Turkey Grantee Visits by EMpower Board

EMpower held 2 grantee visits in Istanbul, Turkey during the IMF/World Bank meetings, with ACEV (the Mother-Child Foundation) and the Youth Studies Unit. Several Board members attended the ACEV meeting: Rafael Biosse Duplan, Kay Haigh and Ozan Tarman from the UK Board; and George Estes from the US Board. Here is George Estes’, of GMO, account:

"During the recent IMF Annual Meetings I had the opportunity to visit one of EMpower's grantees along with a couple of other supporters. ACEV offers literacy courses for women in different parts of Turkey, and EMpower funds a pilot program in Anatolia that concentrates on young women. We were very impressed with both the enthusiasm and professionalism of the staff. They are part of the Husnu M. Ozyegin Foundation, started by Turkish businessman, Husnu M. Ozyegin, whom I had met the day before. He shares our goal of giving back to the community. Even more inspiring was the chance to meet volunteer literacy teachers from the Istanbul program and two of the students. The students have overcome social and family obstacles to gain skills that will help them live more active and fulfilling lives. It was rewarding to see at first hand the impact of our work in a country where young women are held back by lack of access to the most basic level of education." George Estes, GMO

During the visit, EMpower staff and Board members met with two young women who had just gone through ACEV's 10-week literacy training program which, in their words, changed their lives!

Zanfe Ozdemir is a 25 year old woman, married since she was 16 with 5 children. She never had any formal education and did not know how to read or write. When her youngest was old enough to go to school, she sought out ACEV to learn how to read so she could become more independent. She now can take care of the household finances and feels empowered to speak with authority to vendors and others she encounters in her daily life. Her husband is very supportive of her continuing education.

Sevil Gezer is a 15 year old girl who had spent her life caring for her younger siblings since her father is in jail and her mother has had to leave the household to earn a living for the family. She had never been in a classroom. After ACEV's literacy program, she described feeling that her whole life has opened up for her. Her goal, as we discovered, is to become a legal secretary. UK Board member Ozan Tarman, a Turkish native, immediately called one of his friends at a law firm in Istanbul. Ozan and he will now plan, with the help of ACEV, a multi-year program so that Sevil Gezer can fulfill her dream!

EMpower has supported ACEV's functional literacy program since 2007. In the last EMpower grant, ACEV surpassed its projected results: 1,290 participants received literacy training, against the projected 1,020, and 62 literacy courses were conducted rather than the proposed 60. Discussions with the young women showed how important this training has been in their lives, enabling them to conduct their daily affairs with a greater understanding of the world around them, as well as with more competency and agency. It has also given them knowledge of their fundamental rights under Turkish law--for example, to own property, to inherit, to elect to marry or not--all news to most of them.