Coming into KORI as a young mum with three children, Ayse had a lot of questions: How do I protect my children? How do I heal myself? How do I give them the opportunities I never had?
KORI, for her, became the answer.
Her children found confidence, creativity, and place that allowed them to be themselves. Her eldest son, who struggled with bullying, dyslexia, a stutter, and low confidence, found a community that saw his potential and allowed him to be himself freely. Today, he is a poet and works in the mental health sector.
For her daughter, KORI was the place where she discovered her hidden talents and passions. She learned about her love for singing, dancing, and performing. Today, she is in Japan, pursuing her own path and teaching.
KORI changed Ayse too.
She began as a parent volunteer, eventually becoming centre manager first, and trustee later on. She describes KORI as the beginning of her own healing journey. KORI gave her confidence, opened doors, and showed her that she was more capable than what she gave herself credit for.
“I have seen first-hand the ripple effect my healing has had on my children”, Ayse says. That ripple effect is what KORI is about: A child finds their confidence, a parent finds theirs, a young person discovers what they can become, and one day they come back to help another young person do the same.
For Ayse, KORI was not simply an organisation that her children attended. It became a family. And once you are part of that family, she says, “you are there for as long as you need it”.
