The Kyrgyzstan Part of the Experience Sharing Program Completed

The volunteer students who visited Kyrgyzstan under the Experience Sharing Program (ESP) 2022, supported by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), took part in the renovation works at Aydanek Orphanage.

The volunteer students who visited Kyrgyzstan under ESP 2022, supported by TİKA, had the chance to closely observe Türkiye’s activities in its ancestral homeland for a week. On the first day of the program, TİKA’s volunteers first visited TİKA’s Coordination Office in Bishkek and listened to the presentation given by Coordinator Osman Usta about the projects implemented. Prof. Dr. Alpaslan Ceylan, President of Kyrgyz-Turkish Manas University, welcomed the volunteers in his office.

“It is a great project that brings the two peoples closer together”

12 female volunteer students from different universities in Türkiye were welcomed by Özgür Erkan, Interim Deputy Head of Mission at the Turkish Embassy in Bishkek. Erkan thanked the students for visiting Kyrgyzstan as part of TİKA’s ESP. He said, “This is a great project that brings the two peoples closer together. I am proud of you for your volunteer activities. Erkan said that TİKA’s volunteers were strengthening the bridges of heart between the two countries, and that they were investing in the future of the two countries through the relations between young people.

The next stop was “Kyrgyzstan-Türkiye Friendship Hospital”

The next stop for the volunteers was “Kyrgyzstan-Türkiye Friendship Hospital,” which was built and equipped by TİKA and jointly operated by the Ministries of Health of Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan under the agreement between the two countries. At the hospital, Cardiovascular Surgeon and Chief Physician Dr. Hüseyin Ünsal Erçelik greeted the students and gave them information about the hospital. TİKA’s volunteers also visited the Maarif Educational Complex in Kyrgyzstan and listened attentively to the information given by Vice-Principal İbrahim Hakkı Boyacı.

Renovation Works at Aydanek Orphanage

At Aydanek Orphanage, which is located in Bishkek and hosts 45 children, TİKA’s volunteers painted the second and basement floors and the iron fence in the yard. After working intensively at the orphanage, the volunteers danced with children, while the orphanage staff played accordion. After the renovation works, the students had an unforgettable time at the picnic they organized at the foot of the Tian Shan with the children living in the orphanage.

The volunteers also learned about the iconic places in our ancestral homeland. They visited Burana, the first capital of the Karakhanids; Cholpon-Ata on the shore of the Lake Issyk-Kul; the Rukh Ordo Open-Air Museum; and Museum of Petroglyphs (Counting Stones). Then, they had a boat tour on the Lake Issyk-Kul.

The students were excited to visit Kyrgyzstan, our ancestral homeland

Kübra Sütçü, a senior student in the Department of Turkish Language and Literature at Selçuk University (SU) in Konya, stated that she was happy to visit Kyrgyzstan, our ancestral homeland, and thanked the institutions that contributed to the program. Sütçü noted that they visited cultural and historical sites to learn more about Kyrgyzstan and took part in the painting and renovation works at an orphanage.

Nisanur Bakan, a senior student in the Department of Psychological Counseling and Guidance at Ondokuz Mayıs University (OMU) in Samsun, stated that she has always wanted to visit Kyrgyzstan since she was little, and that she was excited and happy. Bakan said, “TİKA is renovating historical sites in many countries around the world. As volunteers, we will support TİKA’s project and build a bridge of hearts between Türkiye and Kyrgyzstan.”

Volunteers visited historical and cultural sites

The program ended after the volunteers’ visit to several sites in Bishkek, such as the House Museum of Chinghiz Aitmatov, a well-known author; the Ata Beyit Memorial Complex, the burial place of Chinghiz Aitmatov and soldiers who were martyred in 1916 and the Ala-Archa National Park; the Kyrgyzstan -Türkiye Chingiz Aitmatov Cultural Center, which is located at the National Library of Kyrgyzstan and was renovated by TİKA; the Central Imam Serahsi Mosque, which was built with the support of Türkiye Diyanet Foundation; Ataturk Park; and Victory Park, which was built to commemorate the soldiers who were martyred in the Second World War.

The “Experience Sharing Program 2022,” coordinated by TİKA, is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Türkiye, the Ministry of Youth and Sports of the Republic of Türkiye, Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), Turkish Airlines (THY), Anadolu Agency (AA), Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT), and Türkiye Youth Foundation.