I’ve written about TIDER’s (Basic Needs Association) Support Project many times to explain it from different perspectives. I’d like to share it again to remind you of the series of articles entitled A balm for three wounds: The Support Project, in which I explained the importance of the support project and its benefits:
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/uc-yaraya-bir-merhem-destek-projesi-1
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/uc-yaraya-bir-merhem-destek-projesi-2
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/uc-yaraya-bir-merhem-destek-projesi-3
It’s not hard to believe that this support project could become a national, even global, phenomenon. We can already see the stirrings.
Last week, we were selected as a finalist for the grand prize to be presented at the Global Foodbanking Network event in Houston. No other food bank in the world integrates vocational training into its model like we do. We will do everything in our power to ensure this model becomes a model implemented globally, following Turkey. The presentation we will give in Houston in mid-March will be the first step in this direction.
Let’s finalize the budget for the second Support Market.
It’s only a matter of time before we open the second Support Market, a significant milestone in our support project, in Bağcılar, one of Istanbul’s most underserved districts. As you know, we ran our first fundraising campaign during the Istanbul Marathon. We raised approximately 120,000 TL in that campaign. Now, we’re organizing another campaign in Antalya to cover the Bağcılar Support Market’s budget deficit. I’ve participated in the Antalya Runatolia twice before. It’s one of the few races I’ve participated in so far that I’ve truly enjoyed. I’ve shared my thoughts on all the races I’ve participated in in a blog post.
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/kosudan-otesi
In this article, I commented on Runatolia:
The course is easy, you run 10 km on a flat road, and getting to Antalya is easy, and you don’t have to worry about accommodation or finding a decent restaurant. When I go running in Antalya, I return to Istanbul feeling refreshed.
In addition, I can say the following about Runatolia:
First and foremost, Antalya is a pleasant city. There are many things to do before and after the run. Second, I get to see many dear friends there. Third, as I mentioned, the course is flat and comfortable. You run effortlessly, accompanied by music, in a carnival atmosphere. Fourth, transportation is easy; you can quickly land in the city center on a single plane. Finally, it’s a great opportunity to escape Istanbul and unwind.
I’ve even written a special article about Runatolia:http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/runtalya-bir-kosunun-anatomisi
I’ll be running in Antalya next weekend. This time, it’ll be different. Last year, when I participated with the Swissotel Group, I saw and visited the NGOs there. I was very impressed with the scenery. I shared my experiences in Runatolia in the article below. I’d also like to share some of the images in these articles so you can visualize them:
http://www.serhansuzer.com/tr/sporcunun-zeki-cevik-ve-ahlaklisi
The Importance of Bağcılar
Last week, we, as TIDER, launched our campaign. We’re rolling up our sleeves for the second Support Market in Bağcılar. Everything is ready. God willing, we plan to open the second Support Market in Bağcılar, one of Istanbul’s most distressed areas, by June at the latest.
Just to give you an idea: while we helped 5,000 families in Maltepe, this number will rise to 100,000 in Bağcılar. While 10% of those we helped in Maltepe were Syrians, this figure will rise to 45% in Bağcılar. In fact, Bağcılar is one of the first places where Syrians settled when they arrived in Istanbul. Despite being situated on a smaller area compared to other districts, Bağcılar is one of the most populous districts in Istanbul. In fact, it has a larger population than many other provinces in Turkey. So, as you can see, the challenges are numerous. That’s why we chose Bağcılar. Because we know that if we establish this business there, we can be successful anywhere in Turkey.
Everything is ready for us to open the Support Market in Bağcılar. We’ve reached an agreement with the district governor’s office. We’ve reached an agreement with the retail chain from which we will supply the products. We’ve visited companies in the region that could donate to us or create business opportunities.
Market Location and Budget
We only have two remaining issues. One of them is finding a suitable location. Being physically located in the right location is crucial for serving those in need. It’s clear that our Support Market in Bağcılar, home to 20 times more people in need than Maltepe, will be crowded at all hours. To ensure the comfort of our employees and the complete delivery of the right service to those in need, our physical location must be easy to access (especially by public transportation) and large enough. Of course, other criteria we’re looking for include an earthquake-resistant building, a ground floor location, a separate product entrance, a large open space inside, and the ability to create a separate section for our Support HR professionals. Hopefully, we’ll find this location soon, sign the contract, and begin construction. We’ve set a deadline of early-April for this. The second shortcoming is the budget. Our budget is almost balanced. We have a small remaining deficit, which we want to fill with our Runatolia campaign. We’ve set a goal of 50,000 TL. We plan to reach 50 people. If we reach this goal, we won’t have any budget shortfalls. I’d like to share some photos taken at our Maltepe Support Market to help you visualize what the Support Market in Bağcılar will look like:
If you’d like to support our campaign, you can do so by visiting the link https://ipk.adimadim.org/kampanya/CC17456 and clicking the “Donate Online” section.
I’d also like to share our campaign video.
We’re running in memory of Murat Bakan
This run will have another special feature for us. We’ll be running in memory of our friend Murat Bakan, who passed away a few weeks ago after suffering a heart attack during one of Adım Adım‘s classic Belgrade training sessions. His loss has deeply affected us all. Although we, as TIDER, joined the Adım Adım family later in life, we developed close friendships. I met Murat Bakan in Florya during one of the promotional events we conducted on the Adım Adım platform for the Istanbul Marathon. Back then, we were all presenting together with AKUT. I’ve always had a fondness for AKUT since its founding. Over the years, as I got to know the staff and the hardworking people there, my fondness blossomed into love. After AKUT’s presentation that day in Florya, they gave us the floor. I began my remarks as follows:
We love AKUT and support them in every way. In fact, they complement each other. We see it this way: AKUT saves lives, TIDER stabilizes lives. After these words, Murat Bakan laughed his characteristic laugh, then smiled at me and said, “Let’s see.”
I also had the opportunity to chat after the presentations. He was a truly delightful person who radiated positive energy. It’s a great tragedy. I’m deeply saddened by his loss. May God have mercy on Murat and offer patience to all his loved ones. May he Rest in Peace.
The week after his passing, we trained in the Belgrade Forest, again with his picture on our chests, in his memory. We commemorated him together in the place where he lost his life. I’d like to share the photo taken before the Adım Adım training session with you:
Finally, I want to emphasize this: We will be inviting everyone who contributed to the second support market opening in Bağcılar. We will dedicate a corner of our Bağcılar Support Market to listing the names of our sponsors and donors. Everyone who has supported our campaigns will find their name in this corner. We want to honor everyone who honors us with their help.
On behalf of the entire TIDER team, I thank you in advance for your donations and all your support.
TIDER Team
Tag: economy
