The Independent Industrialists and Businessmen Association (MÜSİAD) held a groundbreaking ceremony for a Children's Homes Complex in Kahramanmaraş together with the Ministry of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye.
Our citizens living abroad, who deeply felt the effects of the major earthquake that struck our country on 6 February and who financed the first Container Hospital in Hatay, also lent their support and took an important step for our children, the guarantee of the future. Within the scope of the project, they came together to build a warm home that will shelter 80 orphaned girls.
MÜSİAD Karlsruhe, MÜSİAD Belgium and MÜSİAD Austria, which supported the project, and Mustafa Demir, the previous-term President of MÜSİAD United Kingdom, were among those that contributed to this important step.
We Have a Great Responsibility Towards the Children of Our Country
In her speech at the groundbreaking ceremony, Minister of Family and Social Services of the Republic of Türkiye Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş expressed that they feel a great responsibility towards the children in the earthquake zone.
In her speech Minister Göktaş said: “We have laid the foundation of our Kahramanmaraş Önsen Children’s Homes Complex, where our children under the protection of our state will be prepared in a safe environment for a future as healthy individuals. May it be auspicious for all our little ones, who are the apple of our eye.
We have a great responsibility towards the beautiful children of our country and of our Kahramanmaraş. We will continue to shape our social service policies by observing their best interests,” she said.
MÜSİAD Vice President Davut Altunbaş, for his part, emphasized MÜSİAD’s aid in the earthquake zone and said that they have been working actively in the region from the very first moment of the earthquake.
Altunbaş said: “As MÜSİAD, we have been in the region with all our organizations from the very first moment of the earthquake. With all our branches at home and abroad, we are doing our utmost for the development of the region. Praise be to God, with the understanding of “One and Together”, each of our members put their shoulder to the wheel and supported their brother in need. We had aimed to raise our cities again hand in hand, in full coordination with our state and the relevant ministries. Thanks be to God, as we leave behind the first year of the earthquake, we see that many good works have been done.
From the very first day, we sent more than 3,000 trucks carrying food, provisions and beverages to the region. We swiftly transported many necessities to the region, and we continue this work in a coordinated manner at the local level as well. In the 750-square-metre event tent we set up in Kahramanmaraş with the support of our members, the MÜSİAD Soup Kitchen was serving three hot meals a day to 10,000 people. After a while we handed this facility over to the Kahramanmaraş Metropolitan Municipality. In addition, the soup kitchens and mobile kitchens established with the contributions of our members served our citizens in the provinces affected by the disaster.
Together we completed our container living cities of 1,200 units in Kahramanmaraş Elbistan and 677 units in the K-6 area of Adıyaman. At the same time, we established a field hospital in Hatay Defne and began serving our citizens. In this process, we took steps regarding the situation of our members in the disaster area and for the re-establishment of commercial life in the provinces affected by the earthquake. We continuously designed and implemented new campaigns and new projects so that the regional economy could get back on its feet. Our MÜSİAD Qard al-Hasan Fund initiative launched the Qard al-Hasan practice, which means lending to our businessmen in need without interest, for the sake of God. To date, we have supported 47 businessmen by providing interest-free loans or social assistance amounting to TRY 17 million with terms of 6-8 months. With our member matching system, we made it easier for our earthquake-stricken business people to re-enter commercial life. Praise be to God, working as one and together with our state and our nation, we have striven to heal our wounds. And now, with the contributions of our Ministry and our International Branches, we have begun the construction of this children’s home. We will continue these efforts and we will rise again all together,” Altunbaş said.
The Orphanage Will Host Girls
MÜSİAD Karlsruhe President Kamil Manzak, for his part, said in his speech: “Come, let us all together not leave our orphans orphaned. Let us be a warm home for our girls, let us raise them in the best way and always see happiness on their faces. Together, let us raise blessed and happy generations for our homeland and our nation. Let us not forget that our Prophet said in one of his hadiths: "I and the one who cares for an orphan will be side by side in Paradise".” May my Lord never again let such disasters befall our homeland; may He protect our country and our nation against enemies within and without. May He give strength and power to our heroic soldiers and to all our security forces. On this blessed day of Ramadan, may He protect all Muslims and all those under oppression, foremost our brothers and sisters in faith in Gaza, and may He grant us always to stand by our homeland, our country, our nation and our orphans.”
İdris Demirhan, Mustafa Demir, Hayri Apaydın, Oktay Koçaslan, İlkan Cengiz, Burhan Sağlam and Nebi Alp, who were among the speakers, emphasized the importance of love of country and expressed the necessity of standing by orphans.
The speakers, who also wished the new Mayor Fırat Görgel success in his duty, stated that they expect material and moral support for the children’s new home to continue.
