“Providing equality of opportunity in education to talented, needy children who have lost their fathers” – this was the aim of the Darüşşafaka Society, founded in 1863.
Since then, this organization has maintained its presence with this important mission of “equality of opportunity in education.” In the 161 years since its foundation the institution has had its role in raising funds and opening attached schools, now also supporting students who have lost their mothers.
Today, Darüşşafaka takes in students from the age of ten and provides full scholarship and boarding from fifth grade through to the end of high school. It provides an opportunity for a world-class education, where students are able to embark on a new life as self-confident, thinking, inquiring, and curious individuals who feel responsible for the community.
In addition to all educational expenditures, student’s daily needs such as clothing, accommodation, food, and health services are all covered by donations. The Darüşşafaka Society receives no state funding. Each student at Darüşşafaka is a member of one of the most extensive and connected families in Turkey. The sense of fraternity, and the support that comes with it, remain with our students throughout both their personal and professional lives.
On the occasion of World Flour Day 2024 with its motto “Giving Day” we at Stern Ingredients Turkey decided to support this important mission by sponsoring an annual pasta supply.
“On a personal note, one reason we know about the Darüşşafaka Society,” explains Cenk Engin, our Operations Manager at Stern Ingredients Turkey, “is that my father went to this school and it meant a lot to him. He became a top scorer in the 1st basketball league in Turkey, and cared greatly about ‘paying back’ to the organization that made it possible for him. This society has given my father and so many children chances in life that they wouldn’t have had otherwise.”
Cenk adds, “we decided to donate pasta by OBA MAKARNA, Turkey’s largest pasta exporter, as they themselves have always been strong in donating, for example after the Feb 23 earthquake in the southeast of Turkey. And as we all know, kids love pasta, right?!” Thank you to the Flour World Museum for this wonderful incentive to celebrate World Flour Day 2024.