Waterdrop, an initiative by Turkey's Ministry of Youth and Sports, recruits Turkish and foreign university students for a tour of Turkey on different social responsibility projects.
Some 2,076 volunteers have so far visited 75 cities in Turkey and abroad, taking part in cleaning work, visiting disadvantaged people to boost their morale and raising awareness on their problems.
The participants first take classes on how to do volunteer work and are taught about sustainability, environmental projects and empathy. Divided into groups of 45 people, volunteers who study at Turkish universities hit the road "to build bridges to hearts."
Every group is sent to a different city where they visit schools in remote areas, houses, community centers for the disabled and nursing homes. They also do cleaning work on the streets and cemeteries in every city they visit. Taking notes of complaints by the people they visited, they present a report at the end of each visit.
Metin Ayvazoğlu, Ministry of Youth and Sports adviser, told Anadolu Agency (AA) that the project aims to contribute to youth's perception in volunteer work and educate them as individuals with social responsibilities.
"In every city, they reach out to the community for 10 days by visiting schools, hospitals, nursing homes, and rehabilitation centers. So far, they have met about 450,000 people, listening to them and their needs," he said.
Noufou Ouedraogo, a Burkinabe student who volunteered for the project, said the project helped everyone gain a new perspective on volunteer work and he was impressed with what he witnessed during his visits. "Together, we can build a stronger and more just community. We hope to heal wounds," he said.
Amr Mohammad, a Yemeni volunteer who has been studying in Turkey for the past six years, has been participating in the project for three years. "I am happy to be a part of this project that starts and ends with goodness," he says.
Emre Ertürk, a Turkish student, says the project is built upon goodness, generosity and empathy. "I had the chance to see firsthand what the books have taught us about values," he said.
