Turkish Human Resources and Health Foundation (TIKAV) was founded by Akfen Family in Ankara, in October 15th, 1999 with the aim of carrying out the social responsibility projects of Akfen Holding. Akfen Holding invests in people by its social responsibility projects while it aims for sustainable success with strategies regarding public needs. Akfen Holding employees also have a high social responsibility awareness, they take part in and help with TIKAV’s several projects.
Investing in people, TIKAV works hard with the mission of creating projects for people to grow as socially responsible, environmentally conscious, respectful of social and global values and adaptable individuals in a rapidly changing world. With this mission, TIKAV has been carrying out various projects in different fields.
Individual Development Project (BGP)
Ever since its foundation, TIKAV has carried out many different projects and led the way in Turkey with its “Individual Development Project (BGP)” since 1999. With BGP, it has aimed to ensure equal opportunities for university students who face problems in getting access to educational, cultural, social and individual development activities. In this context, scholar students (from their freshman years till graduation) participate in a variety of computer and foreign language lessons, personal development trainings, cultural and art activities, public service programs, national and international interviews and vocational programs; hence they enrich their skills and gain valuable knowledge in social and business life.
Individual Development Project firstly applied to Elazig Firat University students in 1999. The project expanded to other universities over the years: Van Yuzuncu Yil University in 2003; Orta Dogu Teknik University, Hacettepe University, Ankara University and Eskisehir Osmangazi University in 2006. Embracing the goal of creating equal opportunities in having access to education resources, TIKAV turned towards 10-year universities in Eastern and Southeastern Regions of Turkey and started to apply the project in Elazig Firat University, Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Sanliurfa Harran University, Kahramanmaras Sutcu İmam University and Erzurum Ataturk University. Since 2014, the project has been being applied to Elazig University students only. 300 students have been reached with this project since 1999.
National Projects
Projects in collaboration with MIP:
TIKAV carried out several social responsibility projects in Mersin, in partnership with Mersin International Port (MIP). These projects was coordinated by TIKAV and financed by MIP. In 2010, almost 150 students aged 7-14 and living in mountain villages of Mersin were provided with computer usage, hygiene and self-care training in “New Tradition to the Old Village Project”. In 2011, “School for Mothers Project” was organized for kindergarten parents of Akdeniz district, Mersin. “School for Mothers Project” was organized a second time for kindergarten parents living in villages in Toroslar district, Mersin. The project reached approximately 470 mothers. In 2013, 100 mukhtars benefited directly from “Hand in Hand with Mukhtars Project”. Mukhtars received seminars in Communication Techniques, Efficient Leadership, Formal Correspondence Rules and Computer Usage.
7 schools were renovated between 2012 and 2016 as part of TIKAV’s project. Schools in need and identified by Mersin Provincial Director of National Education were painted and completely renovated as part of TIKAV’s social responsibility projects. In addition, necessary school equipment and training materials were also covered with the project’s budget. Within the scope of the project: Mersin Kazanlı Elementary School with “Our Common Language is Colors Project” in 2012, Mersin Dikilitas Kindergarten and Mersin Halil Akgün Elementary and Secondary Schools with “Let’s Renovate Our Schools Project” in 2013 and 2014 were completely renovated. Other schools renovated with the same project were Mersin Toroslar Vali Sabahattin Çakmakoğlu ve Mimar Sinan Secondary Schools in 2015 and Kuvayi Milliye ve Kıbrıs Elemenrary Schools in 2016. “Challenges Within Project” in 2014 intended to raise awareness in people with disabled family members for spreading the idea that disability is not a disadvantage, encouraging the disabled engagement in social life and providing equal opportunities for the disabled. The project reached 900 families in total. In 2015, Panels about “Business Life and Women” and “Communication among Family Members” were organized for public benefit.
Projects in collaboration with TUGIAD Ankara Branch Office:
In partnership with TUGIAD Ankara Branch Office, TIKAV organized “Mom and Me Project” for children in treatment and their accompanying mothers at Ankara Child Health and Diseases Hematology Oncology Education and Research Hospital. The project reached 2500 mothers and 2500 children.
Projects in collaboration with Akfen Renewable Energy Inc. Co.:
In partnership with Akfen Renewable Energy Inc. Co., TIKAV organized “Education at Home Project” in 2017. The project aimed to inform parents about how to support their children between the ages 0 and 6 with their physical, psychomotor, social-emotional, mental and language development; and to spread awareness about the importance of pre-school education. “Education at Home Project” encouraged parents to spend quality time with their children and to not leave all responsibilities to schools in order to raise healthier individuals. With the project, women with children between the ages 0 and 6 were informed about medical screening and were given seminars about how to spend quality time with their children as well as how to support their development processes with activities they can do at home. The project was held in 15 various locations and 1000 people were reached.
“Health First Project” were organised in 2018 and held in 17 various locations in Turkey. These locations consisted rural regions where Hydroelectric and Solar Power Plants of Akfen Renewable Energy Inc. Co. are located. With the project, women over 18 and residing in rural regions were given practical seminars about first-aid, basic health, cancer screening, routine medical screenings, and organ donation. The Project aimed to increase the awareness of women who are core members of the family. Besides, it was also aimed to prevent incorrect health interventions by unprofessional people, to overcome prejudice about health examinations and to help take timely necessary precautions especially in gynecological diseases. After 17 activities held with the project, it reached 1500 people.
In 2019, the “Hygiene means Health Project” was launched under financing by Akfen Yenilenebilir Enerji A.Ş., a firm that operates Solar, Wind and Hydroelectric Power Plants at 26 different locations. The seminars held in this context aimed to raise awareness of the women living in rural area and working by exerting physical strength about the hygiene of their bodies as well as hygiene of the nutrients required for sustaining healthy lifestyle.
2000 participants attended to 23 seminars conducted under the project.
Initiated at 2020, but resumed in 2022 due to the pandemic and implemented at 27 distinct locations throughout Turkey, seminars were organized and held under the scope of the Project entitled “Savings at Home means Future at our Hands” at the neighborhoods/villages where our Plants are located.
The seminars aimed to inform the women residing in rural areas regarding smart and conscious consumption of the electric power, the type of energy with high cost, as well as the water, the irreplaceable fundamental resource for all mankind, in order to contribute to both the home economics and the ecologic balance of the world.
2500 participants attended to 23 seminars conducted under the project.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award-Turkiye
Represented by TIKAV, Akfen Holding endorses the International Award for Young People Program implemented as the development program for young people active in more than 130 countries and regions and eligible for all young people aged 14-24 throughout the world. The Award Program was initiated in 1956 for the first time under endorsement and support of Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, in the United Kingdom under the title of “the Duke of Edinburgh Award”. Aiming to raise awareness on voluntary social services in an atmosphere devoid of any competition, the International Award for Young People Program was launched and implemented in our country in 1995 for the first time. In 2001, acting as an Independent Operator of the International Award for Young People, TIKAV was authorized to implement the program for the young people under its structure.
Promoting the program until 2003 under this scope, Akfen Holding then assumed the main sponsorship of the program within the confines of the Youth Award Association between 2003 – 2013. The Youth Award Association was then abolished and Turkish Human Resources Education and Health Foundation (TİKAV) started to act as the National Award Operator under the name “The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award – Türkiye” (DoEIA-TR) between June 1, 2013 – July 9, 2020 and the awarding process was conducted by the National Award Committee. Since July 9, 2020, the program, now called “International Award for Young People – Türkiye” (UGO-TR), is implemented under representation of Turkish Human Resources Education and Health Foundation (TİKAV).
TIKAV (Turkish Human Resources Education and Health Foundation), the sole institution empowered to implement the Award Program in Turkey, is the standing member of the International Award Association certified by the United Nations and the European Union.
The International Award Program managed to reach more than 13 million young people until this day. This figure stands as more than 20.000 people in total in our country, wherein the program is actively implemented in 152 Award Centers and more than 5000 young people are currently taking part in the program.
TİKAV Scholarship Program
Following the earthquake disaster in Kahramanmaraş, Akfen Holding has continued to assist the region in various ways through its “Hand in Hand, Together” initiative. It has planned aid in the field of education, coordinated by the Turkey Human Resources Education and Health Foundation (TİKAV), of which it is the founder.
Under the Akfen-TİKAV Scholarship Program, 1000 university students will receive a monthly scholarship throughout their education. To be eligible for the program, students must be citizens of the Republic of Turkey and meet one or more of the following criteria: their house is damaged or destroyed, one or both parents have been lost, their families live in the earthquake zone, or they have chronic illnesses.
The program’s scope was expanded due to the intense response from students, with 108,127 applications received for the scholarship program.
Initially, Akfen Holding covered scholarships for 1000 students in the first phase of the program. However, upon receiving an overwhelming number of applications, Akfen Renewable Energy and Acacia Mining Enterprises also joined the program, providing scholarships for an additional 1000 students each. As a result, the total number of students who will be awarded scholarships has now reached 3000.
Çankaya Mahallesi, Kazım Özalp Mahalesi Koza Sokak No:26, Gazisomanpaşa, Ankara
