The social responsibility project “Women Who Develop with the University, A Future Empowered by Mothers” was organized by Üsküdar University’s Vocational School of Health Services and Faculty of Health Sciences, with the support of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, in cooperation with Üsküdar Social Services Center and the Pusula International Solidarity Association. As part of the project, 25 mothers participated in a two-week training program together with their children. Led by Asst. Prof. Melek Çaylak and Asst. Prof. Gamze Kağan, the project emphasized women’s personal development and social roles, while simultaneously offering workshops for children. The program concluded with a closing event following the training sessions.
The event took place at Üsküdar University Çarşı Campus, Emir Nebi Conference Hall.
Prof. Nevzat Tarhan: “A beautiful dream and a good intention”
President of Üsküdar University, Psychiatrist Prof. Nevzat Tarhan, delivered a speech during the program, saying: “In this project, it is evident that the mothers received quality education at the university. Moreover, this training was delivered with emotion and dedication, not just information transfer. This is essentially a volunteer project, and in social responsibility projects, volunteerism is essential. For a project to be truly voluntary, it must include empathy. When empathy and virtue come together, people form social bonds, a sense of unity develops, and volunteer projects emerge. This project is a beautiful example of that. It began with a beautiful dream and a good intention.”
“The University’s mission is not only to provide a profession”
Highlighting the long-term benefits of such initiatives, Tarhan stated: “The involvement of volunteers in projects like this, and their implementation through university–NGO cooperation, greatly strengthens their lasting impact. Young people and children have been touched emotionally. The results may not be visible in the short term, but in education, the effects will definitely emerge in the medium and long term. Repeating projects like this ensures lasting impact. The mission of a university is not only to provide an academic profession; it is also to instill social development and a sense of social responsibility in individuals. This is part of university culture. Faculty members also have an important role here. Working with students not only in the classroom but also in the field alongside their clubs makes these efforts more effective and beneficial.”
“We must use our values as a compass”
Speaking about life’s journey, Tarhan added: “The Pusula Association has not lost its compass because our compass is our values. We have human values, shaped around eight fundamental virtues such as morality. Moral values guide a person when making decisions or setting out on a path. When starting our life journey, we must first determine our goal by asking ourselves questions such as ‘What kind of person do I want to be?’, ‘What kind of life do I want?’, ‘What kind of life do I want for my family?’, ‘What kind of person do I want my child to become?’. Then, we should use our values as a compass to set our roadmap, direction, and course.”
Halis Kuralay: “We always support our women and mothers”
At the opening of the program, Istanbul Deputy Provincial Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, Halis Kuralay, said:
“As the Ministry of Family and Social Services, we always support our disadvantaged women and mothers. We are proud to stand by the women who shape the future.”
Cem Çaylak: “Empowering women means empowering society”
Speaking at the closing session, Istanbul Deputy Provincial Director of the Ministry of Family and Social Services, Cem Çaylak, said: “We find it very valuable that this project supports our mothers and young women. We know that every woman who develops is also a mother who shapes the future, a teacher, and a role model. Let us remember: Empowering women means empowering society.”
Rümeysa Alkoç: “We wanted it to be a compass for other mothers and children”
Rümeysa Alkoç, President of the International Pusula Association, spoke about the current system of the organization: “The stories we heard could each fill a book, even if only five pages long. We thought, ‘Let’s take this story so it can be an example to others, a compass for other mothers and children.’ That’s how we established the current system of the Pusula Association. In reality, our mothers show us what we should and should not do. I thank them very much because if they had not allowed us into their homes, we could not have embraced their children as our own. They entrust their children to us and say, ‘These children are yours,’ and that is precious. Without education, we could not have done this voluntarily. This is a project we carry out together with volunteer trainers. We have witnessed many things, and we wanted to put what we have witnessed into practice in real life.”
Prof. İsmail Barış: “We always support community-oriented projects”
Advisor to the Rector, Prof. İsmail Barış, stated: “The empowerment of women brings with it strong families, and consequently a strong society. As Üsküdar University, we always support community-oriented projects. From a social service perspective, it is crucial to expand such initiatives. The family is the basic unit of society; if this unit is damaged, the entire structure is negatively affected. While we are supporting single mothers here today, we must also not forget the human tragedies taking place in regions like Gaza.”
Prof. Mesut Karahan: “We exist for society”
Speaking at the event, Vocational School of Health Services (VSHS) Director Prof. Mesut Karahan said:“As our university’s vocational school, we are honored to support this project. The empowerment of women through education is extremely valuable for the future of society. Our students and faculty members contribute wholeheartedly to the project. The doors of our university are always open to mothers and their children because we exist for society. It is very important that projects like this are not limited to speeches but are also supported with practical workshops.”
Dr. Gamze Kağan: “We aimed to strengthen the identity of women and mothers”
VSHS Occupational Health and Safety Program Head and Project Coordinator Asst. Prof. Gamze Kağan stated: “We aimed to strengthen the identity of women in harmony with their role as mothers, without conflict, so that the two support each other. We want to increase the personal, social, psychological, and cultural awareness of disadvantaged mothers. While the mothers receive education at the university, we also organize simultaneous workshops for their children.”
Dr. Melek Çaylak: “We found a significant increase in mothers’ knowledge and attitudes”
VSHS Social Services Program Head Asst. Prof. Melek Çaylak said: “Above all, we want mothers to realize that they exist as women first. Over two weeks, mothers received training from experts in 24 different subjects, while their children attended five different workshops according to their age groups. We measured the educational gains in our project through pre- and post-tests, and as a result, we found a significant increase in the mothers’ knowledge and attitudes. We value this meaningful outcome from an academic perspective. I would especially like to thank our mothers. All 25 mothers attended without interruption, coming to our university every day with their children, happy and eager to participate. At the end of each session, they would say, ‘Please don’t end it, let’s continue.’ This made me very happy and showed me that our project has achieved its purpose and that the seeds we planted have begun to sprout.”
Tuğçe Doğan: “We always value the empowerment of women”
Vice President of the Pusula International Solidarity Association, Tuğçe Doğan, said: “As an association, we provide support for mothers and children in this meaningful project. We always value the empowerment of women, who are the foundation of society. Our contribution to this project reflects our belief in sustainable social development.”
Program highlights
On the first day of the program, the “Self-Discovery Module” was carried out. In this context, the pre-test was conducted by Asst. Prof. Gamze Kağan, Asst. Prof. Melek Çaylak, Res. Asst. Sema Ürnek, Res. Asst. Nurefşan Tomaç, and Res. Asst. Gamze Yalçın. This was followed by an introduction and acquaintance session led by Asst. Prof. Gamze Kağan. Afterwards, Tuğçe Doğan focused on the topic “Who’s Who?”. The first day ended with a training session on “Our Values” with Emine Doğan.
On the second day of the program, the “Communication Module” was held. In this context, Elif Akbaydar provided training on “Coaching-Style Communication” and “Thinking Technique.” Afterwards, Clinical Psychologist Gaye Kağan delivered a session on “Emotion Management.” The second day concluded with Psychologist Can Kamsız’s training on “Empathy and Body Language.”
On the third day of the program, the “Changing Roles in Today’s World Module” was implemented. In this context, Elif Öztürk presented “Systematic Approach”, and Merve Gül conducted a practical training titled “Breath Therapy.” Asst. Prof. Melek Çaylak spoke on “Women and Motherhood Identity”, and Neriman Özer addressed “Parenting Models”, marking the end of the first week.
On the fourth day of the program, the “Current Issues Module” took place. In this context, Prof. İsmail Barış spoke on “Violence”, Police Officer Eda Han presented “Narcotics and Mothers”, Seda Er discussed “Combating Addiction”, and Tuğba Sercan addressed “Psychological Problems” and “Social Support.”
On the fifth day of the program, the “Holistic Health Module” was carried out. In this context, Üsküdar University Faculty of Health Sciences Dean Prof. Arif Aktuğ Ertekin gave a session on “Women and Family Health”, Dietitian Zehra Zelka spoke on “Nutrition”, national athlete Taha Kurt delivered a session on “Sports”, and Zülfikar Abaz presented “Personal Care.”
On the sixth and final day of the program, Fatih Gediman and Kadriye Çakır delivered training on remote working, and Münteha Erdem completed the program with a practical session on entrepreneurship. At the end of the project, the post-test was conducted by the project team: Asst. Prof. Gamze Kağan, Asst. Prof. Melek Çaylak, Res. Asst. Sema Ürnek, Res. Asst. Nurefşan Tomaç, and Res. Asst. Gamze Yalçın, thus concluding the training modules.
Cake-cutting at the closing ceremony
During the two-week training, mothers had the opportunity to learn alongside their children.
The program ended with a cake-cutting ceremony and a group photo session.
Üsküdar News Agency (ÜNA)