“THAT” UNFORGETTABLE SCREAM

It was a question, “Kimse Yok Mu?” (It means “Is Anybody There?” in Turkish) That scream was coming out of stones and wreckages after the Earthquake of August 17, 1999 in Turkey. And those who were under the wreckages and those wanting to rescue them were shouting to each other: “Is anybody there?”

Rushing to the earthquake zone, team of Samanyolu Channel and volunteers didn’t stop charitable activities even after coming back. Needs wouldn’t stop and now calls for aid were coming from all the corners of the country. Hereby, production of the TV program “Kimse Yok Mu” was decided.

The TV program was gradually getting more viewers. Calls for aid and donations wanted to be made by benefactors, and then it reached beyond the limitations of a TV Program. In 2002 an association system was founded to meet benefactors and people in need within the scope of TV.

Gradually increasing demands led Kimse Yok Mu Association to grow and organize international activities. For these reasons, the association got out of the scope of TV and became an NGO in March, 2004. March, 2004 is accepted as establishment date of Kimse Yok Mu and its taking the first step towards being a “humanitarian aid association” as understood globally.

GROWING LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY

When the tsunami hit Indonesia in 2004, telephones of the newly founded Kimse Yok Mu Association didn’t stop ringing. “We want to see you help the victims” People said. So, the first global adventure started for the association. In the very next year, the earthquake that hit Pakistan became a mournful reason for the association to organize the biggest disaster aid campaign.

Starting at the international field in this way, our mission continued with humanitarian aid campaigns organized for Palestine-Lebanon, Peru, Bangladesh, Sudan-Darfur, Georgia-Ossetia, Myanmar, China, Gaza and Haiti. On the other hand, the association reached people from 60 countries to convey aids of Turkish people in the periods of Ramadan and Ed al-adha.

Kimse Yok Mu Association accelerated its branching and networking efforts especially in 2006. Starting to open branches in the big cities of Anatolia, the association now has branches in 28 cities. This number is expected to increase

 

OUR FIELDS OF WORK

Kimse Yok Mu association, which takes charge in all places and cases of poverty, has categorized its fields of work under 7 categories in 2010, which is when Kimse Yok Mu turns 7 years. Those are the following: Aid for disasters, aid for health, aid for education, aid in Bairams, individual aid campaigns, aid for Africa and Sister family aids. Without any doubt, the most important field is Sister Family Aids. Continued since the first day of the Association, and having conduced toward solving the problems of many Turkish families in need, the Sister Family Project is continuing to open doors of happiness to every family applying it.

 

PRINCIPLE OF VOLUNTARINESS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY

Kimse Yok Mu Association, whose main and the only target is to fight against poverty and help building a more prosperous world for everyone is fed by a single source: Volunteers dedicated to goodness.

Principle of Voluntariness executing the function of base of the association’s working systems. All kind of aid activities as well as various national and international aid organizations distributions are carried out by volunteers of Kimse Yok Mu. Volunteers actively take charge in the process of all activities to be signed by the association, starting from planning until the implementation of it.

 

WE’RE WORKING FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST

The prestige of Kimse Yok Mu Association acquired by getting trust of the Turkish and Global public opinion was crowned after it took “Public Interest Association” status. President of the Republic of the current period, Mr. Ahmet Necdet Sezer signed the approval of the status given by the cabinet decree 2006-9982 of 19 January 2006. Kimse Yok Mu Association also got “Authorization of charity collection without permission” and “Award of Honor” by the Turkish Parliament in 2008. Furthermore, Kimse Yok Mu is now a member of ECOSOC, an organization under the United Nations which aims to bring together all humanitarian aid groups under one roof.

OUR BENEFACTORS ARE IN ACTION

Basing on transparency and reliability in all of its activities, Kimse Yok Mu association wants to strengthen its reliability by taking its benefactors personally in action. For this reason, the association is opening its doors to benefactors for all of its aid campaigns locally and globally and inviting everyone to take charge in these activities personally. Our Benefactors can make conditioned donations and if requested, they can be with our officials during when the aids are delivered. In this regard, benefactors can later visit the needing family they have met, and can be a sister family, and they can continue aiding activities without needing any intermediary organization

 

8 YEARS HAVE PASSED

Having passed 7 years as of 2011 since 2004 when it was founded, Kimse Yok Mu Association is proud of having done great jobs for both quality and the high number at this young age. Wishing to increase and grow the number of charitable activities every year in Turkey and the world, Kimse Yok Mu is inviting everyone who wants to dedicate oneself to this project! It opens its doors to all volunteer candidates who want to take a part and it asks: “We build bridges made of mercy for the world. Is there anybody who says ‘Here I am!’ ?”