Turkish students continue voluntary work in Africa

Turkish students continued to participate in several voluntary activities in Senegal and Cameroon 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.

During their program, 11 students from different universities in Turkey participated in the renovation and painting of a local school in Senegal's southern Kazaman village.

After an opening ceremony, the volunteer students distributed stationery material and schoolbags to the students.

"If the school were to open today, we would be ready to start classes because the students received all the stationery materials needed for their education and our school has been renewed," school principal Cherif Sekouna Badji said, thanking TIKA.

The volunteers also visited what is known as the "leprosy" village and painted the church, the mosque and the school, as well as 36 houses belonging to people with leprosy.

Another group of 10 volunteer students traveled to Cameroon as part of the program, visiting a Pygmy community in Cameroon’s coastal city of Kribi.

The volunteers distributed food aid as well as fishing gear, axes, boots, shovels, hunting supplies and toys for children.

The Pygmy performed traditional dances accompanied by local music to thank the volunteers.

The volunteer students also participated in a football tournament jointly organized by TIKA and the Roger Milla Foundation, named after the famous football player.

The students also provided medical equipment and medicine to a health center in the district of Fundi of the capital Yaounde.