The “Trusts of Our Civilization: Orphans and Homeless Children” project, which was held at Istanbul Medeniyet University between April 14–17, 2025, was implemented with a comprehensive series of awareness activities aimed at increasing the social responsibility awareness of university students and strengthening social sensitivity towards orphan children. The activities of the project, which was carried out in cooperation with our University Social Academy Community, Science and Civilization Community (İLMET), Medeniyet Genç IHH Club and Leadership Community, were structured under four main headings: exhibition, panel, charity bazaar and solution pool competition.
The events organized within the scope of the project drew attention to the fact that orphanhood is not only the loss of a parent, but also a state of emotional and social deprivation. These events aimed to provide both material and moral support to children left alone as a result of wars, poverty, natural disasters and social collapses, and also to ensure that this issue is visible to the public.
As the first event within the scope of the project, exhibitions titled “See Exhibition” and “Dreams of Orphan Children” were presented to visitors on the ground floors of İMÜ Ziraat Bankası Library and North Campus B Block between April 14-17. The exhibition areas were equipped with visual materials that encouraged an empathetic approach to children’s imaginations and the difficulties they experienced. Then, handmade products and food prepared by students and volunteers were offered for sale at the bazaar held at the entrance of North Campus B Block between April 16-17, and the income was donated to orphan children through the Yetim Foundation.
The academic dimension of the project was implemented with a panel held at the Ziraat Bank Conference Hall on April 17, 2025. The panel moderated by İLMET and the Young IHH Club featured three expert speakers. Murat Yılmaz, President of the Orphan Foundation, touched upon the sociological dimensions of the concept in his speech titled “Orphanhood, Orphanhood and Social Orphanhood.” Clinical Psychologist Merve Özdenler (YEÇED) conveyed the psychological effects of being a child in a war-torn geography with her presentation titled “Being a Child in Palestine.” Lawyer Sümeyye Gökce raised awareness within the legal framework with her presentation titled “Orphanhood and Loneliness from a Children’s Rights Perspective.” The issue of orphanhood was comprehensively addressed in the panel from both academic and humanitarian perspectives.
The final stage of the series of events is the “Solution Pool Competition” planned to be held on May 15, 2025 at the Ziraat Bank Conference Hall of the Central Library, and students will be asked to produce projects for the determined social problems. Groups of 3-5 students participating in the competition will receive online training beforehand and their projects will be presented to the jury. Awards will be given to the three groups whose projects are found to be the most successful in the competition, and all participants will be presented with an e-participation certificate. In addition, it is aimed to implement at least one project to be implemented by the Yetim Foundation.
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