A new ‘Road from Me to Us’ - ÇYDD-Association for Supporting Contemporary Life, Baden-Württemberg

A new ‘Road from Me to Us’ - ÇYDD-Association for Supporting Contemporary Life, Baden-Württemberg

When Prof. Dr. Türkan Saylan lit the ÇYDD torch which will burn forever, she conveyed, “if a child hungry for knowledge, democracy, peace and brightness is awaiting your light you have no right to fade out.”  In turn, Prof. Dr. Türkel Minibaş illuminated ‘The Road from Me to Us’. To add a new path to this road, Ahmet Gül got together with volunteers on July 8, 2018 and started the ÇYDD-Association for Supporting Contemporary Life, Baden-Württemberg branch in Germany.

The opening ceremony took place at the Internationale Bachakademie Stuttgart in Stuttgart on Sunday, December 2, 2018.  In attendance were dignitaries from the Consulate of Turkey, managers of various associations, NGO directors and numerous guests.

People who came together on this day were all believers in equal opportunity for children and youth.  They voiced that their fight is to provide every child with a good education. It was with this noble view that the stage was given to children and youth from the start.  The “Kırlangıçlar-Larks” choir of the KSI Association managed by Murat Şahin performed first.  This was followed by a piano recital by Bengisu Önder and a viola recital by Selen Şekercioğlu. The final performance was by the Klangoase Association’s orchestra directed by Derya Bektaş.

In his speech, Ahmet Gül, the Manager of  ÇYDD, Baden-Württemberg, gave the message that it is their goal to collect enough donations to be able to provide scholarships for 30-40 students in Turkey and help further their education, which he said would not be difficult working with the people who had gathered for the cause. However, he also emphasized the fact that children of Turkish origin in Germany also face problems and that their needs should not be ignored.  The area in which Turkish Associations are not sufficiently engaged in is pre-school education, said Mr. Gül. He indicated that it would be their duty to provide extra-curricular activities such as swimming courses, ballet, opera and early musical classes for young children.  He asked people to give all the help they can give and not leave them alone in this matter.

Mr. Gül next gave the floor to Özge Memiş, the Assistant Manager of ÇYDD Baden-Württemberg. Young Memiş told the audience about how excited she was upon learning about the new branch and she promised that she would always work for more than what would be required of her.

Nihal Kızıl came to the podium next and with the accompaniment of photographs and a short film she talked about the ÇYDD volunteers and the education centers all around Turkey. As her closing remarks she said “we are working to raise good and honest citizens who love their country”.

Görkem Güler, a veteran instructor from the years 2014-2015, was among the attendees and during the film and photographs session she was pleasantly surprised to see the pictures of her 3rd year students at the ÇYDD Üsküdar Dila Kurt education center where she had volunteered.

Görkem Güler was part of the ÇYDD-BW project which supports university students with its ‘Turkish University Students Meet Business People and Companies’ initiative. She is continuing her post-secondary education in Stuttgart.  Individuals like her and many other successful students are the answer to why ÇYDD has the ÇYDD-BW project.  This project embodies the culture of Çağdaş Yaşam-Contemporary Life.

All friends of Çağdaş Yaşam-Contemporary Life wanting to lift the darkness and to be able to say I did my part, please visit info@cydd-bw.de.