Living Safai Undergraduate Scholarships

I was born in Midyat district of Mardin. My father was an uninsured construction worker, and my mother was a housewife. Since most of my siblings were in school and no one else in the house besides my father brought in money, my siblings and I worked during summer vacations to earn our school expenses. I attended formal education until the 10th grade, but due to my family's limited financial resources, I had to leave school at the end of the 10th grade. After leaving school, I worked and saved money for about a year because I wanted to become a mechanical engineer and needed the money for that. At the end of that year, I started preparing for the university entrance exam through distance learning and, after a challenging process, I passed the exam. Now I am a mechanical engineering student at Yıldız Technical University. My goal is to become a good engineer and contribute to my country, especially to support students who are trying to study under difficult conditions, both financially and morally.

Sincerely,

I am the second child in a family of seven. Having many siblings is wonderful, but we paid the price for this joy by playing with the same toy for six hours at a time, dividing our allowance into seven parts, and not seeing our father for months at a time. I had to leave behind many things I should have experienced in my childhood and grow up. I have been living in a boarding school since middle school. The boarding school taught me belief, patience, how to make ends meet, how to stand on my own two feet, and that life doesn't spare anyone. Currently, I am studying preschool education. In the future, I will do my best to ensure that no child looks back with sadness as they grow up.

“If you truly want something, the whole universe conspires to make it happen.” While on my path to realizing my dreams, I found the fulfillment of this beautiful quote from the book "The Alchemist" in the EGET Foundation, which supported me both materially and spiritually.

I am grateful to the EGET Foundation.

My mother was able to divorce my father when I was 3 years old due to the psychological and physical abuse and severe incompatibility caused by his alcoholism. Because of this, we moved in with my grandmother and grandfather. My mother did everything she could and educated me through high school on her own. My father provided no financial or emotional support. On the contrary, he would psychologically abuse me whenever he had the chance. Despite this, due to the societal stigma of being a "widow," my mother was forced to reunite with my father. During this time, my father opened a restaurant, went bankrupt, and caused my mother to lose her job. He made my mother and then me work for years. In my senior year of high school, I got accepted to university, but my father said he could use the money he would have given me to open another restaurant and made it clear he wouldn't let me continue my education. As the restaurant earned more, the problems escalated. It was revealed that my father had cheated on my mother. We returned to my grandparents' house. When he left, he said, "The money is with me; if you leave, you will be poor," and as he said, he provided neither financial nor emotional support.

Amidst these severe psychological and economic difficulties, I worked very hard to stand on my own two feet and earned a 100% scholarship to university. However, due to all these negative circumstances, I transferred to another university, working hard and maintaining high grades so I could be closer to my family. Now, as a family of four – my grandmother, grandfather, my mother, and myself – we are trying to make ends meet with my grandfather's single pension. During this difficult period, the EGET Foundation accepted my application. Thanks to this, we were able to breathe a sigh of relief. The moment I learned I was accepted was an indescribable joy. I am eternally grateful to the EGET Foundation and I am happy and honored to be a member of the EGET Foundation after graduation.

At 14, I lost my father, who, despite financial difficulties, prioritized my and my siblings' education. I was in eighth grade at the time and preparing for the high school entrance exam. I didn't achieve the results I wanted, and I couldn't fully enjoy my high school years. However, by my senior year, I was aware of the promise I'd made to my late father – to become a good doctor for everyone, the field I dreamed of. Even though I thought I was late at the time, I put aside negative thoughts and focused entirely on my studies.

I didn't get the results I wanted in the first two years, but I never lost faith in my ability to get into medical school and continued preparing. Finally, on my last exam, I managed to get the score needed to get into medical school and enrolled in my dream program.

The KYK scholarship I received at university wasn't enough to cover my expenses. So, I spent the summers working various jobs. Although the money I earned didn't fully cover my university expenses, the EGET Foundation provided me with significant support this year. Starting a new job and adapting quickly was sometimes challenging. Although the reactions I received were discouraging, working gave me the opportunity to meet different people and to expand my goals even further.

I feel very fortunate to have met the EGET family this year. Thank you so much for everything.

I was born in March 1999 in a village in Ağrı. I was the first child and first grandchild of the family. This allowed me to be treated with more respect and love throughout my life.

When it was said that girls were not valued much in the eastern regions, I thought it was absurd, perhaps because my family, contrary to this saying, valued and cared for me immensely. Over time, from the situations I witnessed around me, from many of my friends being taken out of school and married off in exchange for the ridiculous thing called bride price, I understood why this saying was used.

Until I was three years old, everything in my life was normal. At the age of three, my family noticed an eye condition that would perhaps lead me to discover all the eye drops. Because of my eye condition, I spent three years in hospitals in Istanbul. I attended primary and secondary school at the school in my village.

At fourteen, I started at Türk Telekom Ağrı Social Sciences High School, one of the best high schools in Ağrı. Since the school was quite far from my home, I had to stay in the school dormitory. Although it was a difficult period, it taught me a lot about friendship and self-reliance.

In high school, I studied a foreign language and took the exam accordingly. My goal was to become an English teacher. However, I couldn't teach a foreign language to individuals who couldn't use their native language correctly. So, with the aim of educating these individuals from the ground up, I decided to become a classroom teacher. I didn't have the necessary knowledge of mathematics and literature for the equal weight section. I studied regularly to do my best. Three months before the exam, I learned that my eye condition had worsened due to studying too much. I already had 100% vision loss in my left eye, and the fear of losing my other eye as well drove me into depression. I was referred to Ankara, where the necessary precautions were taken, but my right eye now had 50% vision. I should be thankful for that too. Despite all these problems, I got a good result on the exam and got accepted into the department I wanted at Dokuz Eylül University in Izmir. My only goal now is to graduate successfully from university and become a good and beneficial teacher for my country, my nation, and the young children I will guide.

Achieving this goal didn't seem easy. I grew up in a city like Ağrı, a city of hardship. My father did his best to support us, but unfortunately, we didn't have any savings for university. It wasn't just me; another sibling was also going to university, and another was in high school. My father was responsible for supporting a family of seven. To avoid being a burden on my father, I started looking for scholarships. I came across the EGET Foundation and did detailed research about it. I thought to myself, this must be the most productive and beneficial opportunity I've found in my scholarship research. After graduation, I would be a source of hope for other students. What more could a prospective teacher want! I immediately applied and was very happy when I learned that I had been awarded the scholarship. I am currently still receiving the scholarship from the foundation. I am grateful to those who provided this scholarship, which made my education easier, and to the EGET Foundation for facilitating it. I wish this esteemed foundation, which has brought joy to hundreds of people, continued success…

I am the first child of parents who are middle school graduates. I reached my current position through difficult paths, but no success is solely individual. The place where I was born and raised was a small town deprived of many opportunities, inhabited by people struggling to be self-sufficient. Unlike many, my family and teachers always strived for education. The influence of these valuable people is present in my life, my ideas, and all my achievements, which is why I have always felt fortunate.

While difficulties always exist, there will always be someone who will give us hope. A small touch can grow into a huge miracle. The EGET Foundation gave me hope during my difficult times. They lightened the burden for both me and my family. When I met the EGET Foundation, their work and mission filled me with hope. To create miracles and be a source of hope for others in the future…

I thank the EGET Foundation, above all for accepting me into this family.

I don't really know where to begin, but I've always imagined how I would continue.

I was the only boy in a family of seven children. My siblings and I struggled to make ends meet. My father was constantly away working. Years passed one after another while my grandfather looked after me during his time away. At first, I didn't realize it, but over time I understood how much my father valued my education. For example, sadly, because I couldn't afford books, my father would erase the pages of books he got from the neighbor's children and give them to me so I could understand them. It's interesting, but it also feels incredibly valuable remembering it now.

Actually, I can't say I understood the value of reading when I was little. My father clearly saw something in me because he worked so hard for my education. When I got into a very good high school, my home life turned into a dorm. There was a belief that those who graduated from our high school should go on to achieve great things. I followed that belief. While I was dreaming about the future, summer would arrive, and I would always work in construction during the summer months. It felt like my dreams were being stifled. Still, working with my father in construction was a lot of fun. It felt like it wouldn't be the last job I'd work with him. I can't say I fully understand what it means to lose a father. But I have learned a few things. Understanding the foundation of how to support my family and how much he dedicated himself to my education. My father was very successful in the village when he was young, and after elementary school, his teacher asked my grandfather to take him to the city. My grandfather refused, using the excuse of being a shepherd. It's a classic scenario, but it stuck with my father.

I always wanted to be a prosecutor, but my father had a dream of becoming a doctor, a dream he harbored since those days. Of course, I only learned this after he passed away. Circumstances forced me to pursue a career as a doctor. After graduating, I prepared for the exam and made becoming a doctor the only option for all my dreams. To be honest, I didn't think I could succeed or support my family. How long could I keep working in the summers and attending school in the winters? I wasn't sure because I really felt like I was at rock bottom.

When I entered university, the difficulties continued one after another. During this time, I got to know the EGET Foundation. But describing this place as a foundation feels like trivializing the system. The fact that they established the foundation, that their work is unique, and that they do it so calmly, as if it were the most normal thing in the world, always drew me in. I tried to see every detail, starting from the foundation's headquarters. If anything is going to hold a place in my life, I sincerely hope it will be this foundation. Thank you for all the good things they have done and will do.

Yet, looking back now, there was also a beautiful side to having experienced it all. Our path may be long, but along the way, even if we don't realize it, there will always be people helping us. At this point, I'm very close to becoming a doctor, and it really wasn't easy. For everyone who hasn't had an easy time, I will be a candlelight when this process is over.

Hello,

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the Eget Foundation for the support they provide to us students.

I am the youngest child of a retired factory worker. We are five siblings, and I always benefited from being the youngest, until my father passed away when I was nine years old. After that, life forced me to grow up, even though I didn't want to. After my father's death, I worked various jobs every year to earn money for my school expenses. I went through primary and middle school, and due to a poor choice of high school, I couldn't get into a good one. But I didn't give up; even though I attended a regular high school, I did my best and worked very hard. However, for me, studying meant not having a room and a study desk of my own, surrounded by the noise of television and people, and having to huddle in a corner by the stove to study, saving money every day, even going hungry if necessary, to buy test books without any support from my family. Despite this, I worked hard and was fortunate enough to get into the department I wanted. During this time, there were those who didn't support me, didn't believe in me, and even tried to hinder me. But I knew this: people think you can't do it, and they think you can't either. Despite these difficulties, with my self-belief and the support of my loved ones, I am currently continuing my studies at the Faculty of Law.

I am still working very hard, doing my best. Because reaching the top is difficult, and staying at the top is even more difficult. Sometimes, one's success can hinder one's next success. While continuing to work with this awareness, I came across the Eget Foundation. With their support, the burden on my shoulders has been somewhat lightened. I am grateful to them.

Currently, I have only one goal: to be a good person, beneficial to my country and nation, and most importantly, to rectify injustice, even if it's just a drop in the ocean, and to be a good judge. Finally, I offer my endless thanks to the Eget Foundation, which has given us a family warmth and supported us on this path I am treading.

Take care.

Hello Sir/Madam,

I still remember the phone call I received from the EGET Foundation, and I wanted to begin by repeating what I said to Ms. Özlem there.

“This system they have established is a miracle for a society based on pure consumption. It’s magnificent that we, the youth, have started a cycle within ourselves with empathy that postpones selfishness. Without any ulterior motive, with the logic of ‘student understands student,’ who knows how many of my elders, who received scholarships to study in the past, will support the education of my friends with the scholarship I will provide in the future!”

My name is Hakan. But I don’t just represent Hakan.

It is thought that all belief systems begin by associating fate with the name of humanity.

My story began this way too.

On December 6, 1996, in Denizli, in the Sevindik area, a baby, believed to be only a few weeks old, was found in a garbage dump. A woman who heard the crying called the police at dawn, saving the baby’s life. Tragically, the baby, whose identity was unknown, never had any family or blood relatives. The politicians of Denizli at the time found a solution by placing him in the Denizli Orphanage under the name Hakan and the surname Can.

...

People only ever wondered about the beginning of my story. About my family, whom I didn't know, and the reasons for my abandonment. Over time, tired of lying, I asked them, and they fell silent.

"How can a person find the courage to abandon a baby to death?"

My concern wasn't why they abandoned me, but whether I possessed that courage.

My name isn't just Hakan; it represents the hundreds, thousands of brothers and sisters I grew up with.

I was also Şeyma Süleyman Ali.

A difficult beginning doesn't just bring you misfortune; it teaches you how special goodness is.

Life has shown me that what I have achieved and will achieve is not solely mine.

And that I am not alone.

With my sincerest wishes and respects,