. Having realized the dreams of 4419 children with chronic illnesses so far, the Volunteers of Leyla’dan Sonra continues to give hope.

Teacher Mehtap Çevik Supports the Education of Female Students

A physical education teacher in Iğdır, Mehtap Çevik is the representative of Education of Female Students Project. She works so that the female students in the region can benefit from equal education rights. One of her students Cana Şengül had to drop out of school when she lost her mother. Even though she was very successful in school, she had to take care of her siblings. With the support of her teacher, she returned to school and finished primary school as the top student of her class.

Be the Hope for Tomorrow

‘Be the Hope for Tomorrow’ project was initiated by Berin Yıldırım and Simay Salı in 2014 to reduce the inequality of opportunity in education. It organizes projects in village schools, helps children discover and develop their talents, and most importantly help them dream about the future.