The Izmir Metropolitan Municipality's Özdere 100th Year Youth and Sports Campus is hosting a meaningful event where social unity and obstacles are overcome. The "Journey to Goodness" themed scout camp brings together disabled scouts, their valuable families and non-disabled peers, creating a miniature example of the desired culture of living together in society. The scout camp, which has a rich content ranging from various creative workshops to fun sports activities, brings smiles to the faces of the participants.
There is Kindness in the Spirit of Scouting
The scouts, who continue their active work within the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, held a meaningful meeting in the peaceful atmosphere of Özdere. The camp themed “Journey to Goodness”, which strongly emphasizes the principle of “the art of raising good people”, which constitutes the essence of scouting, is the scene of colorful and warm images. The two-day camps organized on six different dates throughout April offer participants the opportunity to accumulate unforgettable memories. Within the unique dynamics of the camps, each “oba” (scout group) determines its own name and enthusiastic slogans and shares them with the camp participants. The scout marches and scout oath recited in unison reinforce the feelings of unity and solidarity. As part of the workshops, scouts both learn and have fun by participating in various activities such as mosaic making, handicrafts and ceramics, where they express their creativity. Among the sports activities of the camp, the racket sport pickleball offers participants the opportunity to experience a new sport. After various activities throughout the day at the camp, where the blue sea and lush green nature embrace, the scouts gather around the campfire, an indispensable part of the scouting tradition, and sing their enthusiastic marches together.
“We are building a new life together”
İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Disability Studies Branch Manager Tufan Fırat Göksel, who attended the camp, drew attention to the meaning and importance of the event and said, “Scout means doing good and our motto this year is Journey to Goodness. Here, we multiply and grow goodness. We were concerned with bringing people together for goodness and we had the chance to carry out these beautiful works with a team that was a remedy for this problem. İzmir Metropolitan Municipality became a means of social well-being by bringing together scouts from different disability groups and those without disabilities. We added ecological well-being to social well-being. Here, scouts had the opportunity to both rest and learn. The feedback we received was also very nice. We are constructing a new life together here.” Göksel’s words emphasize the deep meaning that the camp carries in terms of social integration and solidarity, beyond being just a fun event.
“We are developing the culture of living together”
Experienced Scout Leader Esin Akgür also emphasized the inclusive structure of the camp, stating that they carried out joint studies with scouts of all ages, both disabled and non-disabled, aged 4 and above. Noting that the two-day camps held on six separate dates this year offered a truly inclusive scouting experience with the participation of non-disabled scouts, Akgür said, “What we are actually doing is a small model of the life we aim for. By coming together, we create awareness in life and develop a culture of living together for the disabled and non-disabled, and we show an example of how this is done.” Akgür’s words show that the camp is a small reflection of the ideal future society model and offers an important life experience to the participants.
Emotional Shares from Participants
Güler Gezer, who attended the camp with her daughter Özlem Önen, emotionally expressed the positive changes that scouting has created in her daughter’s life. “My daughter was very introverted. When she started scouting, I saw a lot of change in Özlem. We enjoyed scouting a lot. My child developed here. We have been attending camps for 11 years and we are happy. My child is happy, I am happier. There is no way to describe this feeling,” said Gezer, emphasizing that scouting is not just an activity, but also a source of development and happiness. Özlem Önen stated that she loved scouting and enthusiastically described the various activities they did at the camp.
Scout Simay Demirezen also stated that she actively participated in social life thanks to scouting and that she had the opportunity to start working at the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Disabled Studies Branch Directorate. Demirezen said, “I used to not take photos, I started taking photos. He strikingly revealed the transformative effect of scouting on his life by saying, “I was able to speak in front of the crowd, stand on my own two feet and start a job thanks to scouting.”
Pelinsu Zambak, who has been participating in scouting camps and activities for seven years, said, “A lot has changed in my life with scouting. The friendships of different disability groups here have added a lot to us. I was previously weak in understanding a hearing-impaired or visually impaired friend. As I joined scouting, I saw their perspective and lifestyle. Over time, we got along, and this place started to have a different flavor. We never miss the camps. We participate in different activities here. I recommend scouting to everyone. Scouting has always had a special place for me,” and emphasized the value of the empathy, understanding and friendship bonds that scouting has given her. This meaningful camp proves, albeit on a small scale, that a world where disabled and non-disabled individuals can live together in harmony is possible, and gives hope to society.
