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Gülistan Özdemir, Yeşim Koloğlu, Ercan Çoşkun, Kenan Arslan and Çetin Eren. Five individuals.
Five individuals who were admitted
to university overcoming numerous difficulties.
While pursuing their degrees at Boğaziçi University,
they never forgot about those who did not gain admission.
They put themselves in place of students who did not have the financial means
to prepare for the university entrance exam, who had to work and study
at the same time, and who lacked equal access to education. And they decided to take action.
Instead of convincing themselves that they cannot change the entire system
on their own and remaining silent, they began to offer courses
free of charge to students preparing for the university entrance exam.
Upon facing difficulties reaching students, they began to visit
local organizations in different districts.
The decision they made to initiate this project on a morning in May
lit up the lives of students in need, just like the spring sun.
This is how, in 2002,
the "Life in May Cooperative" was founded in a neighborhood
called "May 1st" in of Istanbul's Ümraniye District.
The mission of these five idealist students
was to provide students in need with hope for a better education.
- The Cooperative was founded mainly to reach and provide solutions to youth
who are excluded not provided an effective education.
Most of our students have financial difficulties,
are underprivileged,
and therefore most of them have to help their parents with the household income.
This is why they must work while studying.
Due to long work hours, they cannot find the time to go to school
or to study after school hours.
This is the reason why most of them cannot succeed
in the university entrance exam.
Starting only with a pencil and an eraser in 2002, they came a long way in the past 10 years.
Today, they are offering courses in four districts of Istanbul;
Sultanbeyli, Yenibosna, Tuzla and the May 1st neighborhood of Atasehir.
Their offer support to all who wish to pursue a university degree,
to those working in textile workshops and finishing high school from home
through open courses, and others having difficulties
with their classes and are in need of help.
- We place students attending our Cooperative in study groups.
These groups are formed of 4 to 5 students who have similar backgrounds
and goals, and a similar pace of learning.
The members of these groups have a shared responsibility;
they help each other overcome difficulties within courses,
and provide each other with resources and information.
Thereby, they succeed through monitoring
each other's progress and assuming collective responsibility.
The way this Cooperative operates is much different than a traditional educational institution.
This is not a hierarchical organization;
students and teachers at the Cooperative have an equal right to speak.
The Cooperative currently has a total number of 50 teachers and 200 students in four districts.
Since they began, they have worked with nearly 1.000 students and 200 teachers.
Our former students who are now in university
usually come back to the Cooperative to teach.
All members who believe in and want to help the Cooperative's cause
contribute 15 Turkish Liras each.
This fee is paid by everyone, and all members pay the same amount.
This fee helps us cover the Cooperative's costs.
We have to pay for electricity, water, rent and taxes.
They witnessed the power of knowledge.
They took on a mission to help those who are less fortunate than them.
The believed that the most correct formula
for a better education was cooperation, not competition.
Through their work, they made an everlasting difference in the lives of thousands of students.