Hep Beraber
"Hep beraber" is Turkish for "all together." "All together" we worked to fund the Biga Women and Children Center. "All together" we will build the center in the summer of 2010 and help ensure a stronger, brighter future for local women and children.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
First Student at the Biga Women and Children's Center!
Another day, another milestone for the Biga Women and Children's Center! Things are moving quickly now...
Last week, I wrote with the great news that Canakkale Ceramics had committed to finishing the center exterior - a wonderful pledge from a great local company. Already this week, they sent personnel to the center and completed the work. See pictures of the painting process and beautiful finished product below! This professional exterior was exactly what the Bikad women had been hoping for - this kind of "finishing touch" is what will inspire good relations with their neighbors and respect in the community.
In November, the women started moving furniture into the center and collecting on promises of donated furniture from local businesses. This week, we see pictures of a largely furnished center. My personal favorites are the ones of their first registered student playing a game of blocks at one of the children's tables :)
This has been a great week at the Biga Women and Children's Center...in her email to me center leader Ayfer Baykal opened with "Sevgili Jill, bugun farkli bir mutluluk yasadik" - "Dear Jill, today we experienced a different kind of happiness." She was referring to the joy felt by the women when they registered their first student for the 5-6 year-old group. They will be registering three groups of students - 5-6, 3-4, and a younger nursery group. They hope to begin classes in about three weeks, approximately January 15th.
Our opening ceremony is on-hold until at least March and perhaps early this summer, depending on when I can make it over during a school break. We originally wanted to do it during my late-January break but the ground froze over before they could finish their garden work. I'll keep everyone up-to-date on this, in case you'll be in the neighborhood!
all my best and thanks for following,
Jill
1. The center's first student, ready to learn!
2. Center volunteers, including several from the Canakkale 18 Mart University:
Monday, December 20, 2010
A Year Later...
Saturday, December 4, 2010
1. Dogtas installations in the kitchen:
Friday, November 5, 2010
The Biga Center Being Used!
A very nice update from Biga this week. Ayfer Baykal wrote me to say that the center was used this week for a four-day training in which the center teachers and volunteers attended trainings given by a representative of KEDV/FSWW (the Foundation for the Support of Women's Work). Training topics included community registration, methods of creativity-based early childhood education, and course offerings that benefits families. I was excited to see pictures of the women using the space. Even as the final phases of the building process are still being completed, they are already getting to work and creating a community of support.
Ayfer Ablam also updated me on the building process: this week the ceiling covering was completed and the building hooked up to both water and gas lines. The yard has also been cleaned up and a fence has been constructed around it. This week work will continue on installing a central heating system, putting in the kitchen sink, laying down flooring, planting a garden, and connecting the building to electric lines. The next step after that is moving in!
This week the center volunteers will attend a KEDV conference in Ankara with other leaders from women and children's centers around Turkey. I'm looking forward to hearing about what they learn when they return home to Biga!
Thanks for following!
all my best,
Jill
1. Trainings in the center
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Work Continues in Biga, Inside and Out!
- The outside path, stairs and platform were donated by the Biga municipality.
- The electrical work was completed.
- The ceramic tiling in the kitchen and bathrooms was completed.
- The interior painting was completed
- Ordinances for connection to public water, natural gas and electricity have been filed.
- This week, the ceiling will be completed.
However, things have also been moving slowly due to some difficulties with getting local donors to follow through on their promises. The Bikad women had a really promising meeting with the Biga Chamber of Commerce and Industry, however, and are expecting some great support to come out of that relationship. They have promised their concrete financial support and a follow-up meeting on that front will happen this week.
Please feel free to email me with question and comments about the project...I love hearing from you and sharing this wonderful journey with the people who made it happen.
all my best,
Jill
1. Putting on a fresh coat of paint inside the center: