TİKA Supports the Aysel and Şerif Fındıkkaya Social Complex in Kenya

The Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) offered equipment support to the Aysel and Şerif Fındıkkaya Social Complex located in the Dadaab region of Garissa County in Kenya, on the border of Somalia.

The opening ceremony of the Aysel and Şerif Fındıkkaya Integrated Boarding Primary School, which was established with the donations of a charitable Turkish citizen in order to alleviate the educational difficulties being faced in Kenya, and to provide education to the children in the refugee camp and the children living in the vulnerable Dadaab region of Garissa County, was held.

Situated on an area of 30 acres, the school will provide education to a total of 256 students, 186 of which will be boarding students, in accordance with elementary and middle school curricula. The opening ceremony of the school, which was equipped with contributions from TİKA, was attended by the President of the Deniz Feneri Association Mehmet Cengiz, the Charitable Businessman Mehmet Fındıkkaya, TİKA’s Kenya Coordinator Emre Yüksek, Dadaab MP Dr. Dahiye Mohamed, students, and locals. TİKA supplied hardware and equipment for 6 dormitories, 6 classrooms, the administrative building, the guest rooms, and the computer labs of the school, which was built by charitable Mehmet Fındıkkaya who named it after his mother and father. 

During the event which was attended by locals and county administrators, the need for such educational institutions was reiterated. Emphasizing that schooling rates are fairly limited in the region, TİKA’s Nairobi Coordinator Emre Yüksek expressed that Turkey would continue efforts to support the education of current and future generations to ensure they become free and conscientious leaders of common sense, particularly in regions affected by terrorism and conflict. Yüksek stated that thanks to the quality education offered to upcoming generations, a persistent and effective struggle against extremism and terrorism in the region can be maintained and the establishment of illegal educational institutions which harness harmful ideologies that exploit the financial impossibilities of the region can be prevented.

The students of the villages in the Dadaab region, most of which are orphans, were thrilled to unite with their new school. The students chanted “Thank You Turkey” with Turkish flags in their hands and showed their love for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. The President of the Deniz Feneri Association Mehmet Cengiz, who also attended the opening ceremony, expressed that 180 children would stay in the orphanage and that a total of 256 students would receive education at the school. Fındıkkaya, the charitable businessman who built the school, explained that the motivation behind building the social complex was to offer care and support for the orphan children of families who fled Somalia due to civil war, famine, and drought. Fındıkkaya stated that the children would also learn Turkish and said, “The sweet little orphans who graduate from this school will become the dear friends and honorary ambassadors of Turkey and the Turkish people.”

Since 2011, TİKA has successfully implemented many projects for Somali refugees and returning communities in both Somalia and Kenya, and several projects are currently underway. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 2016 report, there are 2.6 million orphan children in Kenya.