In the Diyarbakır provinces of Silvan and Kulp, 25 Dutch students are helping to make
repairs to three village schools.



Some of the Dutch students who are helping to make repairs in Silvan, admitted that their introduction to Turkish culture was a little hard at first.
After a Silvan-born Turk, Mustafa Mermi, had his repair project proposal for Silvan's Taşpınar Village Primary School accepted at Rotterdam's ROC Albeda College,
a regional education center, 25 students from the Netherlands arrived in Silvan. The students,

following the proposals made in Mermi's project, began repairs on the school.Silvan Provincial Governor Veysel Beyru said he found it very meaningful that the group of Dutch students had come to his region to help school repairs: “We are hosting these students. They will help repair the school here for 15 days and will help repair two schools in Silvan, and one in Kulp. We are prepared to offer full support for this project, in the name of youth tourism, meeting young people from other countries, having a different culture be promoted and increasing the tradition of tolerance. We hope that they will leave with good memories. The fact that Dutch students are helping with the repair of our schools is a wonderful example.”

As for project mastermind Mermi, he has lived in the Netherlands for the past 40 years, and directs an educational center there. He commented: “I proposed this project in order to be able to contribute to my homeland. This is my father’s village. We arrived here with a group of 25 students being educated at college in the Netherlands. We have also overseen the donation of 18 computers from the college and I also gave [a further] 15 computers. We will set up an Internet connection here as well and in this way the students in the village can have direct contact with the Dutch students. Our goal is to increase and support friendship, cooperation and the quality of education.”

Deputy Director of ROC Albeda College Cor Flach said that the preparations for this project began nine months ago, and that they hoped to gain insight into the Turkish education system from up close while in Turkey and to help in the development of the students. “Our students are here to view the Turkish education system up close and to do some training work. We have laid a foundation here. In order for this foundation to develop we need to be in constant contact. We have come to develop friendship ties. By bringing our students here we also wanted to show them how and under what sort of conditions education can and does take place. When Turkey enters the EU we hope our friendship will increase: This is just a start, in the future we think we can form even better friendships,” he said.

Some of the Dutch students admitted that their introduction to Turkish culture was a little hard at first. They said that warmed up quickly though, as the villagers had been very kind to them. One said: “We are very happy now. It is great that people are so warm-blooded and hospitable. Our goal in coming here has been to build a good school and future for the children. We are here for the happy laughter of the kids.”

The Dutch students, taking brief breaks from their work on the village school, have already had the chance to participate in a village wedding, dancing traditional dances with the villagers, and eating from a typical “ground banquet.” While working on sandpapering the swings in the yard and scraping old paint from the walls of the school buildings the Dutch students have also set aside generous time to play with the village children.

12.05.2007

Today’s Zaman Silvan
http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web/detaylar.do?load=detay&link=111019

I think that in some time there will be an article of this project in 'Albeda news'. If so, I will post it.

Happy to read this.

That is wonderful. It's to sad to hear that some children don't hava a chance to go to school because of lack of facilities and teachers. Inşallah it will be a success