Not quite Andrew Carnegie, but …

The public library system in America was founded by “robber baron” Andrew Carnegie, a “rags to riches” legend. Born in Scotland, the son of a weaver, Carnegie came to the United States as a child in 1848 because the recently introduced steam looms were replacing individual workers in many factories. Much like my own grandfather from Liverpool, the boy believed in the value of hard work. However, after moving up in the ranks, from a humble bobbin threader to becoming one of the richest men in America, by taking advantage of economically difficult times, he forgot his roots for while. Yet, in the last decades of his life, Carnegie gave away much of his fortune in philanthropic gestures. An initial funding for the establishment of more than 2,800 libraries created a system that became the basis for free public libraries across America.

There is no Andrew Carnegie stepping forward here in Turkey to donate his assets to set up such a system, yet a few American women may have accidently started a trend that other expats and Turks alike might care to follow.

Three years ago I encountered a small group of American and Canadian women who met on a monthly basis to chat, have a pleasant lunch and discuss the challenges of living and being businesswomen in Turkey. What began as a group of six developed into the Professional American Women of Istanbul (PAWI), with about 150 members and a variety of interest groups. Last year, the expatriate organization formed a Civic Involvement Committee (CIC), the purpose of which is to become involved in the needs of our adopted land. One of CIC’s most recent ventures was a trip made by 14 adventurous expatriate women to the town of Mardin.

When asked about what sparked the journey, organizer Joanne Yıldırım replied: “Mardin was a city that many of us had not yet visited and were interested in. We also have two members of Assyrian background, one of whom had connections in Mardin and helped us to organize our quick two-day tour of the area.” The pleasure tour quickly took a more civic-minded slant. The reason being, a young Mardin woman who was PAWI’s guest speaker for April, Leyla, pointed out a growing need to assist Turkish children in accessing basic Turkish educational materials and English-language books. Based on information from UNICEF-supported education programs, the would-be Mardin travelers decided to visit the Gazi Yatılı İlkoğretim Bölge Okulu (Gazi Boarding School), a boarding school for disadvantaged children from all over the Mardin area, as this school would actually be open and children present on the Saturday of the planned trip.

Even before they departed from İstanbul, the PAWI women took action when they heard of another immediate need. Leyla, who had just finished her year-end exams at İstanbul University, kindly offered to deliver a “small” donation of girls and boys’ clothing and shoes. Her next speaking engagement resulted in Leyla taking three huge boxes home to Mardin. Luckily, the Gazi school director had agreed to pick up the boxes from the Mardin bus station himself. To help the school in its educational efforts, the women donated a boxed IKEA bookshelf, approximately 4 feet high by 5 feet wide, purchased with donations from PAWI members. They also brought over 100 books donated by PAWI members, largely due to a book drive organized by a PAWI member who teaches at MEF International School. To transport this unwieldy load, the expats divided the items among one another in their check-in baggage and managed to haul everything to Mardin without incident.

Excitement reigned in the schoolyard that Saturday afternoon, when a mini-van of American ladies pulled in. According to Joanne: “Our group spoke with teachers and administrators for a bit and then went to a classroom full of all the children present on that Saturday. There was much interaction between our ladies and the children, pictures being taken, English phrases being practiced and then a bit of astonishment as a group of women assembled a complete bookshelf in 15 minutes and filled it with books pulled from several large duffle bags.”

The children at the school were not the only ones provided with an educational experience the day the PAWI women arrived. Joanne recalls: “We were surprised to learn that the whole ‘boarding school’ concept was something created a few decades ago in order to gather up children from rural areas all over the region that might not otherwise have access to an education. We were also surprised to find that of the 500 students of the Gazi Boarding School, approximately 50 of the students greeting us on that Saturday were those too poor to even travel home to their families on the weekend.”

A continuing effort to give hope and assistance to Turkish children is important to expats, as we realize that we have very privileged lives. Even though those children were happy to receive such exotic visitors, they also were missing their families that weekend. Some were wearing shoes so small for their feet that their toes were hanging out the front. Their educational prospects should be as unlimited as those of any other person.

Not content with their initial efforts, CIC has proposed a more ambitious project. Throughout the summer, PAWI is organizing a campaign for at least 50 people to commit to preparing 10 schoolbook bags, either handheld or backpack style, preferably new, but gently used is acceptable. Each book bag should contain at least basic materials such as spiral notebooks, a pencil case, pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, and an eraser in order to outfit the entire student body of 500 at the start of the next school year in the fall.

Perhaps this small effort by a group of foreign women will inspire people in power to make a similar effort. Imagine the importance of providing small schools across Turkey with libraries, perhaps even opening public libraries in towns where anyone who wishes to can go read a book, in Turkish or any other language. Education has long been recognized as the key to economic freedom; education is not limited to what happens in a classroom.