Hüseyin Parlak Offers Lifelong Learning Programs for Çamlıdere Community

On 26 May 2011 Sabancı Foundation's "Turkey's Changemakers" program hosts Hüseyin Parlak, a district governor in the capital city of Ankara, who established a learning center to provide life-long learning opportunities for the Çamlıdere community.

When Hüseyin Parlak got appointed to Çamlıdere as a District Governor, he was well aware of the fact that his job did not solely consist of a title. Working at departments of local government in numerous cities of Turkey for over 20 years, he immediately noticed the lack of social services in the district. To address this issue he gathered his personal efforts with those of the locals. Being a strong defender of the right to equal access to education -which is considered as one of the main responsibilities of the state, established the Çamlıdere Learning Center.

The Çamlıdere Learning Center provides lifelong learning educational programs, such as literacy, computer, and English courses, and after-school programs open to all community members. Students, and also community members who finished school years ago but are still in need of/demand further education can benefit from this center. Course participants are able to leave their children to the center's childcare while attending the courses. Thereby, while improving their skills in an area that they are interested in, women are also able to leave their children to safe hands. All courses offered at the Çamlıdere Learning Center are free of charge.

As of today, the Center hosted around 1.000-course participants and introduced the Çamlıdere community to a new life. A 70-year-old illiterate women well put how she benefits from the literacy courses offered at center: "We are very happy that we came to this learning center. We learned many things that we've never even heard of in 30-40 years. Now when we go downtown, we are able to read bus numbers, building names, and security signs."