Saruhan Singen: "To be a human being is not only just breathing and living an easy life!"
BPP: Identity: Who you are? And who you
really are?
Saruhan Singen: My name is
Saruhan Singen, i was born in 1952 in İstanbul. I living in Turkey since i was born. I am an architect and I was graduated from İstanbul Tecnical
University at 1975. I have a daughter 30 years old who she has mental disabled
and I have also a son aged 23.
Children & relatives outside Down Cafe, Istanbul, Turkey
Opening Down Cafe
Saruhan Singen: During the birth of my daughter, the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Αs you propably understand, this was doctor's mistake.When we understood her problem, my daughter was 3 years old. Her problem made me and 14 other people who also have mental disabled children to created
İZEV (İstanbul Mental Disabled People Foundation). Now I'm member of İZEV and
general secretary of foundation.
Saruhan Singen outside Down Cafe, Istanbul, Turkey
BPP: If you could say something
important you've learned all these years of your life, to the other people and
they were able to listen to you, what would you like to tell them?
Saruhan Singen: I have
only one thing to say to people : these children are an award to us all. I've heard many times that some inefficient people are hide, punish or keep in their homes those
children.I want to tell them that to be a human being is not only just breathing and
living an easy life!
Children working at Down Cafe, Istanbul
BPP: What is your real dream, the one
that keeps you awake at nights and if one day it will come true, you will feel
your heart calm and peacefull?
Saruhan Singen: My dream
is to create a villige for these childiren to live in it with everything they
want.
BPP: How is life for the people in your
country today? What do you wish to happen to them and to the people of this
planet at large?
Saruhan Singen: Turkey
is generous country; we have everything we need, just we don't know how to use it. In
my country people are so close to disabled children and full of respecl for them, but nobody knew anytihnga bout them ten years ago, until the moment IZEV was created.
Opening of Down Cafe in Istanbul
Children working at Down Cafe in Istanbul
BPP: If you had the chance to be a child
again, will you choose to do the same life you do?
Saruhan Singen: I'm so
happy to live my life and i don't want to change anything of it.
Stuff of Down Cafe in Istanbul
BPP: Which exactly was the moment you
understood what you want to do in your life? How did you feel at this very
moment?
Saruhan Singen: I was so
confused and i don't had any idea about it. I started a research about disabled children and during my research, i met some people and we created IZEV. We learned to live together with our children in peace.
The interior of Down Cafe in Istanbul
The interior of Down Cafe in Istanbul
BPP: Something yours:
Do you want to tell us something we didn't ask you until now?
Saruhan Singen: After of
all, i'm so happy to have my daughter, my family and IZEV.
A music nigth at Down Cafe in Istanbul
If you want to learn more about Down Cafe & IZEV, visit:
Images courtesy: Saruhan Singen. All rights reserved
You are an absolute inspiration!
ReplyDelete