By Deniz Altas Year 12
This first week back at school, a group of innovative Year 12 IB students have opened registrations for their upcoming volleyball tournament on Saturday 18th of January. The event will begin at 2pm, at LGB’s sports center, complemented by a bake sale that will take place simultaneously. The VolleyballxFutureforturkey project’s tournament will be costing 50 CHF per team to register ( 6-8 people per team), the reason being that it is a sponsoring event for the separate CAS project of Future For Turkey.
The Future for Turkey Project recognizes the severe damage that emerged due to a 7.7 magnitude earthquake in southern Turkey that left cities in ruins, still to this day. As much as all regions require aid, Future for Turkey aims to make sure the collected money will maximize its purpose, by choosing a very neglected province in the city of Malatya, where children go to school in tents, have to walk ten minutes in snowy conditions to reach bathrooms, and write in the corners of old notebooks. Needless to say, learning has come to a vast pause in these parts of Turkey, and this project aims to revive it by building Turkey’s first LEED and Net-Zero certified learning center. The support center will be able to accommodate up to 1000 children weekly and will offer maths, science, english, art, sports, STEAM lessons and support sessions; as well as psychological trauma support sessions (for children and parents) to ensure children become in touch with the love for learning they deserve to experience, all in the most sustainable way possible.
VolleyballxFutureforturkey is about bringing together a community of Ecolint students to be able to realize change in one of Turkey’s post earthquake zones. All money raised from registrations and the bakesale will be making its way to build a sustainable future for the post-trauma children in the province. The project emphasizes the way sport is able to unite communities and in this case, even build bridges to provide aid. Another admirable quality of the event would be that it offers all of Ecolint a chance to discover not just volleyball, but, but the strengths gained from it such as teamwork, leadership, focus and determination. It should also be noted that the project is inclusive for any and all levels of players, whether they have never touched a volleyball court before, or whether the court is their second home. This diverse range of players allows older and more experienced players to share their knowledge and for the younger or less experienced ones to identify goals or even idols. The project leaders all admire the importance and significance of sport, therefore their decision in sending the fundings to the Future For Turkey project will further support their values, in transporting athletic activities such as this one to a place where being able to play sport in proper facilities is currently a dream.
Therefore, the interconnection and support of the projects highlight the appreciation for the resources LGB is able to offer us, which will be beneficial and make an impact for many lives, even in the years to come.
