Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Aid Foundation (KSV)

We contribute to the Sustainable Developments Goals with our social responsibility activities in the fields of education and employment. Dr. (h.c) Ibrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Aid Foundation (KSV) was founded in 1991 by Kale Group Founder Ibrahim Bodur to make the contributions of Kale Group Companies to society continuous and regular. KSV scholarship program continues its activities within the framework of physical infrastructure investments such as schools, student dormitories, and training centers along with programs realized to develop industry-university cooperation. The activities that KSV has carried out to contribute to society since its establishment are carried out under the pillars of "Education" and "Employment".

Educational Scholarships

850 successful and needy students have been provided with educational scholarships within the scope of the Scholarship Program, which has been going on for many years under the umbrella of KSV. The support provided to students, especially university students, is not limited to financial aid, scholars also receive mentoring support from Kale Group managers as well. Kale Group also gives priority to scholarship students for employment and internship. As KSV organizes programs to contribute to the 21st-century competencies of scholars through the regularly implemented Idea and Project Camps it also brings together scholars and Kale Group managers. Also, within the scope of the scholarship program, KSV Scholars contribute to the Foundation by providing support to new term scholars after taking their first career steps.

Vocational Courses

KSV organizes Vocational Training and Development courses regarding the "Ceramic Floor and Wall Tiling" across the country to supply the Turkish construction sector with skilled employees and provide vocational training to unemployed youth since 1991.

All vocational training activities carried out following the observed skilled employee lack in the construction industry that Kale Group operates in, are implemented within the framework of the cooperation protocol signed in 1991 with the Vocational Training Directorate of the Ministry of National Education of the Republic of Turkey. As a result of these courses, the trainees are given an official certificate approved by the Ministry of National Education.

4,751 unemployed young trainees have acquired professions to the date through the 240 vocational training courses held throughout Turkey. At the same time, 213 Development and Adaptation courses have provided 4,313 qualified specialists to the construction industry.

KSV also supports detainees and sentenced ones to start their new lives full of hope through the courses established in prisons, juvenile detention centers, and reformatories. In addition to these, as a first in Turkey, women craftsmen were trained to be employed in the construction sector under the leadership of KSV. In the project given start in Ankara, unemployed women were provided 424 hours of training in the field of Ceramic Floor and Wall Tile Covering. A total of 69 female constructors completed the program and were entitled to receive vocational qualification certificates.

My First Job is the Transformation in Schools

Bringing together the two fundamental activity fields of KSV, which are education and employment, My First Job is the Transformation in Schools contributed to the renewal of primary schools in across Turkey between 2009 and 2015.

Within the scope of the project under the umbrella of the Vocational Courses that was implemented in 2004, young people graduated from the Ceramic Floor and Wall Covering Vocational Courses realized their training activities in the village schools across Anatolia. Thus, the work carried out in the field of employment contributes to the renovation of village schools and the right of children to access hygiene thanks to the material support provided by Kale Group Companies.

And women constructors received training within the scope of Vocational Training Courses also completed their first internship in a village school, Ankara Gölbaşı Ahiboz Primary School instead of a workshop, and all 25 women constructors masters took part in a social responsibility project in their first job.

In addition to the My First Job is the Transformation in Schools project, in which a total of 130 schools in 24 cities have been renovated to date, an additional project called "We Wanted to Take Something from You as We Go There" has been launched. With the scope of this program, with the participation of Kale Group employees and dealers, school supplies, clothing, shoes, and toys needs of students studying at primary schools are met for a whole year.

PROJECTS

We take care of our country, our tradition, and our future with the social benefit projects we implement.

Ibrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Awards

Ibrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Awards was launched in 2017 to honor the memory and values of Kale Group’s founder Ibrahim Bodur. The Awards program that Kale Group -who aims not only the production and growth but also development through sharing the values it produces with the society- realized in cooperation with the first and widest social entrepreneurship of the world, Ashoka Turkey, adopts the principle of supporting the social entrepreneurs who feel responsible for the world and environment they live in and shows the courage to act to improve the lives in this purpose, and increasing the positive effect that they create.

Considering the scale of the social problems that we face today, we need new business models, initiatives that focus on social benefit and offer alternative solutions to challenges more than ever to ensure inclusive and sustainable development. Kale Group and Ashoka Turkey support social entrepreneurs who take action for a better future and say "it is worthy for the life" through Ibrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Awards. Kale Group aims to take care of our future with the Awards program.

Ibrahim Bodur Social Entrepreneurship Awards evaluates social entrepreneurs who have sustainable and successful pilot implementations along with creative ideas in three different categories. Applications are evaluated on the basis of existing social impact, impact potential, financial sustainability, adequacy, and reliability criteria. The Award winner candidates are entitled to the financial support of Kale Group.

Kale Design and Art Center

We offer a common production and learning space for students, recent graduates, and professionals in the field of art and design.

The foundations of the Kale Design and Art Center (KTSM) project were laid by Kale Group through Dr. (h.c.) Ibrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Aid Foundation and with the financial support of Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA) in 2018. The workshop which was realized under the umbrella of KTSM by transforming the first headquarters of Kale Group in Karakoy is aimed to be center to act as a base for the actors in the field to gather and produce together through talks, exhibitions, and other events and to support the attractive field that it creates. Both with its location and the experience, KTSM aims to contribute to make Istanbul a brand city regarding the creative industries and strengthen the existing infrastructure in this field.

KTSM, where students and newly graduated young professionals learn from each other and produce together, is spread over 500 square meters on a total of five floors. Designed to include a different production and learning area on each floor, the center hosts design and art workshops as well as talks and presentations.

Kale Design and Art Center

We offer a common production and learning space for students, recent graduates, and professionals in the field of art and design.

The foundations of the Kale Design and Art Center (KTSM) project were laid by Kale Group through Dr. (h.c.) Ibrahim Bodur Kaleseramik Education, Health and Social Aid Foundation and with the financial support of Istanbul Development Agency (ISTKA) in 2018. The workshop which was realized under the umbrella of KTSM by transforming the first headquarters of Kale Group in Karakoy is aimed to be center to act as a base for the actors in the field to gather and produce together through talks, exhibitions, and other events and to support the attractive field that it creates. Both with its location and the experience, KTSM aims to contribute to make Istanbul a brand city regarding the creative industries and strengthen the existing infrastructure in this field.

KTSM, where students and newly graduated young professionals learn from each other and produce together, is spread over 500 square meters on a total of five floors. Designed to include a different production and learning area on each floor, the center hosts design and art workshops as well as talks and presentations.

Çanakkale on My Mind

We contribute to the livability and sustainability of Çanakkale.

Çanakkale on My Mind was realized in 2017 in cooperation with Kale Group and Turkey Informatics Foundation and under the direction of Novusens Smart Cities Institute, with the aim to increase the competitive power of Çanakkale in the national and global levels, by supporting the livability and sustainability of Çanakkale -the land where Kale Group was born- through technology.

The aim of the project pioneered by Kale Group on its 60th anniversary is to contribute to the smart city transformation journey of Çanakkale, which is located on the Istanbul-Izmir axis and located in the heart of a region called the Golden Circle.

In today's world where the great demographic transformation of the world makes smart growth a necessity for cities, it is of great importance to use limited resources effectively by today and to establish smart growth strategies of the cities for the future. Taking action to add value to the land where it was born and to contribute to the growth of Çanakkale in accordance with the principles of smart cities, Kale Group aims to protect its homeland with Çanakkale on My Mind.

One of the contributions of the Çanakkale on My Mind Project so far has been that Çanakkale, together with the city of Tarragona in Spain, benefited from the "City Twinning Project" grant between Turkey and the European Union with its "Partnership for Smart Cities of the Future" project.

Çanakkale on My Mind project was awarded the Best Social Responsibility Project award at the "Sign of the City Awards 2019" where Turkey's most prestigious real estate projects are evaluated.

Sons of Gallipoli

We take care of the historical and cultural heritage of Çanakkale.

Kale Group has realized various projects to remember the Sons of Gallipoli and the sacrifices made for these lands all the time by embracing the history and the tradition of Çanakkale.

Sons of Gallipoli Interactive Documentary

On the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli campaign, an interactive digital documentary was launched to commemorate the heroes lost in Çanakkale with respect and to keep their memories alive.

The documentary, which tells the story of the Gallipoli campaign 100 years later from the perspectives of two mothers, one Turkish and the other Anzac, makes a difference with its engaging story, impressive narrative, and extensive archive studies. The documentary of 11 episodes prepared by an international team with a global perspective, consists of a 300-document archive and 38 interactive maps of the battle zone.

Art Projects

We work to transfer our rich cultural heritage, especially ceramic art, to new generations.

Kale Group sees supporting projects developed to protect our cultural heritage as a part of its corporate responsibility. And it has been the patron of many projects in the field of culture and art since the Group's foundation. Kale Group continues to contribute to the productions of both ancient and new generation artists in order to transfer our rich cultural heritage, especially ceramic arts, to new generations.

Füreya

Kale Group realized the most comprehensive exhibition in the field of ceramics with a selection of works by Füreya Koral, one of Turkey's first contemporary ceramic artists in the 60th anniversary of Kale Group.

The aim of the exhibition which based on the idea of "to understand as well as to commemorate" and "to tell" and was curated by Károly Aliotti, Nilüfer Şaşmazer, Farah Aksoy, is to meet Füreya -who never gave up despite all the challenges- with the new generation with all her aspects on the point where the tradition and innovation gather together; and to inspire many Füreyas whom will emerge from these lands, to meet masses with ceramic and design.

Füreya Exhibition, which opened its doors on 18 November 2017 after more than a year of preparation, was extended until 28 January 2018 upon popular demand. Visited by more than 50 thousand people during this period, the exhibition was not only Füreya's most comprehensive retrospective, but at the same time, it supported young artists with the scholarship fund created with the income from the products sold in the store. The exhibition, which was enlivened with workshops called Füreya Meetings and workshops for children, attracted great attention.

Based on the extreme interest shown in the Füreya exhibition, a digital archive was created to make the exhibition experience permanent, with a 360° tour of the exhibition and access to all the activities, written and visual materials of the exhibition.

COMMITMENTS

We contribute to sustainable development by committing to the principles of national and international organizations.

Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs)

Kale Group is a member of the Women's Empowerment Principles (WEPs) platform, which was established in partnership with the UN Global Compact and the UN Women in 2010.

The Women's Empowerment Principles, which aim to strengthen the place of women in the business world and society, require business leaders to make a clear commitment to the 7 principles for creating company policies that will advance gender equality. These principles are listed as follows:

1. Providing senior corporate leadership for gender equality
2. Treating all women and men fairly in business life, respecting human rights and the principle of non-discrimination; and supporting these principles,
3. Providing health, safety, and welfare to all women and men
4. Supporting women with education, courses and professional development opportunities
5. Implementation of entrepreneur development, supply chain, and marketing methods empowering women
6. Promoting equality through community initiatives and support
7. Measuring and public reporting of progress for gender equality

30 Percent Club

The 30 Percent Club, of which Kale Group Chairman and CEO Zeynep Bodur Okyay is among the founding members in Turkey, is defined as a collaboration where chairmen and CEOs aim to improve the gender balance at all levels of their organizations. The basis of this cooperation is the belief that gender balance will make companies more successful and the boards more effective.

Founded in the United Kingdom in 2010, the 30 Percent Club is campaigning in Australia, Canada, Gulf Cooperation Council countries, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Malaysia, South Africa, the USA, and Turkey. The 30 Percent Club in Turkey has been hosted by the Sabanci University Corporate Governance Forum since 2017.