ORANGE THE DAYS
During the (orange) days, 16 days of activism between November 25 and December 10, as declared by the United Nations, within the scope of the activity on combating violence against women, “Don”t Ignore the Signs of Violence” and “Recognize Ways to Empower” as the main topics of the Social Media campaign carried out by SIE and Turkish Union were discussed at the Buca/Gediz house, where children living in the Buca region receive educational support and where we carry out various activities with their mothers as part of our club”s Orange Days event on December 7, 2023.
With two different groups, one in the morning and one in the afternoon, we took the opinions, behaviors and observations of the women participating in the project and created an environment where they were not only listeners but also shared their feelings and thoughts on this issue, the types of violence against women and ways of empowerment.
In order to realize this activity, we collaged the videos prepared and shared by SIE and translated by Turkish Union which is shared every day by our club and by personal accounts into a single video.We conveyed these messages to a group of women who do not follow our social media accounts and made them aware of our work.
Club President Nazlı Yolaç moderated the conversation on violence against women and shared the video and information. Club members Yıldız Belger, Bergün Kardeş, Duygu Yurtseven and Merve Çelebi participated the event.
COMMEMORATION of PROF.DR. YILMAZ SEKIN
A meeting was organized to commemorate the recently deceased Prof. Dr. Yılmaz Sekin, one of the founders of Gündoğdu Contemporary Community Volunteers Association, a project partner of Göztepe Soroptimist Club, with the participation of his wife Prof. Dr. Seval Sekin, who was also a founding member, Association executives, responsible teachers and Club members on December 20, 2023. We watched a video of brilliant and opened-minded youngsters expressing their feelings and sharing their memories who met Mr. Yılmaz and the Association while they were middle school students and today each of them having a profession, job and family. We have witnessed that young people now in their 30s, who have been educated in this association have achieved a striking and remarkable cultural development by gaining cultural values in addition to their success in education as a result of academic support.
The Club has provided support to the mothers of these children both through personal development trainings and handicraft development activities for years and has had a positive impact on the development of their children.
The board of the Association emphasized that they run the project in the earthquake zone with a special request from the managers of the TEF (Turkish Education Foundation), whom are Turkish academics abroad, the supporters of the project. They also mentioned that there is a need for new NGOs such as our cooperation in the work carried out so far.
NEW YEAR PARTY at HAMDI DALAN
The traditional New Year celebration at Hamdi Dalan Special Education and Application School was held on December 25, 2023. We wanted to make a happy start to the new year with this very special celebration.
At the New Year”s Party, which was attended by disabled students, their families, school administrators, teachers and club members, we were instrumental in the happiness of a total of 55 children from kindergarten, primary, middle and high school levels as they welcomed the New Year with a joyful and enjoyable party at school. A group of students put on a spectacular dance show and they had a lot of fun dancing with music. It was a different experience to witness the happiness of the students.
SPRING FESTIVAL-2024In order to raise funds to be used for club projects and scholarships, a bazar was organized where the products made by club members talented of handicrafts were sold. Members of the handicraft group have been meeting in homes to exchange ideas on product variety and pricing while they carried out handicraft activities since January. The products were exhibited and offered for sale at the club’s traditional Spring Festival at Alsancak Küçük Kulüp on April 29, 2024. The products made throughout the year by the women of Gediz House, the target group of “Crochet and Skewer Teachings” project and the delicious snacks they prepared were also offered for sale at another stand. The event, which attracted great interest and participation was organised by our member Gülnur Vural. Turkish Union President Betül Elmasoğlu visited our festival and presented Gülnur Vural with a Certificate of Appreciation. Both our club members, Soroptimists from other clubs and Soroptimist friends were with us that day. The festival was a joyful event where people mingled with each other in a very nice environment with pleasant conversations.
YOUTH GATHERINGDue to one of our national holidays, May 19 Youth and Sports Day in Commemoration of Atatürk, we organized a “Youth Gathering” event with the participation of our scholars and the high school students who receive educational support at our “Gediz House” of Gündoğdu Contemporary Community Volunteers Association, on May 25, 2024 at Izmir Culture and Arts Factory. We provided transportation for the youngsters of Gediz House and we welcomed the event with breakfast snacks and coffee. After a short performance of nine young musicians of the “Children Peace Orchestra”, Prof. Dr. Özge Yılmaz, both a member of our Club’s and Turkish Union’s Scholarship Commission, gave a lecture about May 19, our great leader Atatürk, the values that he entrusted to the youth of Türkiye and the compatibility of all these values with sports through an interactive and wonderful conversation which youngsters listened carefully and contributed. With the contributions and efforts of Benal İnceer and Özge Yılmaz, who have been working as Mentor-Mentee with our scholars since the beginning of the academic year, all participants at the “Youth Gathering” were able to learn about the importance of contemporary values.
IZMIR INNER-CITY CULTURAL EXCURSIONFor our scholars who came from outside of Izmir to study at the university, we organized a trip that covered the ancient history of the city with the narration of our club member, Tourism Guide Ayşe Baykan. Club President Nazlı Yolaç, Board Member Begüm Huntürk, member Demet Kumova and our scholars met at Konak Square with our guide Ayşe Baykan and started the tour at 10 a.m. on November 9.2024.
The scholars visited the Clock Tower in Konak Square, the historical value of the city,
Government House, First Bullet Monument, following Kemeraltı, Havra Street, Hisar
Mosque, Kızlarağası Inn, Agora Ruins dating back to the 4th century BC, Izmir City Archive and Museum, Izmir Culture and Arts Factory Archaeology and Ethnography Museum and they increaded their knowledge and awareness. Consequently, we have supported the cultural background of the scholars by enriching their knowledge of the city’s thousands of years of history.
