KTLN recently passed on an appeal from the organisers, Ros & Tony Lockhart, for donations of goodies to go in the gift packages, and many of you responded magnificently.

People donated gifts including clothes, toys, games, colouring books and pens, at the collection point, in Parc Kalkan.

In addition to these individual gifts, which they will take home, it has also been possible to donate items to the school that they attend.

Local ex-pat couple Andrew and Jenny Hartley recently celebrated 'significant' birthdays, and rather than friends buying them gifts, they asked if the money could instead be donated to the school. They raised over 1,000TL.

This money has been spent wisely on things for the school, including a new printer/copier, a vacuum cleaner, various toys, games, play-dough, paints and crayons, and also food supplies for the school kitchen.

The KTLN Trust has also agreed to provide support for the children who attend this wonderful school. We will be giving 1,000TL, which will be used to buy shoes for every child at the school.  School psychologist Nurgül Durusoy, will be helping us to organise this.

KTLN is aware that friends of the school are planning to organise local day trips for the children - something that has not been done before. Over the coming weeks, they will be looking for volunteers to accompany the children on these outings. If you are interested in supporting this initiative, please contact us and we will pass on your details to the organisers.

Here is a link to the earlier KTLN article, appealing for gifts to be donated, which also contains links to previous KTLN articles on the school.

One final point to mention, is the fact that this kind of support for local children and their families, is easier to provide when it is done by a properly constituted organisation (like KAPSA and the Kalkander Association, for example).

So, we are pleased to report that steps are being taken to see if a new organisation can be established, to act as a vehicle for this kind of work, in Kalkan and surrounding villages. We will keep you posted on this over the coming months.

Below, please find a few photographs taken at the school, as the gifts were handed over.

Below: A room full of gifts.

Below: Generous hospitality from the school, as they serve a meal for their guests.  Thanks to the excellent cooking of Leyla Özlü.

Below: (L to R) Jenny Hartley, a smiling Uğur, Mustafa Aykanat (Manager), little Mustafa, Andrew Hartley, and Ömer, in the arms of member of staff, Mehpare Gönenç. 

Below: staff, children and family members stood outside the school.

Below: Joined by friends of the school, who have organised these Bayram gifts.