Students attend exchange program in Africa


A group of Turkish students set off on a 10-day exchange program in Africa Friday.

As part of the 2017 Africa Experience Sharing Program, some 200 students will have the opportunity to visit several countries in the continent, including Tunisia, Libya, Somalia, Kenya, Algeria, Chad, Sudan, Ghana and Niger between Aug. 5 and Aug. 30. The program is organized by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), in cooperation with Turkish Airlines, Anadolu Agency and Turkish Radio and Television Corporation (TRT).

This second group of students will visit Kenya, Senegal, and Algeria. Earlier another group visited Sudan, Uganda, and Somalia. All the participants said that they were keen to learn about the history, culture, and society of their host countries in Africa.

Abdullah Başyiğit, a fourth-year student of journalism at Gaziantep University, said he will help build a school in Kenya during his stay.

Meanwhile, Emre Yücel, a third-year engineering management student at Beykent University, said, "I would like to see the real picture of Africa, and want to look beyond its bad image."

A third-year law student from the Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University, Muhammed İshak Sevinç, who was headed for Senegal, said that he was excited about experiencing a new culture.

Muhammed Derviş Arslan, a third-year medical student from Inonu University, said he will help renovate a mosque, a school, and chapel in Senegal's southern city of Ziguinchor.

Beytullah Gümüş, a second-year student of media studies, will work on Ottoman heritage restoration projects launched by TİKA in Algeria.

Abdullah Atala, a law student from Marmara University, said he will help paint a school and clean cultural landmarks in Algeria.