Ugandan children smiled with the help of TDV

KAMPALA (AA) – ALİ RIZA AKKIR – Volunteers and staff of the Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV) made children in Uganda happy by distributing gifts during Eid al-Adha. Officials and volunteers who come to the East African country Uganda within the scope of the “2026 Sacrifice by Proxy Program” jointly carried out by the Presidency of Religious Affairs and TDV do not forget the children in their work in the rural areas of 10 cities of the country.

Staff and volunteers came together with orphaned children in rural areas and shared their happiness with the balloons and various gifts they gave them. Officials and volunteers visited the Rose Masjid built by TDV in the city of Luwero and distributed various gifts to the children staying in the orphanage in the region. Yusuf Bozkurt, who participated in the program voluntarily from Fethiye, told the AA reporter that he had been watching similar programs on television for years.

Stating that the region is very different from watching it on television or hearing from others, Bozkurt said, “All the children we help are orphans. There are many orphans in the region. I would like our Muslim brothers in Turkey to visit this region, based on the sunnah of our Prophet, ‘Muslims are only brothers.’ Even if they cannot, they should support the poor, Muslim people and orphans in the region. “We carried out this process professionally with the help of the Turkish Religious Foundation.” he said.

– “Seeing, experiencing and knowing this place is completely different.” Bozkurt said: “In our country, we enjoy sharing something. We could not experience this happiness here. My heart sank when I saw the expression in the children’s eyes. The work we do here has become a matter of conscience rather than happiness for me. Let’s not say that there is a smile on the faces of these children, but there is sadness and sorrow of being an orphan.

The happiness of receiving a small balloon turned us into sadness. Of course, there is also peace in making children happy. Seeing this place, experiencing it and getting to know it is completely different.”