Turkish Biggest NGO [ Kimse Yok Mu] Chief Discloses Plans to Extend to Gambia


Date posted: February 28, 2014

ISTANBUL

The general secretary of Turkey’s biggest international humanitarian non-governmental organisation – Kimse Yok Mu, (a Turkish parlance meaning in English “isn’t there anyone”) has disclosed plans to extend the charity’s operations to The Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone amongst other West African countries.

Savas Metin was speaking Thursday to a delegation of African journalists during a presentation held at the humanitarian organisation’s head office in Sultanbeyli, the Anatolian side of Istanbul.

The organisation that has a total annual budget of US$300M for the last three years, according to Metin, is currently operating in 109 countries across the world. He informed that it has in the past engaged in providing help for the needy and giving out meat to Gambian communities, but added that they now want to help on a larger scale.

“We have helped orphans by providing meat supply to Gambia, Liberia, and Sierra Leone among others but we are hoping to extend our projects in these countries. We will do feasibility studies first and see what we can do. We also partner with governments and the different embassies that have an office in Turkey, and we act based on the information we get from them,” Metin added.

The organisation, he further indicated, has a total of 40 branches in Turkey employing at least 400 staff. He disclosed that the charity that started as a television programme after the Turkish earthquake in 1999 is now involved in humanitarian aid and the fight against inequality. Through its activities, he noted, the charity has installed water pumps and constructed schools and hospitals across several countries mostly in Africa.

“We are currently constructing four hospitals in four different countries -Somalia, Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia and each of these hospitals will have a social complex and a dormitory. We have already built 31 schools across the world and have performed over 17,000 cataract surgeries for free. This year, we are targeting 35,000 cataract surgeries. We also have another project in Pakistan where we built a whole town with 296 buildings and gave it to the beneficiaries,” he highlighted.

First NGO to respond to Typhoon Haiyan

Speaking further, Metin told the gathering that when Typhoon Haiyan erupted in Philippines on November 8th, his organisation swiftly responded two days later with a team of “professional doctors” to provide medical and humanitarian assistance to the victims.

According to him, the association has already commenced the construction of new houses that will be handed over to the beneficiaries once completed. He further disclosed that another project that the organisation has recently undertaken is to collaborate with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to provide credit and debit cards to 2900 families and 17,000 individual Syrian refuges. “We think human beings are very important and we want to help in any way we can and sometimes when I put myself in their situation, I know it can happen to anyone. We also have a lot of help from our volunteers because in Turkey alone, we have about 45,000 and 100 of them are involved in the Syria project,” he further added.

History of Kimse Yok Mu

According to General Secretary Metin, Kimse Yok Mu started as a television programme in Turkey after the 1999 Turkish earthquake. The word Kimse Yok Mu, he explained, translates to ‘isn’t there anyone’, coined from the word they used to provide assistance to victims. He added that in January 2002, things became bigger for them and that was the time when they started the NGO.

Metin disclosed that their main source of funding is from the Turkish community through promotional mobile calls and sms’ that fetched them over $3million dollars within three days during the Philippine disaster. He concluded by stating that they also partner with other business organisations that assist them financially.

Source: All Africa , February 28, 2014


Related News

Turkish schools building peace in Africa

The Young Kastamonu Businessmen Association members visited Mehmet Akif High School, one of the eleven Turkish schools in Morocco and had meetings with the members of the Turkish-Moroccan Businessmen Association. The KIAD (Kastamonu Businessmen Association) organized a business trip to Morocco and were greeted at Casablanca Airport with roses by the Moroccan businessmen. The Young […]

Gülen Movement has been used to undermine Ergenekon trial

‘Whenever new evidence surfaces related to Ergenekon, some people claim that that evidence was planted by Gülen sympathizers within the police force. This is quite unrealistic because important documents have been found in places where the police have never been able to access’ 5 February 2012 / YONCA POYRAZ DOĞAN, İSTANBUL A veteran journalist has […]

Said-i Nursi: An Ottoman Scholar in Turkish Republic

The saying goes as “The death of a wise man is like the death of the universe.” Those who can combine intellectual capacity with a purified spirit are like the enlightening candles of the world. As the Quran told us, among human beings only the wise men can have a true respect to Allah, because they are unprecedented examples of standing against cruelty, unswerving determination and constant struggle.

Erdoğan admits gov’t capitalized on coup attempt to pursue Gülen movement

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said during a speech in New York on Thursday that a failed coup attempt on July 15 presented him with opportunities that are not available in normal times.

Introducing the Gulen Movement: Prophet’s Path in the Twenty-first Century

Muzaffar K. Awan, M.D. The Prophet’s path being practiced and demonstrated by Hizmet global movement is certainly one of the best ways to minimize and eliminate ignorance through worldwide education, to narrowing the gap between the rich and poor again through education and charitable works. The wealth of the earth will have to be eventually […]

Turkish govt begins massive deportation of Nigerian students

The Turkish government is in a drive to deport all Nigerian students at universities linked to Fethullah Gulen’s Hizmet movement. Gulen is an Islamic cleric whom President Erdogan of Turkey considers as his strongest rival. After the botched July 15 coup, Erdogan launched a massive crackdown on the investments of Gulen’s followers. He blamed Gulen for the coup, but he has denied the allegation.

Latest News

Fethullah Gulen – man of education, peace and dialogue – passes away

Fethullah Gülen’s Condolence Message for South African Human Rights Defender Archbishop Desmond Tutu

Hizmet Movement Declares Core Values with Unified Voice

Ankara systematically tortures supporters of Gülen movement, Kurds, Turkey Tribunal rapporteurs say

Erdogan possessed by Pharaoh, Herod, Hitler spirits?

Devious Use of International Organizations to Persecute Dissidents Abroad: The Erdogan Case

A “Controlled Coup”: Erdogan’s Contribution to the Autocrats’ Playbook

Why is Turkey’s Erdogan persecuting the Gulen movement?

Purge-victim man sent back to prison over Gulen links despite stage 4 cancer diagnosis

In Case You Missed It

Fethullah Gulen challenges Erdogan, calls for international probe into Turkey coup allegations

Islamic scholar Gülen offers condolences for those killed in Dağlıca attack

TUSKON to sue dailies over disputed land reports

Turkey’s anti-Gulen crackdown continues with Yemeni students after Nigerians

Conference declares gov’t needs to be more active in preventing domestic violence

PM Erdoğan: Internet bill protesters are defenders of immorality

EastWest Institute honors Gülen with 2011 EWI Peace Building Award

Copyright 2025 Hizmet News