ANKARA
A group of Turkish students participated in renovation work of an orphanage and two schools in Ghana, as part of visits under an exchange program.
The 2017 Africa Experience Sharing Program provides an opportunity for 200 students to visit several African countries, including Tunisia, Libya, Somalia, Kenya, Algeria, Chad, Sudan, Ghana and Niger from Aug. 5 to 30.
The program is organized by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) in cooperation with Turkish Airlines, Anadolu Agency and state broadcaster Turkish Radio and Television (TRT).
The students participate in social, cultural and humanitarian activities and renovate schools, orphanages, libraries and places of worship as predetermined by TIKA and local NGOs in the visiting countries.
They also take part in the implementation of local developmental projects.
As part of the program, 10 students from different universities in Turkey visited the Turkish Embassy in the capital Accra and met the National Chief Imam Osman Nuhu Sharubutu and Abdul Qadir Tahir, who is in charge of the Islamic Schools of the country's education ministry.
The volunteer students also participated in renovation works of a Christian kindergarten affiliated to the ministry of education.
In the capital, the Turkish students also visited families in low-income neighborhoods and distributed gifts to the children.
Following their program in Accra, the volunteer students traveled to the southern Kumasi province and renovated the toilets and ablution spaces of the Sakafia Islamic School.
Later, the students headed to Nyinahin town of Kumasi, where they renovated the Darussafaka Salam Orphanage and distributed gifts to the children as well as painting the Akiresu Islamic State School.
Reporting by Zuhal Demirci; Writing by Meryem Goktas
