LALE CHARITIES
SUPPORTING OUR COMMUNITY FEATURE: KRISTINA WILFORE. PHOTOGRAPHY: COURTESY OF THE CHARITIES
With the help of its members, IWI supports charities providing essential social services and support to women, children and the elderly in Turkey. IWI’s Charity Coordinator Kristina Wilfore reveals the charities selected by our board of directors to receive the TL 75,000 we raised last season
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ollowing a competitive application process, IWI chose nine charities to fund this cycle. These groups are respected leaders in the field, organising activities such as economic empowerment initiatives for girls, helping teachers better serve disadvantaged children, giving women the tools to combat domestic violence, educating women on prevention and treatment of breast cancer, and providing much-needed relief to Syrian refugees in Istanbul. In addition to providing financial support, we want our members to engage and contribute what they can besides money. We often think of volunteering as a one-way street when in fact it is just as much about getting something back as it is about giving – in the form of emotional satisfaction, contributing something of value to your home away from home, getting the chance to learn about Turkey beyond the headlines, as well as the opportunity to build your CV. There are plenty of ways to get involved this year. Members of IWI can volunteer with supported groups, organise events and fundraisers, and find creative ways to lend some skills and expertise. Check the website (www.iwi-tr.org) for more details on volunteering opportunities with the charities below. And please feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or ideas. I can be reached at charity@iwi-tr.org.
EUROPA DONNA
Europa Donna is the Turkish member of the European Breast Cancer Coalition. www.europadonna.org IWI is supporting a breast cancer awareness project for high school students in Turkey with the aim of reaching the students’ mothers, extended family, neighbours, and others who may be able to exert positive influence to encourage prevention.
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Funding will also go towards training a group of volunteers to support women going through chemotherapy with the organisation of handicrafts, painting and macramé activities to relax and take their minds off treatment.
BOMONTİ FRANSIZ FAKİRHANESİ
This is a home for the poor elderly of Istanbul, administered by the Little Sisters of the Poor. The elderly residence, located in Bomonti/Şişli, is home to some 66 needy residents. Run by the Little Sisters of the Poor, the home is undertaking a massive renovation project to upgrade their accommodations to European standards as required by the Turkish government. IWI provides general operational support to Bomonti as well as supporting its bi-annual Kermiz through donation of saleable used goods donated by its member base. Clothes, household items and other donations can be dropped off at IWI’s office in Ulus.
SMALL PROJECTS ISTANBUL
This is a Syrian refugee organisation geared towards supporting families. SPI is a grassroots organisation that operates solely on volunteer, non-paid commitments. SPI is composed of an 11-member board of directors that manages a base of nearly 50 volunteers based in Istanbul. All funds raised by SPI are used to provide educational programmes, such as Turkish classes, art classes and scholarship programmes. www.smallprojectsistanbul.org This year IWI is helping to pay for additional office space to support informal supplemental classes in Istanbul for displaced families as well as Turkish language classes for parents of families from Syria, Palestine and Iraq who were living in refugee camps in Syria before the outbreak of civil war there.