Say Yes, Autumn 2007: High season for fund–raising efforts

The sale of greetings cards and gifts is just one of the activities organised by the Turkish National Committee for UNICEF in its efforts to raise funds to support activities for children.

It is a busy time of year at the two–storey UNICEF Turkey National Committee House on the Bilkent campus west of Ankara, the headquarters of the National Committee. Here, the approach of holidays like the Eid al–Fitr (Şeker Bayramı), Eid al–Adha (Kurban Bayramı), Christmas and New Year only means more work. It is the National Committee which sells UNICEF’s famous greetings cards and gifts. In the showroom downstairs, UNICEF publications are on display, and UNICEF films can be watched on video. In the offices upstairs the telephone never stops ringing.

The latest greeting card and gift catalogue features a rich assortment of images by popular artists and designers from all around the world. The cards, with their floral, winter, ethnic, modern and traditional designs, are familiar yet new. There are also eye–catching candles, calendars, diaries, jıgsaw puzzles, toys, games, T–shirts, mugs, bags, giftwraps, decorations and stationery. Besides UNICEF’s offices in Ankara and İstanbul, these products are available at numerous bookshops, stationers and similar outlets in Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir and more than a dozen other provinces (follow the Contact Us link at the foot of this page for a list of addresses). Electronic sales are increasingly popular through the National Committee website.

Living on donations

UNICEF receives no funds from the United Nations or any other source. All its work depends on the voluntary donations of governments, organisations and individuals. One of the main duties of the Committees is to raise funds.

The Turkish National Committee for UNICEF is one of 36 around the world set up to increase awareness of UNICEF’s activities and to raise funds for its programmes and campaigns. Turkey is one of the few countries where a National Committee and a Representative Office operate side–by–side as sister organısations. National committees are set up in developed countries while representative offices take UNICEF’s services to the developing world.

The sale of greetings cards and gifts is not the sole activity of the friendly staff at the National Committee’s Bilkent house — or of their colleagues in the İstanbul office in Beyoğlu. Cards remains a major source of funds for supporting UNICEF programmes in–country and contributing to UNICEF’s work in emergencies elsewhere. But increasingly funds are being raised through individual and corporate donations, including those provided by regular donors, and those raised as a result of special events such as the telethon broadcast live by NTV on April 23, exhibitions, gala evenings, concerts of classical and contemporary music and other social and cultural events organised by UNICEF friends and volunteers.

New good will ambassador

In a recent development, well–known TV presenter Tayfun Talipoğlu has agreed to become a UNICEF good will ambassador. Talipoğlu was one of the stars of the telethon, which aimed to raise money for prefabricated classrooms. Broadcasting live from a village in Mardin, he witnessed at first hand the difference which the prefabricated classrooms could make to the lives of girls previously unable to continue their education beyond grade five. As good will ambassador, he will be maintaining his support for girls’ education and the prefrabricated classrooms campaign, and inviting others to take part.

Talipoğlu’s letter to the general public is reproduced in this edition of Say Yes. His warm personality and irresistible enthusiasm will reinforce the determination of the Turkish National Committee for UNICEF in all its activities and appeals.

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