SYMBIOSIS Health, Education, and Nature Volunteers

About Us
Our Goal Members News Story of a social entrepreneurship from our president Click on the link to watch the video www.gelecekdaha.net/default.aspx AAA Humanitarian Award Aysen Erdil, chief of audiology at the American Hospital in Istanbul, is the epitome of humanitarian good deeds. Recognizing unmet health-care needs in underdeveloped regions of her native Turkey and its neighboring countries, she created a non-governmental organization (NGO), Symbiosis, in 1999 to address those needs. Erdil organized teams of physicians from the hospital, who volunteered their vacation time to provide basic health-care services. These NGO’s teams, led by Erdil, have provided much needed care over the past 10 years in the rural areas of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan and Nepal. Soon after the Symbiosis teams began delivering services, Erdil added audiological testing as another dimension of the Symbiosis delivery system; a hearing care service much appreciated by villagers who would not otherwise have it available to them. Always pushing out the envelope of meeting needs, Erdil introduced OAE newborn hearing screening five years ago in the areas served by the Symbiosis teams. Her most recent humanitarian endeavor, started in 2008, is the development of the Special Olympics Healthy Hearing Program in Turkey for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Aysen Erdil certainly exemplifies the spirit of the Academy’s Humanitarian Award. Ayşen Erdil's speech at the Award Ceremony Download as PDF Download As Doc Environmental Awareness and Education Meeting On 17 February 2009, our group was given a course on “Environmental Awareness and Management of our Natural Resources” by TEMA, a leading environmental NGO in Turkiye. We will make good use and share this valuable information and its applications about the protection of our planet with everybody and in all aspects of our future work. Training in Turkey on Pediatric Surgery offered to an Afghan Doctor Symbiosis – Health, Education and Nature Volunteers had made its first health screening trip to Afghanistan in May 2008. Our group felt quite upset, amidst others, by the total lack of pediatric surgery in this country. When we met a young, enthusiastic doctor in Shibirgan ready to do more, upon our return, we contacted many hospitals for a scholarship and training for him. Our search was successful. Dr. Sukrullah Amin came to Turkey on February 19th, 2009 and has started a 3 month training in pediatric surgery in the Sisli Etfal Hospital in Istanbul. Dr. Amin, on his return will start the Pediatric Surgery section of the Shibirgan Childrens Hospital were he works. Success with the Trees Planted in Yalova Last Year We had previously informed you that on April 2008 Symbiosis Members had prepared the ground, planted, fertilized, and pruned 29 various plants composed of 16 different species including 6 tree species like lime, almond and judas trees in the spacious gardens of the School for the Intellectually Disabled Children in Yalova district. We re-visited the school on March 7th 2009 and were happy to see that in spite of a long, dry summer last year the garden was in very good shape, well tended and that all the trees were covered with buds.

About Us

Story of a social entrepreneurship from our president

Click on the link to watch the video

www.gelecekdaha.net/default.aspx

AAA Humanitarian Award

Aysen Erdil, chief of audiology at the American Hospital in Istanbul, is the epitome of humanitarian good deeds. Recognizing unmet health-care needs in underdeveloped regions of her native Turkey and its neighboring countries, she created a non-governmental organization (NGO), Symbiosis, in 1999 to address those needs. Erdil organized teams of physicians from the hospital, who volunteered their vacation time to provide basic health-care services. These NGO’s teams, led by Erdil, have provided much needed care over the past 10 years in the rural areas of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Afghanistan and Nepal. Soon after the Symbiosis teams began delivering services, Erdil added audiological testing as another dimension of the Symbiosis delivery system; a hearing care service much appreciated by villagers who would not otherwise have it available to them. Always pushing out the envelope of meeting needs, Erdil introduced OAE newborn hearing screening five years ago in the areas served by the Symbiosis teams. Her most recent humanitarian endeavor, started in 2008, is the development of the Special Olympics Healthy Hearing Program in Turkey for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Aysen Erdil certainly exemplifies the spirit of the Academy’s Humanitarian Award.

Ayşen Erdil's speech at the Award Ceremony

Download as PDF Download As Doc

Environmental Awareness and Education Meeting

On 17 February 2009, our group was given a course on “Environmental Awareness and Management of our Natural Resources” by TEMA, a leading environmental NGO in Turkiye. We will make good use and share this valuable information and its applications about the protection of our planet with everybody and in all aspects of our future work.

Training in Turkey on Pediatric Surgery offered to an Afghan Doctor

Symbiosis – Health, Education and Nature Volunteers had made its first health screening trip to Afghanistan in May 2008. Our group felt quite upset, amidst others, by the total lack of pediatric surgery in this country.

When we met a young, enthusiastic doctor in Shibirgan ready to do more, upon our return, we contacted many hospitals for a scholarship and training for him. Our search was successful. Dr. Sukrullah Amin came to Turkey on February 19th, 2009 and has started a 3 month training in pediatric surgery in the Sisli Etfal Hospital in Istanbul. Dr. Amin, on his return will start the Pediatric Surgery section of the Shibirgan Childrens Hospital were he works.

Success with the Trees Planted in Yalova Last Year

We had previously informed you that on April 2008 Symbiosis Members had prepared the ground, planted, fertilized, and pruned 29 various plants composed of 16 different species including 6 tree species like lime, almond and judas trees in the spacious gardens of the School for the Intellectually Disabled Children in Yalova district.

We re-visited the school on March 7th 2009 and were happy to see that in spite of a long, dry summer last year the garden was in very good shape, well tended and that all the trees were covered with buds.