BY BARIŞ SEVİ (PSYC/IV)
The Social Awareness Projects (TDP/Toplumsal Duyarlılık Projeleri) student organization held its opening meetings/receptions for the new semester last week, on September 17 on East Campus and September 18 on Main Campus. TDP welcomed new members and introduced them to the group’s ongoing volunteer projects. This year’s crowd was much larger than usual, with new members numbering nearly 350.
TDP has conducted community service activities for 15 years, in line with its motto, “What about being part of the solution, instead of the problem?” TDP was founded after the Marmara earthquake in 1999, with the objective of providing help to victims of the quake. Later, TDP started its first ongoing project, the Voluntary Teaching Project (Gönüllü Eğitim Projesi), in order to help educate children from underdeveloped neighborhoods in Ankara.
Currently, TDP has 15 projects, a new pilot project, and 2 organizational resource groups in which new volunteers, too, can participate this semester. These are: the Voluntary Teaching Project (Gönüllü Eğitim Projesi); the Children’s Protective Institution Project (Yarınları Yetiştirme Projesi); the Nursing Homes Project (Manevi Evlat Projesi); the Sun Rises From the Village Project (Güneş Köyden Doğuyor); the Education for the Blind Project (Görme Engelliler Eğitim Projesi); the Railway Line Support Project (Demiryolu Hattı Destek Projesi); Hearts: 1, Leukemia: 0 (Kalpler: 1 Lösemi: 0); the International Project Group (Uluslararası Proje Grubu); the Young Vision Project (Genç Bakış Projesi); the Citizens of Hope Project (Umudun Yurttaşları Projesi); the Friendships Without Disabilities Project (Engelsiz Dostluklar Projesi); the University Personnel Support Project (Üniversite Personeline Destek Projesi); the Street Lamp Project (Sokak Lambası Projesi); the Computer Training Project (Bilgisayar Eğitim Projesi); the Youth Band (Gençlik Kumpanyası); the pilot project, the Middle School Guidance Project (Ortaokullara Rehberlik Projesi); TDP Nature (TDP Doğa); and the TDP Institutional Department (TDP Kurumsal İşler).
Büşra Güner, one of TDP’s general coordinators, notes that the organization welcomes all who wish to volunteer. “Anyone who wants to make a difference in their society and environment can join, regardless of their major or faculty. Also, TDP is a volunteer-based organization, so people who study in different schools and even non-students can participate in projects. We always need more volunteers to reach more people who need our attention.”
If you want to be part of the solution, you can contact tdp@bilkent.edu.tr.