Buddhist Compassion Relief Tzu Chi Foundation

May is a month to warm the hearts and celebrate Mother's Day. In addition, the El Menahil International School in Istanbul, Türkiye had a special event everyone was eagerly awaiting – a soccer match! On the afternoon of May 11, 2023, the ninth and tenth-grade students had a friendly match; the ninth-grade team emerged as the winner. The students joyfully cheered and congratulated each other.

On that day, the school’s Mandarin class, under the guidance of Teacher Nadya Chou, held a creative activity with the students. They made bouquets of love-filled flowers and gratitude cards to convey warm blessings to their mothers.

Striving with Willpower

In addition to daily academic pursuits, the school places great emphasis on sports and health, particularly to encourage soccer, the favorite sport of the students. Highly competitive, soccer not only trains players' willpower but also fosters a positive and determined spirit.

It requires intense competition and relies on teamwork; each class plays  twice a week under the guidance of teachers. On the afternoon of May 11, a soccer match was held.

To boost morale, the teachers carefully prepared trophies and medals to inspire a sense of pride in the children and motivate them to strive for glory for themselves and their team and ultimately gain self-affirmation.

Releasing the Dream

The school organizes soccer competitions as extracurricular entertainment for students. It aims to cultivate their physical and mental well-being while nurturing their soccer dreams. Additionally, the school wants to establish an El Menahil soccer team in the future; this would allow children to participate in inter-school competitions and shine in pursuit of their soccer dreams.

The Sports Activities Committee provides weekly training sessions to enhance the skills of the young players. Furthermore, they actively plan soccer training camps to prepare for upcoming inter-school competitions in Istanbul.

"This team was formed recently because, in the past few years, we have been observing students and nurturing their abilities," said Zaid Zam, a devoted teacher who has been wholeheartedly accompanying the children in their practice. "We hope that, in the future, the El Menahil school team will become a professional team in soccer competitions in the new school."

He sees the spark in the children's eyes. But the school lacks its own practice field and has temporarily rented fields outside. While the journey to nurturing professional players is a long one, he believes that, with dedication, dreams can come true, and the students will surely shine on the soccer field.

A Jing Si Aphorism says: “Education is about giving, and it should be given wholeheartedly.”

Join Tzu Chi. Let us bring hope and confidence to our next generation.

Story by Xiu-ling Wu, Nadya Chou, Türkiye Report, 2023/05/30)