The social responsibility project titled “I Saw, I Remembered, I Told”, carried out by the Department of Health Care Services of our Vocational School, was successfully implemented at the Private MIA Nursing Home and Elderly Care Center.

The project was planned within the scope of the Social Responsibility course, and the project consultancy was undertaken by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kuddusi KARABODUK. Our Department Chair, Prof. Dr. Meltem UZUNHİSARCIKLI, also participated in the event and provided her support. The project was conducted through the collaboration of students enrolled in the course (Havvanur SARAL, Seyide Nilsu SARIKABAK, Büşra ALTUN, Ali Eren TAYMAZ, Özge ARSLAN, İrem GÜZYURDU) and volunteer students (Kevser KANTARCI, Merve PAYDAR, Yüksel Buse AYDIN).

Within the scope of the project, scenes selected from books were illustrated by our students. On the day of the event, these drawings were shown to the nursing home residents; they were encouraged to share what the scenes reminded them of, which emotions they evoked, and which memories they brought back to life.

In the second stage of the event, elderly individuals were asked to illustrate a scene they remembered from books and visualized mentally, either by themselves or with the help of our students. This process enabled elderly individuals to express their memories, share their emotions, and actively participate; at the same time, it provided a meaningful experience for our students by strengthening intergenerational communication. The event was completed in an atmosphere that was productive and emotionally rich for both sides.

We would like to thank the management of the institution and our University, as well as the staff members of the Private MIA Nursing Home and Elderly Care Center, Hatice DAĞLI YAĞICI, Hüda KAHRAMAN CEVİZ, and Burçin ÜLGER, for their support and contributions in bringing this meaningful project to life.