İzmir Chamber of Dentists (İZDO) launched a scholarship campaign for university students studying in dental faculties in İzmir and adversely affected by the earthquake.
İZDO Board Member Hüseyin Akarsu said that they took action to support students who had difficulties in their university education due to the earthquake that affected 11 provinces and caused significant loss of life and property.
Akarsu said, “As dentists from Izmir, we wanted to do something in the face of such an important disaster. With the strength we received from our members, we took action to contribute to the aid provided to the citizens in the earthquake area. Together with the Izmir Earthquake Coordination Group established by various NGOs in Izmir, we became involved in the aid organization for the earthquake region and the affected citizens. In addition, we stood by the aid campaigns and moves for earthquake victims and citizens carried out by the Turkish Dental Association, to which we are affiliated, and tried to contribute as much as we could.”
WE STARTED TO GIVE FIRST SCHOLARSHIPS
Hüseyin Akarsu, who also informed that the Earthquake Commission was established within the chamber, continued as follows: “As a result of the meetings with the İZDO Student Branch, the deans of the dental faculties, our chamber committees, the district representatives and many of our members taking part in the studies, the dentists are trying to reach the students studying at the faculties of dentistry and check their status. We set out to identify their needs. For this purpose, we have formed a working group under the name of 'Committee for Assistance with Earthquake Survived Students' within our chamber. In the commission consisting of 5 dentists and a dentistry student, including myself, we determined the students residing in the earthquake zone and studying in our city through the student body study. Out of the 140 students we contacted, we identified 57 students who were found to be in need after detailed interviews.”
Noting that they collect applications from dentists who want to give scholarships to students, Akarsu said, "We were able to ensure that our students enter March with the financial support provided by their future colleagues. We have ensured the continuity of this support by recording with our commission and the scholarship givers that the scholarship aid, which is determined in two different degrees, will continue until the last year of our students' school life. . In this way, the university education of students whose families have been harmed economically will be relieved financially.”
Hüseyin Akarsu stated that İZDO members provided financial and material aid to earthquake victims through institutions; Expressing that they also donated goods to the health personnel serving in the region, he added that measures should be taken as a country against similar disasters.