Turkish NGOs Put Smiles on Faces of Poor During Eid al-Adha

This year's Eid al-Adha, Islam's most important religious holiday, was a time of remembrance of the poor, with an increased sense of spirituality for civil society organizations in Turkey, which strived to put a smile back on the faces of the needy.

Various Turkish civil society organizations, including Kimse Yok Mu (Is Anybody There), Deniz Feneri (Lighthouse) and the Humanitarian Aid Foundation (İHH), revived the pleasure of sharing and solidarity within society during this year's Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice. The organizations assisted thousands of charitable donors in reaching out to poverty-stricken people and delivered the sacrificial meat of thousands of animals within Turkey and to various countries around the world. Kimse Yok Mu Chairman Mehmet Özkara said he was pleased to see that the eid spirit boosted solidarity within the nation and thanked all charitable donors who donated the organization to reach out to poor people.

Last year's eid was a time of similar aid activity, with civil society organizations prompting hundreds of charitable donors across the country to donate the sacrificial meat of thousands of animals to citizens in poverty and terror-stricken places all over the world.

Kimse Yok Mu delivered the sacrificial meat of some 15,500 animals within Turkey and 13,500 animals in tens of countries throughout the world. The foundation reached out to 110,000 families worldwide in charity activities during the eid.

"I was going through hard times with my children. We had almost no clothes and no shoes. Kimse Yok Mu donated new clothes and gave us meat. They brought warmth and happiness to our house," said Beyaz Zincirli, one of the many poverty-stricken citizens to whom the foundation lent a helping hand.

The aid associations also took the opportunity to build a bridge between eastern and southeastern Turkey during this year's eid. They focused their charitable activities mostly on poverty and terror-stricken cities in the east and Southeast, as was the case in 2007.

Turkey witnessed a first in its history during Eid al-Adha of last year, which was termed a historic encounter between eastern and western Turkey. More than 5,000 businessmen and artisans spent their eid with the needy in the East and Southeast. Civil society organizations not only aimed to provide food aid to poverty-stricken areas, they also hoped to ease tension in the country, which was on the rise especially in the aftermath of bloody terrorist attacks against civilians and security forces.

Generous members of civil society organizations flocked to eastern and southeastern cities such as Diyarbakir, Van, Ağri, Şanliurfa, Erzurum and Şirnak and delivered the sacrificial meat of thousands of animals to the needy there this year as well.

In addition to delivering the sacrificial meat of animals to the poor, the İHH made this eid more cheerful for children under the protection of the Social Services and Child Protection Agency (SHÇEK). The association delivered gift boxes ─ containing clothes, shoes, toys and stationery items ─ to dozens of children. It also delivered other packages full of biscuits, crackers, chips, chocolate, fruit juice, candies and milk to kids in the eastern and southeastern regions.

Welcoming eid in refugee camps

Turkish aid associations reached out to disaster-stricken people in various countries around the world as well. Kimse Yok Mu and İHH extended a helping hand to needy Palestinians and Iraqis staying in refugee camps in Syria.

The two associations delivered the sacrificial meat of thousands of animals to refugees sheltering in the Yarmuk Refugee Camp, which is home to more than 200,000 Palestinians and Iraqis who fled their country following the US incursion. Though the refugees are young, they have to live in harsh conditions, unable to earn money through jobs. Kimse Yok Mu and İHH delivered aid packages to refugees in Syria and shared the joy of eid with them.

Palestinian and Iraqi Muslims who received their meat from the two aid associations extended their gratitude to the Turkish nation, saying: "We thank the Turkish people. Turks are the most warm-hearted people among all nations."

Turkey aid to Afghanistan reaches to 15,000 families

Turkey sent food, clothing and stationery assistance to 15,000 Afghan families and 9,000 Afghan students in addition to providing direct health services to 750,000 Afghans. Some 300 Afghan students were granted scholarships to study in Turkey and the Turkish Armed Forces (TSK) trained 1,600 Afghan personnel in Afghanistan as well as more than 500 Afghan personnel in Turkey as part of military training cooperation. The Turkish International Cooperation and Development Agency (TİKA) Afghanistan Coordination Office stated that 35 new schools were built, seven schools were renovated and 42 schools were furnished in Afghanistan. Under health projects, Turkey built one hospital and five clinics, renovated two hospitals and operates seven hospitals, three clinics and one midwife training center, providing direct heath services to 750,000 Afghan citizens.