ÇYDD opened the Ayşe Verim library as part of its ‘Let a Thousand Flowers Bloom, Let a Thousand
Ideas Emerge Project.’
The Verim family gave its support, ÇYDD Kocaeli Branch worked with our association and the library opened at the İzmit Hızır Reis Elementary School with a ceremony.
ÇYDD Vice-President Adv. Sedat Durna, ÇYDD Headquarters Secretary Orhan Argon, ÇYDD Kocaeli
Branch President Meral Dönmez, Executive Committee members, ÇYDD Kocaeli Branch Founding
President Gülşen Müstecaplıoğlu and the branch members and volunteers were present at the
opening.
Adv. Durna pointed out the importance of education in his opening speech. He said, ‘’As the Great Atatürk indicated, ‘it is with an education that a nation becomes a free, independent, glorious and exalted society or with the lack of it, enslaved and destitute’. Without libraries, there can’t be contemporary education. We have been working very hard as ÇYDD for the past 33 years to reach our goal of contemporary society and contemporary citizens. Until today we have provided scholarship support for 130,000 students. We built 30 contemporary activity centers, 1 university department, 2 high schools, 24 elementary schools, 32 village schools, 6 kindergartens with 17 classrooms, and 36 dormitory buildings. We gave as presents, 2,232 book stands and 34 full libraries to 3,568 schools. We sent over 5 million books to our libraries. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we provided computers and tablets for our 7,000 scholarship students. We are happy to declare that this is our 35th library. I believe that this fine library at the Hızır Reis elementary school will help raise Atatürk generations of a free mind, free comprehension, and free conscience.’’
ÇYDD Kocaeli Branch President Meral Dönmez thanked the donor Verim family and the ÇYDD Headquarters for their invaluable support. She said, ‘’I am very proud and happy that as the ÇYDD Kocaeli Branch we have helped establish this library at this beautiful school where my relatives have studied. We the members of Contemporary Living will continue to work hard non-stop.’’ Libraries are an important part of the education process. We will continue to find new libraries with the support of our donors and contributors.
ÇYDD thanks to everybody that worked for the Ayşe Verim Library!