Started as of September 3rd, 2008, by Türkiye İş Bank and Darüşşafaka Society, two deep-rooted organizations of our country, acting in cooperation, the “81 Students from 81 Provinces” project is celebrating its 14th anniversary.
The “81 Students from 81 Provinces” project, accomplished by cooperation of Türkiye İş Bank and Darüşşafaka Society, reached its 14th anniversary.
Signature ceremony of the “81 Students from 81 Provinces” project held on September 3rd, 2008 was attended by Chairman of Board of Türkiye İş Bank, Caner Çimenbiçer; General Manager Ersin Özince; Vice General Manager Özcan Türkakın; Corporate Communications Manager, Suat Sözen; then- Chairman of Board of Darüşşafaka Society, Zekeriya Yıldırım; Member of Board of Directors Beşir Özmen; Secretary General Adnan Dovan; Vice Secretary General Ahmet Çakaloz; then-President of Board of Directors of Darüşşafakalılar Society, Orhan Yalçın Gültekin; Mehmet Aydın from “83 Erzincan Orphans” continuing their education in Darüşşafaka with the support of Türkiye İş Bank after Erzincan Earthquake in 1939; Hüsnü Söyler (DŞ’45), İhsan Devrim (DŞ’32) and students from Darüşşafaka.
The “81 Students from 81 Provinces” project, still continued as one of the longest running projects realized in education field in our country since that date, is ongoing to enlighten the future.
Aside from paying all clothing, food, accommodation, stationery, health and security expenses, particularly education expenses, of 81 students winning Darüşşafaka Entrance Exam every year until 2020-2021 academic year, the project is also continuing to award scholarship to its scholars in university. Thus, the project is giving a back to a student throughout his education life from secondary school to graduation from university.
As of 2021-2022 academic year, Türkiye İş Bank is paying expenses of a total of 446 students in Darüşşafaka, and is awarding higher education scholarship to its scholars in university. Till date, together with graduates, education of around 750 students is supported and contributed under this project.
As a fellow traveller of students from Darüşşafaka with the “81 Students from 81 Provinces” project, İş Bank is indeed making the greatest investment in future of Turkey. Funds created by the project strengthened the efforts of Darüşşafaka to reach more children for education, thereby gradually increasing the total number of students of Darüşşafaka Educational Establishments. As a result, total number of students in Darüşşafaka increased from 748 in 2006-2007 academic year to around 1,000 as of today.
Made it possible to reach children even in the most remote parts of Turkey
Making it possible for Darüşşafaka Educational Establishments to accept students from many different provinces, the project paved the way for commencement of “Anatolian Expansion” in Darüşşafaka. This expansion is owed both to organization of entrance exams in more provinces with the financial sources created by the project and to special support given by Türkiye İş Bank for announcement of exams. Every year, posters of Darüşşafaka Entrance Exam are posted in Türkiye İş Bank branches in our 81 provinces, and publicity meetings held in cities with a high number of potential candidate students are supported also by Türkiye İş Bank branch managers therein. In addition, exams are announced by Türkiye İş Bank via different channels. Thus, it became possible to reach children even in the most remote parts of Turkey. After starting of this project in the year 2008, 67 percent of all students enrolled in Darüşşafaka are from Anatolia, and 33 percent from Istanbul.
Quality of education is enhanced
The “81 Students from 81 Provinces” project also contributed to enhancement of quality of education in Darüşşafaka. Thanks to financial sources created by the project, club activities developing the social and scientific levels of students are diversified. Added value initiatives in education resulted in a significant rise in academic and social success of students.
Türkiye İş Bank did not only create monetary sources for education of students in Darüşşafaka throughout the project, but also gave a great support for their social, cultural and personal developments. For instance, it organized a “welcome picnic” for newcomers every year, and also organized a New Year party in İş Towers again for little students every year. It encouraged participation of students from Darüşşafaka in activities İş Sanat, and organized savings workshops, and realized and is continuing to realize many other activities all the year round, such as moral picnic for students preparing for university entry exams.
81 Students from 81 Provinces
On the occasion of 14th year of the Project, the following message is shared by Türkiye İş Bank: “We, as Türkiye İş Bank, are attaching particular importance to education of young generations getting prepared to carry our country to the future, and are carrying out long-running, widespread and sustainable projects in relation therewith. Accordingly, our 81 Students from 81 Provinces project started in cooperation with Darüşşafaka 14 years ago has a very special place in our Bank. By this 81 Students from 81 Provinces project, we had the chance to touch lives of our children all across Turkey, thus helping them to create a good future for themselves. Under the project, we are still continuing to contribute to education of around 750 students, and are proud of graduating 296 students till date. We are further continuing to give support to our graduates in university as well. We know that our young students from Darüşşafaka getting an education encouraging inquisitive learning in a contemporary environment under the guidance of mind and science by adopting and internalizing the Republican values will be the pride of our country as well with their great successes in the future.”
Öktem: “Two deep-rooted organizations of Turkey are illuminating the future”
“The 81 Students from 81 Provinces project, bringing together two deep-rooted organizations of Turkey, is unique not only in Turkey, but also in the world,” says M. Tayfun Öktem, President of Board of Directors of Darüşşafaka Society. “The cooperation between Darüşşafaka and Türkiye İş Bank has its roots in Erzincan earthquake in the year 1939. That year, 83 children from Erzincan earthquake victims meeting the student acceptance conditions of Darüşşafaka are accepted to Darüşşafaka, and all education expenses of these children are borne and paid by Türkiye İş Bank. After presenting a new future to 83 children in the year 1939, these two deep-rooted organizations of our country are still continuing to illuminate our future with the 81 Students from 81 Provinces project.”
“We’ve so far covered a distance in the path of becoming a mosaic of Turkey”
“The support provided by Türkiye İş Bank under the project made it possible for us to reach more children, apart from raising the quality of education on Darüşşafaka”, says Öktem. “With this support, we could expand to Anatolia and accept students not only from metropolitan cities, but also from even the most remote part of our country. By support of Türkiye İş Bank, we have so far covered a distance in the path of becoming a mosaic of Turkey. In addition, we have also witnessed each member of the family of Türkiye İş Bank taking our students under his wing just like a member of Darüşşafaka “who has slept under its roof”, and feeling proud of their successes, and feeling badly about their sorrows, and serving willingly and sincerely for further enhancement of quality of education in our school. This great moral support is specifically valuable for us.”
Aca: “These great plane trees are just like a security blanket for me.”
Şeyhmus Aca (DŞ’2019), a full scholarship student in 3rd class in Koç University, Mechanical Engineering Department, pointed out the significance of cooperation between two distinguished organizations of our country, and continued to say: “This cooperation may be likened to two great plane trees intertwining their branches and creating a shadow under which many lovely days may be lived. I am from Mardin where it is broiling hot in summers, almost scorching your skin. You are lucky if only you can find a tree for taking shelter under its branches. No matter how scorching the sun is, the tree will shield you with its leaves. What I actually did was to take shelter under the branches of these large plane trees against difficulties and misfortunes of life. With the supports of Darüşşafaka and Türkiye İş Bank, aside from getting a top quality education, I had the opportunity to develop myself in a lot of different areas from arts to technology. Until they take root in earth and develop, saplings cannot resist excessive heat and therefore, are in need of shadow. Şeyhmus of 10 years ago was just one of those saplings. With the help of Darüşşafaka and İş Bank cooperation, he has so far taken his root in earth and is now endeavouring to create a shadow for other saplings. I have also taken part in many activities organized by Türkiye İş Bank during my education life in Darüşşafaka. No matter who from Darüşşafaka you ask, they will say that these activities were their favourite events in the school life. You witness a fascinating atmosphere in these activities where friends turn into brothers and sisters, and teachers into elder brothers and sisters. You know, just like the scenes of old Turkish movies where the whole neighbourhood comes together and goes to vivacious picnics, exactly that is the view that will be seen by a person looking at these activities at a distance.”
Karanfil: “I wish every child suffering the blows of misfortune has access to such a home.”
Elif Çağla Karanfil (DŞ’2018)
Elif Çağla Karanfil (DŞ’2018), a scholar of Türkiye İş Bank, continuing her education in 4th class of Istanbul University, Faculty of Dentistry, after graduating from Darüşşafaka, put her feelings about the project into words: “As I always say, ‘Fortunately, I am from Darüşşafaka!’ I wish every child suffering the blows of misfortune has access to such a home. With ’81 Students from 81 Provinces’ project, Türkiye İş Bank does not only help the dissemination of these nice feelings and hold the hands of more children, but also helps in training of secular, modern and pioneer young generations standing on their own legs for the future.” Continuing her university education as a scholar of Türkiye İş Bank, Karanfil adds: “If, in this great ocean I am traveling, I feel myself on board a strong and large ship, not on a small boat, it is because I am still feeling on my back the great supports of two deep-rooted organizations like Darüşşafaka and Türkiye İş Bank. If I can stand on my own legs without wanting for anybody, it is thanks to both moral and material supports of these two distinguished organizations.”
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