‘Dobidob’ Sets Off

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO), and Izmir University of Economics (IUE) introduced the mobile education bus named ‘Dobidob’, which they prepared to raise awareness of recycling among children, the architects of the future. Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “Believe me, as this bus travels, it will spread awareness and increase goodness. We want children in this city to grow up not only by playing games but also by protecting the world they live in.” IZTO Chairman of the Board Mahmut Özgener stated that the Dobidob Education Bus will primarily reach children with more limited access to resources and said, “I would like to thank everyone who contributed to the realization of this meaningful project, which is a beautiful example of the harmony and cooperation in our city.”

The Mobile Education Bus, prepared in cooperation with Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, Izmir Chamber of Commerce (IZTO), and Izmir University of Economics (IUE) to instill recycling awareness in children, was introduced as part of the April 23rd National Sovereignty and Children's Day events. The ceremony held at Gaziemir Izmir Chamber of Commerce Primary and Secondary School was attended by Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay, Izmir Chamber of Commerce Chairman of the Board and IUE President of the Board of Trustees Mahmut Özgener, IUE Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu, Balçova Mayor Onur Yiğit, Gaziemir Vice Mayor Ramazan Özkan, IZTO Assembly Speaker Selami Özpoyraz, Aegean Region Chamber of Industry Assembly Speaker H. İbrahim Gökçüoğlu, Izmir Commodity Exchange Vice Chairman of the Board Ercan Korkmaz, ESHOT General Manager Övünç Özgen, Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Vice Secretaries General Prof. Dr. Pınar Okyay and İsmail Mutaf, provincial directorate of national education bureaucrats, political party representatives, bureaucrats from public institutions and organizations, heads and representatives of chambers, associations, and non-governmental organizations, students, and their parents. Students performed folk dances at the ceremony.

TUGAY: “THE FIRST STEP OF TRANSFORMATION”

Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “We are gifting not just a bus, but a hope, a dream, and a future to you, our precious children. This Mobile Education Bus was designed with the efforts of young people and the dreams of our children affected by the earthquake, within the scope of the Collective Social Responsibility Project. While this bus offers a 5-stage experience combining play and education, it also opens the door to an environmentally conscious life. Sustainability was taken as a basis in the design of the bus, not only the imagination of children. The separation of plastic, glass, metal, and paper waste, and the importance of recycling have been made an important part of this module to raise ecological awareness in our children at a young age. Because we know that the clean air of the future will be possible with today's conscious children.”

Stating that recycling transforms not only waste but also the world, Mayor Tugay said, “We are taking the first step of transformation today with this bus. This project aims not only to ensure equality of opportunity in education but also to teach respect for nature. Our children will not only learn by having fun on this bus; they will also experience and learn how a plastic bottle can become a new toy and how a glass jar can be transformed into the future.”

“THE BUS WILL SPREAD AWARENESS AS IT TRAVELS”

Thanking everyone who contributed to the production process of the bus, Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay said, “Believe me, as this bus travels, it will spread awareness and increase goodness. We want to leave not only information but also a consciousness to the children. We want children in this city to grow up not only by playing games but also by protecting the world they live in. We are honored to present this valuable project to our children on this beautiful day. We respectfully commemorate the Great Leader Ghazi Mustafa Kemal Ataturk and his comrades in arms, and sincerely celebrate the holiday of all our children.” Tugay concluded his words by saying, “Long live the Republic, long live our children, long live a future that is respectful to nature, equal, and hopeful!”

ÖZGENER: “THE CHILDREN OF A NATION ARE THE FUTURE OF THAT NATION”

Mahmut Özgener, Chairman of Izmir Chamber of Commerce said, “As our Ancestor Ataturk stated, ‘The children of a nation are the future of that nation’. Education is undoubtedly one of the common and most important values of all of us. Contributing to the good education of children, to whom we entrust our future, is the fundamental duty of each of us as citizens. Moving from this thought, we see education as a whole and believe that it is an ongoing process not only in school but in every area of life. I believe that the Mobile Education Bus project, which brings us together today, fully serves this purpose.” Stating that the Dobidob Education Bus aims to explain the understanding of recycling and waste to children in a fun way, Özgener said, “Traveling on routes primarily planned to cover neighborhoods far from the city center, it will meet with children who have more limited access to resources. I would like to thank everyone who supported us in the realization of this meaningful project, which is a beautiful example of the harmony and cooperation in our city, especially Izmir Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Dr. Cemil Tugay.”

ABACIOĞLU: “THIS BUS IS A SYMBOL OF HOPE”

Izmir University of Economics Rector Prof. Dr. Yusuf Hakan Abacıoğlu, who told the story of the bus's construction and emergence, said, “This bus is a symbol of hope. It shows that we choose to be a part of the solution by joining hands for a sustainable life. It is also a part of the vision of being a university that produces transformative and creative solutions for a sustainable life. It's a small step but valuable.”

WILL EDUCATE CHILDREN

A bus allocated from ESHOT to instill recycling awareness in children was designed by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Didem Kan, a faculty member of the Department of Interior Architecture and Environmental Design at IUE Faculty of Fine Arts and Design, and her students. This design was further developed and implemented by the Izmir Chamber of Commerce Architecture Professional Committee. The bus was named ‘Dobidob’ with the patterns created by the workshops held by children affected by the earthquake who stayed at the IZELMAN guesthouse in Izmir after the earthquake that affected 11 provinces on February 6, 2023. Inside the bus, the transformation of plastic, metal, and glass will be explained to children through games. The interior equipment of the bus was provided by many Professional Committees of the Izmir Chamber of Commerce operating in different sectors. Dobidob will visit primary schools in disadvantaged areas under the coordination of the Provincial Directorate of National Education and provide recycling education there.