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Letters from our KIDS Bridges of Hope Project Fundrasing Cocktail
Please join us for a toast to the brilliant work of the Bridges of Hope Project (BOHP), a dynamic non-profit organization we support. The mission of the BOHP is to give hope and to create opportunity to Turkish and Turkish American children and youth to pursue their education and realize their potential.

What is BOHP?

  • BOHP was incorporated in November 2005
  • BOHP was granted 501c3 status in September 2006
  • Our aim is to support educational projects for children in underdeveloped regions of Turkey, to instill in children the desire to read, learn and inspire them to pursue scientific and literary disciplines
  • To promote self-confidence and increase children's hope for their future
  • Currently, BOHP accomplishes this goal by funding libraries and game rooms at Elementary Level Public Schools (IÖO) and Rural Public Boarding Schools (YIBO) throughout Turkey
  • Our current Project Partner in Turkey is ILKYAR, a 501c3 equivalent Turkish non - profit organization (Vakif). We have selected ILKYAR based on its over 10 year track record, reputation, and the fact that it operates without overhead expenses by volunteers just like BOHP
 

Why BOHP?

  • Education is one of the most pressing social needs in Turkey
  • In Turkey 1 library per 50,000 people, in Germany 1 library per 7,000 people
  • 21 percent of children in Turkey are illiterate and 29.7 percent of female children are not in school
  • One in 5 women in Turkey is illiterate
  • In England (pop 65mil) 110,965 books were published in 1999
  • In Turkey (pop 76mil) 2,920 books were published in 1999
  • In England there were 21,849 Libraries (1999), in Turkey 1,292 (1999)
  • Insufficient funds and resources available at schools are a major contributor to the non-enrollment and drop-out problem

Activities

Established 27 libraries in Elementary Level Public Schools and Rural Public Boarding Schools

  • Corum: Mecitozu
  • Tokat: Amus (2), Turhal, Zile
  • Cankiri: Kursunlu
  • Kastamonu: Tosya
  • Denizli: Kale
  • Amasya: Goynucek
  • Mersin: Gulnar, Tarsus, Anamur
  • Samsun: Kavak (2)
         
  • Sinop: Duragan
  • Diyarbakir: Kulp
  • Agri: Merkez, Hamur
  • Bingol: Yedisu, Merkez, Adakli
  • Erzurum: Karayazi, Hinis
  • Adiyaman: Merkez, Celikhan
  • Tokat: Yesilyurt

Objectives

  • Open over 30 libraries during 2009-2010
  • Organize at least 2 fundraising events during fiscal year 2009
  • Collaborate with other US and Turkish-American organizations, foundations and non-profits with the aim of fundraising and friend raising.
  • Develop ideas for inspiring YIBO teachers and providing them continuing education   opportunities and resources, especially in state-of the-art teaching methods designed to empower students
  • Provide resources and guidance to promote the education of girls at YIBOs and beyond
  • Develop a Board of Advisers for BOHP
  • Revise our By-Laws to empower BOHP to provide scholarships for secondary school    education and beyond to selected students

What can YOU do?

  • You can help the bright-eyed children of  Turkey with your generous donations
  • You can help completely refurbish one or more YIBOs throughout Turkey
  • You can help us build libraries at one or more YIBOs throughout Turkey
  • You can support BOHP in defraying our costs since all monies raised are fully disbursed to our grantee beneficiaries
  • You can donate goods, services, etc. for our silent auctions
  • You can include a link on your corporate website to the BOHP website to help spread the word
  • You can donate to BOHP on behalf of your selected clients as a Christmas/New Year Gift
  • This is a method of giving which is increasingly being used by companies to create social awareness and inspire your clients with your own corporate generosity
  • You can join BOHP as a volunteer.  Our volunteers are everything. Without you we are nothing.