Our story of active kindness to children started with the Bookmark Project in 2011, in which we made bookmarks embellished with cartoons at Boğaziçi University. Thousands of students from dozens of universities got involved, collecting donations at various events, and giving bookmarks, key rings, and notepads to donors. Our project grew in a very short period of time.  

As fruits of our efforts, we funded 21 cataract operations in Africa in a three-year-period. Then we built our first permanent works, which are an orphanage for 46 children in Malawi, one of Africa's poorest countries, and a school for 360 students in Pattani, south of Thailand, as a gift to children. Additionally, we brought together philanthropists, and contributed to meeting the needs of hundreds of orphans every month. 

In 2014, we founded the İyilikhane Orphan Solidarity Association and focused solely upon orphan children. Our voluntary activities were recognised in national and international media and awarded with a “Courage Award” and an “International Kindness Award”. However, we decided to continue our work at home and abroad with a more inclusive agenda to serve orphan children as well as needy children whose fathers are alive but living under very difficult conditions. Hence, we changed the name of our association to İyilikhane Association for Children in 2017.

Since the first day, we set out with the intention of making children smile, and we continue to touch tiny hearts and spread goodness regardless of language, religion, race, location and gender. With the support of over 8000 volunteers and benefactors, 

  • We have had an orphanage built in Bangladesh for 170 children – the third permanent work of ours.
  • We have regularly supported and still continue to support hundreds of orphans and children in need by expanding our Orphan Sponsorship Rings.
  • In Istanbul, we have visited the homes of children in need, including orphans and refugees, and provided them with humanitarian aid such as food, clothes, school uniforms, stationery, etc., and these visits and provisions are ongoing.
  • In the Affinity Project (an initiative to facilitate refugee children to adapt to our country where they have taken refuge), we have brought together refugee children who live in financial difficulties with our university student/graduate volunteers, and we have supported the establishment of secure bonds which we believe heal both sides. Again, this work is continuous.
  • We have also organised campaigns periodically; delivered festive gifts, winter clothes and emergency supplies to children; and organised children's iftars, picnics and gatherings, to leave pleasant memories in the minds of children. These achievements with our volunteers have spanned four years so far, and, as you may imagine, we have plans to keep going.
  • In many projects that directly give ongoing support to children, we have enabled hundreds of volunteers to participate vigorously and to achieve beneficial transitions in their own developments while facilitating changes that increase possibilities for children. And in different opportunities to aid children, we have facilitated thousands of volunteers to process funds from numerous donors. From a small beginning, we have kept growing, and we invite everyone to explore our website and join our kindness movement.

Iyilikhane Child Association has the right to collect aid with the approvals of 124747 issued by the Provincial Civil Society Relations Directorate of Istanbul Governorship in accordance with Article 7 of the Law No. 2860 on Charity Collection. The Tax Office is Fatih and the tax number is 4830345289. The activities of the association are supervised by the Provincial Civil Society Relations Directorate of Istanbul Governorship in accordance with Article 16 of the Law No. 2860 on Charity Collection.