Employee Volunteer Projects
Albaraka Türk Search and Rescue Team (ATAK)
In February 2023, following the earthquake disaster, the Bank established the Albaraka Türk Search and Rescue Team (ATAK) consisting of 32 volunteer personnel. Throughout 2023, the ATAK Team received training in search and rescue techniques from officials from the NESAR National Emergency Search and Rescue Association, which is accredited by the Ministry of Interior's Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD). As a result of classroom and field trainings, the ATAK Team will be able to participate in search and rescue activities.
Albaraka Türk Social Responsibility Club
The Social Responsibility Club, in which Albaraka Türk employees voluntarily participate, organizes events and aid campaigns, and reaches out to and supports individuals in need.
Albaraka Day
On the 20th anniversary of Al Baraka Group in 2022, the Group launched the first Al Baraka Day in the countries where it operates to share its success with disadvantaged groups.
On Al Baraka Day, all employees of the Group and its subsidiaries, their families and friends participate in service activities in their local communities. During the first Al Baraka Day, more than 200 Al Baraka Group employees, their families and friends touched the lives of thousands of people on three continents.
In this context, clothes, boots and blankets, as well as meals and food parcels, were donated to disadvantaged people. In the field of health, insulin pumps were donated to children, and sports equipment was donated to improve the physical activity and coordination of children with autism and mental disabilities. Funds have also been set up to provide wheelchairs for the disabled, diabetes devices, to cover the cost of treatment for cancer patients and to provide glasses for children.
Employees, their families and friends benefited more than 2,500 people through community projects under Goal 3: "Health and Quality of Life" of the UN SDGs.
Support for the Earthquake Region
Immediately after the earthquake, Albaraka Türk began sending relief supplies to the region. Organized with the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency (AFAD) of the Ministry of Interior, the Kahramanmaraş Maturation Institute of the Ministry of National Education, the Turkish Red Crescent and various NGOs, Albaraka Türk continued to provide cash and in-kind support, particularly containers and search and rescue equipment, throughout the year in line with the needs in the region.
Albaraka Türk's support for the Kahramanmaraş Maturation Institute, which is affiliated with the Ministry of National Education's General Directorate of Lifelong Learning, aimed to contribute to healing the wounds of the earthquake. The Institute, which has set out with the slogan "We heal by producing", provided sewing training for earthquake victims. With the project, which was prepared with the belief in the healing power of production, the trainings, which started from scratch and where designs appealing to people of all age groups were made, resulted in the production and sale of products for the needs. In this way, earthquake victims who participated in production contributed to the home economies of earthquake victims.
In addition, the Bank distributed winter clothes to hundreds of earthquake-affected children in the region in cooperation with the Umuda Koşanlar Association, İnsan İzi Association, Mavera Foundation and Tebessüm Association. The Bank also supported Umuda Koşanlar Association's library project in Elbistan, İnsan İzi Association's playground installation and children's festival project in Adıyaman, and the distribution of hot meals in the region with the İnsan Foundation.
Gokido, one of Albaraka Garage's StartUps, is a technology initiative that develops smart canes for visually impaired children. With Albaraka Türk's support, events were organized in earthquake-affected Adana, Gaziantep and Hatay and 75 visually impaired children were presented with smart canes.