Photographer and motorcycle enthusiast İlker Kül decided years ago to dedicate his entire life to children attending village schools. Stating that they have fulfilled the dreams of 9,000 children in eight years, İlker Kül, “We want to help as many children as we can” said. Kül explained that they launched the project in 2016 with the aim of photographing 1,000 motorcyclists and delivering gifts to 1,000 children, adding that over time, many more people than just motorcyclists have supported the project by participating in photo shoots with various concepts.
Photographer İlker Kül resigned from his job eight years ago and charted a new path for his life. İlker Kül's project, which started bringing aid to children in village schools with the '1000 Motorcyclists and 1000 Children' project, has now become a source of hope for thousands of children. İlker Kül stated that together with his volunteer teammates, they have touched the lives and dreams of 9,284 children so far, and that they have made great efforts for the educational and social lives of children attending village schools.
Kül stated that through the '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project, they have so far touched the lives of children attending village schools in Şırnak, Van, Ağrı, Kars, Urfa, Kahramanmaraş, Kütahya, Malatya, Afyon, Muğla, Batman, Samsun, Antakya, Bitlis, Hatay and Hakkari, and said, “We want to help as many children as we can”.
Kül explained that they launched the project eight years ago with the aim of photographing 1,000 motorcyclists and delivering gifts to 1,000 children, adding that over time, many more people than just motorcyclists have supported the project by participating in photo shoots with various concepts.
You can make a child happy by joining the project
With the '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project, many village schools have been visited so far, and happiness has been gifted to children in need. To take part in this project, which was launched to contribute to the educational and social lives of children attending village schools, it is enough to step in front of the camera.
With a small contribution to the '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project for photo shoots, you can get an album consisting of approximately 40 photographs that you will enjoy looking at for years. Moreover, you will also be gifting a package containing necessary items to children attending village schools.
It is also possible to join the project by doing concept photo shoots. Commercial photo shoots are also very popular in this project, where each shoot meets the needs of one child. For example, it is possible to participate in the project by shooting for a hotel or a factory.
All income generated is spent on the children's needs. Packages prepared with love and according to the children's needs are delivered to schools by İlker Kül and his volunteer friends, traveling countless kilometers on motorcycles, day and night.
For detailed information about the project, you can visit the 1000motorcu1000cocuk Facebook and Instagram social media accounts. You can read much more detail in our news story with İlker Kül…
When and how did you start the '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project? With how many people do you run your project?
First of all, I want to say that I love children very much. For many years, in my spare time from my business life, I organized educational camps for children. I visited village schools in Anatolia and brought aid to children struggling to study amidst financial difficulties. Throughout all this time, my dream was to support the educational needs of more children and to improve their difficult living conditions, even if only a little. Finally, in May 2016, I took a step to realize this dream and launched the '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project. The project has constantly changing supporters. We go to village schools with different people on each tour. Our number of social media supporters has reached 18 thousand. This number continues to increase day by day.
How many children have you reached so far, and how many children do you aim to reach in the short and long term?
In eight years, we have reached 9,284 children. We have touched almost 1,000 children each year and have arranged for nearly 50 schools to be painted. During the Antakya earthquake, we clothed thousands of children and brought aid to thousands of earthquake victims. Also in Antakya, our three temporary nurseries are still operating. We participated in forest fire response teams and provided material support. We will continue to bring aid to children and also continue painting schools. On the other hand, we rolled up our sleeves for the construction of a new reinforced concrete nursery in Hakkari Şemdinli. At the request of the District Governor of Hakkari Şemdinli, we will build a nursery with a capacity for 30 children. With the contributions of our supporters, we will have touched the lives of 30 more children.
With what motivation did İlker Kül implement this project? Can you briefly describe the change in your life after starting the project?
The '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project gave me the opportunity to bring together three things I love most in life: children, my passion for motorcycles, and photography… I resigned from my job where I worked as a sales director for 18 years, lived homeless for the first four years, and was a guest in 210 homes across Turkey. For the past four years, I have been living with my daughter and earning my income from photography.
Where does the project's name come from? Can you tell us the reason for choosing motorcycles as the vehicle when implementing the project?
The aim of the project was to photograph 1,000 motorcyclists and deliver gifts to 1,000 children. However, over time, we have supported the project by photographing people from all kinds of professional groups, far more than just motorcyclists. Although the concept has changed a bit, we have not changed the name of our project. With this project, I have combined three things I love, and my mode of transport has always been a motorcycle.
We know that you obtain the project's financing through photo shoots. Can you share the details on this topic?
By doing concept shoots, each shoot we do meets the needs of one child. Commercial shoots are, of course, included in this... For example, when a hotel or factory shoot is requested, the pricing may be slightly different, but ultimately, every shoot means one child. Moreover, when doing these shoots, we also include video shoots in the work.
What needs of children do you meet? What type and amount of essential supplies are in the package?
We gather all the needs a child might have in a year into one package. We place many necessities such as coats, boots, stationery, toys, and personal care products into the same package. Although the actual commercial cost of the package is around 2,000 lira, with the support of our sponsors, we can produce it for 1,300 lira.
Can you tell us about the motorcyclists who volunteer in the project? Can you briefly describe the world of motorcyclists?
On each tour, we share our departure date on our social media account. Those who wish to participate can contact us. Since our journey is long and difficult, we accept somewhat high-cc motorcycles for our tours. We were able to go on our last tour with four motorcycles. The outbound journey alone took three days due to severe winter conditions. We went to Hakkari-Şemdinli, struggled a lot on the roads, and were exposed to extreme cold. However, none of us complained, and by supporting each other, we completed this tour without problems. I think the greatest characteristics I would mention for motorcyclists are feelings of mutual aid and perseverance.
How can those interested donate or support the project?
We get all our materials from Ercanlar Stationery, located in Muğla, which provides us with logistics, storage, materials at affordable prices, and is also our sponsor. We share the company's account with those who wish to support us, and they can pay for as many children's packages as they like and send us the receipt so we can track it. In return for their payment, they receive an invoice.
Can you tell us about the sponsors who have supported the project on this journey of yours? What kind of help have you accepted so far?
We are open to all kinds of help. For example, one company might cover the maintenance of my motorcycle, another company the tires of my vehicle, and yet another might cover my insurance costs. In today's conditions, our biggest problem is fuel sponsorship. We have had gasoline sponsors from time to time. There are also those who sponsor school paint. By supporting with materials, they enabled the completion of our work. We have had sponsors who supported us in many areas such as hand cream, toothbrushes, and toothpaste. I can multiply these examples. Ultimately, our companies can sponsor every material we bring to the children.
Many people are concerned that donations do not go to the right place. How do you provide assurance to your supporters in this regard?
We really want our supporters to come with us for distribution. However, for those who cannot come, we share every school we visit and our distributions one-on-one on social media.
What kinds of help are you open to? What kind of support do you expect from your donors to reach more children?
Our biggest problem is fuel sponsorship. Additionally, we have recently acquired a pickup truck to paint schools and transport materials to our nurseries. That vehicle also needs maintenance and fuel sponsorship.
How many companies have you received support from so far? What would you like to say to new sponsors of your project?
So far, we have received support from nearly 30 companies, including global ones. Some of these have been supporting our project since its inception. By discussing with potential new sponsors, we can first determine which needs will be supported and how. We can proceed by discussing how the sponsor will contribute to the project and how we can benefit our sponsor.
If we need to advertise goodness, what would you like to tell us? What kind of support have you received from whom so far? We would like to create awareness by naming them…
So far, four companies, from Russia (Lukoil), Japan (Honda and Yamaha), and France, have been our direct sponsors. Honda has been a sponsor of our project for five years. With so many foreign companies sponsoring, why shouldn't Turkish companies take care of their own children!!!
How can I participate in the 1000 motorcyclists 1000 children project?
By paying a small fee, you can stand in front of İlker Kül's lens and get an album consisting of 40 photographs. Additionally, you can do a concept shoot, photographing your company or your work, and participate in the '1000 Motorcyclists 1000 Children' project. In this way, a package containing the needs of a child attending a village school will be gifted in your name. You can find details on the 1000motorcu1000cocuk Facebook and Instagram social media accounts.
This content has been translated using artificial intelligence technology.