I am of the opinion that each person should be part of a social responsibility project given the fact that we lead a life within a society. According to a survey conducted by the Department for the Affairs of Disabled People, 12.29 percent of Turkey's population is composed of disabled people. This means that there are 8.5 million disabled people in Turkey.

In Turkey, people tend to be biased against associations. When it comes to donation, grant and support, the first question that comes to mind is whether donations are delivered to those in need or not.  It is safe to say yes as I know an association that delivers them to those in need, putting its soul into it. It is called BEDD, the Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled.

The Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled was founded in Cevizli/Kartal, Istanbul in 1993 under the leadership of Kemal DEMİREL. Paralyzed from the waist down in 1970 as a result of a malpractice in a spinal cord surgery he underwent, and hospitalized for eleven years, Mr. DEMİREL has been awarded with many state accolades for his innovative studies carried out thanks to the Solidarity Association for the Physically Disabled he launched in 1993, and scooped up more than 300 awards in total. This year, the Association was awarded with a certificate of “Determination in Excellence” which serves as the first stage of the European Excellence Journey with Five Stages of EFQM (European Foundation of Quality Management) during the 22^ndQuality Congress organized in cooperation with KalDer (Turkish Society for Quality) and TÜSİAD (Turkish Industrialists' and Businessmen's Association).

The involvement in such associations as a part of social responsibility projects entails a big courage and full dedication. I have personally met the head and employees of the association, and taken part in various events, and it is safe to say that there are people in this country with a gold of heart and unsparing dedication to those in need.

Each new year is a new hope. Let's be a ray of hope for disabled people his year, and help them hold onto life with your sponsorship so that you can put a smile on their faces. Assist a disabled person to build a future, confidently hold onto life and make his/her presence felt.

www.bedd.org.tr

Best regards

Ayça AKIN