Just before Christmas Oznur (Angel) at the Nil Bar introduced Pete and myself to a retired Turkish gentleman Yaşar Erkimen and his lovely wife Arzui who had recently moved to Calis from Istanbul. Yaşar told us about his dream to start a small English learning Centre to give free extra tuition to the poorer youngsters in the Gunlukbasi/Catalarik area to help them improve both their English reading and speaking skills in order for them to find work more easily, particularly in the local tourism industry, and to have a better start in life. These children, some of whom are bright but whose parents are unable to afford to pay for extra tuition for them, would be able to attend the learning centre outside of their normal school hours. They hoped to begin by helping 10 children but eventually they hope that this will increase to 40 or 50 children.
The kind-hearted couple who had moved into an apartment near to the “old men’s corner” close to the wedding circle in the Gunlukbasi area of Calis, had already taken the first step to fulfilling Yaşar’s dream by renting the empty shop and apartment on the ground floor of their building which they saw as an ideal location for the learning centre and which they were funding from their own pocket
The premises needed a lot of work and redecoration to make it suitable for the purpose but Yaşar was willing to do all of the work himself but he did need help with equipping it with furniture and books. Oznur suggested he ask the 3C’s if they were able to help in any way.
The 3C’s committee felt that this was a very worthwhile project which could really benefit the local youngsters and agreed to help if they could, but first the centre needed the approval of the Director of Education and Governor of Fethiye. After meetings between FETAV, the Milliegitim (Director of Education) Yaşar and the charity, the project was finally approved and the 3Cs agreed to purchase new desks, chairs and whiteboards for the centre as well as committing to pay the rent on the premises for the first year, whilst it became established.
Yaşar got busy cleaning and painting and last week the new desks and chairs and coat stands were delivered for the two finished classrooms and the whiteboards are arriving this week. A second-hand television was kindly donated to the centre by a 3C’s supporter and the 3C’s have provided a donated DVD player. English language DVDs and some English reading books which had been dropped off at the 3C’s charity shop have also been passed on to the centre and have become the start of a small reading library. We are now looking for some colourful pictures to brighten up the walls
Yaşar and Arzui with some of the 3C's committee in one of the new classrooms
The new desks in the main classroom (Kevin of the 3C's)
The centre is slowly taking shape and will soon be ready to open. As well as the two completed classrooms, there is a small kitchen, bathroom and a further room at the rear of the premises which when decorated, will eventually become a third classroom/ reading room. Yaşar eventually sees the centre, not only as a place of learning, but as “drop in” centre where the youngsters can drop in for a drink and a chat as well as borrow a book from the library.
Kitchen
rear of building still to be got ready
Still to be done - potential third classroom or reading/relaxation room
A Turkish teacher of English will be helping Yaşar and his wife out at the centre in her spare time, but Yaşar would dearly love for some of the local English community to get involved and help by sitting and talking to the children for an hour or two a week so that they get a chance to practice their English.
If you are interested in helping, please can you PM me and I will pass on your contact details to Yaşar for when the centre is operational. Also, as many of you are aware, we are appealing for English story books for the centre, suitable for age 6 years and upwards, so if anyone is able to bring a couple out in their suitcase when they come out on holiday, that would be great. They do not have to be new so long as they are in good condition and they will certainly help to build up the library.
The beginnings of the library
