Within the context of "Animal Friendly Schools Project", animal shelters built jointly by teachers and students from recycled materials will be distributed to all schools in İzmir. Free animal homes will be placed at the entrance of all schools in the city.

 

Both students and volunteers in the neighborhood will provide food for "People's best friends" living in these shelters.

 

Provincial directorate of national education has been carrying out the project in order to teach students to care for stray animals and provide shelter and food for them. Vocational high schools are building homes for animals that will protect them from heavy weather conditions.

 

Minister of National Education Ziya Selçuk shared the photo of homes with the note saying that, "My colleagues giving Furniture and Interior Design courses and their volunteer students are building these great homes from recycled wood. Our goal is to reach all school gardens. Let Pergel's friend hear this news" in his social media account.

 

11th grade student from Çiğli 75. Yıl Vocational and Technical Anatolia High School who volunteered in the project said that she is studying in the furniture department of the schools and she aims at becoming an interior architect. Gökeş said that she has been building shelters for stray cats and dogs with her classmates for some time adding that, "I have 7 cats at home and I am every sensitive about animals. Working for stray animals is giving me comfort. I am happy and optimistic. I hope all people would feel the same."

 

Meanwhile, another volunteer student Çağrı Atalay stressed that stray animals are having more difficult times as many people started to stay at home after the Covid-19 pandemic.

 

"Stray cats and dogs are our best friends and I feel special feelings when I work for them. We are building homes for them so that they can be saved from the streets. It usually takes a week to build a home for stray animals," said Atalay.

 

Furniture and Interior Design Department Chief of the school Mahmut Koç stressed that his school has been working for years in an effort to provide shelters for stray animals. Recently, his school joined the campaign organized by the provincial directorate of national education and designed many warm homes for animals. Koç went on to say: "Our teachers and students are working in an effort to protect animals from the heat of the summer and cold of the winter and keep them warm during rainy and muddy weather. As a result of our efforts, many animals are now living in warm homes that we built for them. We are teachers. We have to teach our students how to protect and care for animals. We are well aware that we may not reach our target right away but including students such projects will give more effective and permanent results. Our studies and efforts are based on volunteering. If we manage to teach our students to show compassion to animals, we will succeed in saving not only today but also the future."