Helping Children in Turkey to Start Learning Again

The BNI Foundation is Helping Children in Turkey to Start Learning Again

On 6 February, 2023 at 04:17 local time, southern and central Turkey and northern Syria were hit by the strongest earthquake in modern times. As of 10 March, 55,000 people are reported to have died, 2.4 million have been displaced, up to 24 million affected and over 200,000 buildings have been destroyed in an area the size of Germany.

Whenever such horrendous natural disasters occur, BNI members around the world, and understandably in particular those from the areas worst affected, turn to us and ask “what is the BNI Foundation doing to help?” Normally our answer is simple:

• The BNI Foundation is focused on Children & Education.
• We are not a disaster relief organization, not because we don’t want to help, but simply because we don’t have the resources to make an impact when faced with damage and suffering of such magnitude.
• At these times, well-known international aid organizations such as ICRC (The Red Cross) and UNICEF do an excellent job and have the financial and logistical resources to make a difference in the dramatic first days and weeks. Yes, part of their donation income is used to cover administrative costs, but donations to them really do make their work possible.
• If there is a Rotary, Lions, or other service club near to you, reach out to them and ask what they are doing. They have values which are well-aligned with those of the BNI Foundation and often work directly with other clubs in the affected areas to provide prompt and direct support.

After the initial intense media coverage has died down and the story is no longer in the headline news, the immediate flow of donations subsides. As the rebuilding process begins while much of the world turns its attention to other matters, the time comes when the BNI Foundation can have an impact on children and their education in schools which have been damaged or destroyed.

BUT for Turkey we are fortunate to already have our own BNI option! – Yardım – Herkesin bir gün yardıma ihtiyacı olabilir (bnisupportforturkiye.com).

BNI Turkey National Director Ayşe Aslan has launched an appeal to provide 100 families in the worst affected areas with a container to live in until they can return to permanent accommodation. In addition to the many homes lost, families are understandably afraid of returning to damaged properties for fear of further aftershocks. Being housed in a container will provide them with safe shelter as they attempt to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. It will also enable children to feel more secure and slowly return to their school studies, something which is at the heart of everything that the BNI Foundation stands for.

Containers cost approx. TL45,000 or USD 2,500 each and the BNI Foundation in both Germany & Austria, where many of our Members have relatives in Turkey severely impacted by the earthquake, have donated to the BNI Support for Turkey appeal to purchase one container in the name of each country. BNI HQ has also donated $5,000 to accommodate two more families and we invite BNI Teams and regions around the world to do the same. Account details for international bank transfers are available via the link above, but the credit card option seems only to be available within Turkey. If an international transfer is not possible, please donate via the “Donate Now” button on www.bnifoundation.org, adding “Support for Turkey” and your name or that of your Chapter or Region in the text field. We will ensure that your donation is forwarded to Turkey promptly.

This is a unique way for the many BNI Members and Chapters around the world who would like to help directly if only they know how to make a difference in the lives of children in Turkey whose life changed so dramatically only a few weeks ago.

Thank you for whatever support you feel able to give!

Kevin Barber, March 17, 2023

Business Voices Future Leaders Week

What is Business Voices Future Leaders Week?

Business Voices Future Leaders Week (BVFL) is a simple way for BNI professionals to offer young people career orientation advice within their local community. During the week of October 17 – 21, 2022, we are inviting Chapters to hold their weekly Meeting in a local school, showcasing the way BNI teams work together. After the Meeting, volunteer Members will remain in the school to talk and answer questions about their chosen professions.

 

Why did the BNI Foundation create BVFL Week?

BVFL is designed to give students a real world understanding of what businesspeople do and how they got there. As BNI Members and Directors, we have unique experiences and are proud to have so many entrepreneurs who may not have a traditional educational background. At the BNI Foundation, we believe it is important for students to see that every educational and professional experience is important. Regardless of the path to your career, it is important to show students that success is achieves in many different ways. Business Voices Future Leaders Week also provides opportunities for BNI Members to give back to their communities and gives Chapters a reinvigorating experience to remind them of the importance of their networks for growing their businesses and the communities in which they live.

 

How to get involved

If your Chapter is interested in participating in BVFL, please register in advance by using the link provided below. To make the process as smooth as possible, you must register your team in advance. Once registered, a representative from our organization will email you the event packet with all of the materials needed to have a successful and fun day!

Our Goal for BVFL Week

Our goal is to provide career orientation advice to students ages 15- 18 years old as they prepare for their future careers.

 

 

Register today!

Business Voices Future Leaders Week

Business Voices in Abruzzo Italy

Business Voices Redevelops Classrooms in Abruzzo Italy

Business Voices Ambassador, Samya Ilaria Di Donato, visited with 200 children from a primary school set to receive classroom redevelopments and new educational activities. The event was hosted by the Comprehensive Municipal Institute to support the redevelopment of classrooms and new educational activities for 900 students.

Samya Ilaria Di Donato, entrepreneur, mentor and author of Colours, was joined by members from the “Flaiano” Pescara BNI Chapter. Fifty entrepreneurs from Pescara have committed to serving the school in Spoltore which enrolls 900 students up to middle school age. Also present were vice-principal Rosaria Pignetti and teacher Roberta Rullo who is head of the continuity function and councilor for public education, youth policies and culture of the Municipality of Spoltore, The chapter members presented the students with hundreds of colored paper hands inspired by the Business Voices logo and meant as an inspiration to the children who will create Christmas greeting cards with proceeds of their sale going to finance school initiatives.

Di Donato illustrated how the project reflects the Business Voices and BNI Foundation ethos and its decades long mission to mobilize business in support of children and education around the world. “Business Voices is not a non-profit organization but a free return movement to the territory that aims to support schools with the awareness that the local business community can and should play a social role to inspire children and young people who will be professionals and entrepreneurs of tomorrow,” explained Di Donato. “We marry initiatives not through the collection of money but through the availability and generosity of our entrepreneurs and professionals.”

Aside from the chromatic redevelopment painting of the classrooms, an abandoned school bus will be transformed into a science laboratory and new trees will be planted in the garden.

Build-a-Bed

Members of BNI Commonwealth in Louisa, KY teamed up with The Kentucky Credit Union League Ashland Chapter to build beds for those in need for their annual Build-a-Bed project.

The goal is to give beds to school aged children who are forced to sleep on floors, couches, or in beds with multiple other children or family members. This regional Build-a-Bed Project through Morehead State University has provided more than 1,000 beds to children in Eastern Kentucky since it began in 2010. This year the Ashland Build A Bed committee set a goal to build 100 beds, in addition to the 200-bed goal set by MSUCorps AmeriCorps Program.

The Ashland Build-a-Bed Project will serve as a branch of the Build-a-Bed Project through MSUCorps. Ashland Build-a-Bed will build and distribute beds for the FIVCO area that include: Boyd, Carter, Lawrence, Greenup, and Elliot. The Ashland Build-a-Bed is a service project put together by the Kentucky Credit Union League Ashland Chapters which include: Members Choice Credit Union and Ashland Credit Union.

See photos of the envent on our gallery page.

Elementary School Beautified with Redbud Trees

Members of the BNI University Morning B chapter in the Charlotte region volunteered their time and talent to the students of Winecoff Elementary, a title 1 school. They provided guidance and direction for a beautification project that included planting two Eastern Redbud trees, lining them with pavers, and filling them with mulch.

Teachers at Winecoff Elementary had the idea of helping kids understand the value of work, self-pride and ownership. A group of BNI members sprung into action. The teachers did not want the chapter to do the work or pay for the materials, but rather to help plan and execute their idea.

Bobbi Craig represented the school and provided a point of contact between the parents, students and other department heads to define the parameters and get approvals. As more people and kids arrived, they were gathered and instructed on what to do. The kids worked hard and were able to enjoy the feeling of self pride that comes with  accomplishing goals as a team. The BNI members helped to oversea this project and to make it a huge success! Congratulations to all involved. See more photos here.

Get involved! Our Business Voices tool kit will help you put together a team and includes project ideas to help the schools in your community.