Akif Çevik

Ubuntu;I Am BecauseWe Are

Notes towards a kinder world, drawn from a life that reaches from Türkiye out into the world and from years spent in education, dialogue and humanitarian aid.

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Why this blog

Keeping humanity alive begins with acting for it

I started this blog to share what a lifetime in education, dialogue and humanitarian aid has taught me: the work I have been part of, the projects I carried out alongside friends who care about doing good, and the bonds we formed with the people we met along the way.

I believe Ubuntu's "I am because we are" can be brought together with the values our faith holds dear, love, respect, compassion, humanity, helping one another and solidarity, and that ideas can be turned into living acts of kindness rather than left as fine words.

Every project, every encounter and every story told here is one small step towards restoring human dignity and hope.

My hope is that young people above all will find something of themselves in these stories and say "I could do this too, I could change someone's life as well", and set out on a path of their own. Because easing another person's burden, bringing a lost hope back to life and drawing people closer to one another are among the finest things a heart seeking God's pleasure can do.

"Turning dreams into ideas, ideas into projects, and projects into service to humanity." This blog is, in part, the story of that.

Will you help build bridges from heart to heart, bring lost hopes back to life, and make a more humane world together?

Sections

  • Social Responsibility & Humanitarian AidWater wells, orphans, refugee camps
  • Travel & Field NotesCities, people, a geography of memory
  • Life & PerspectiveBook reviews and summaries
Students raising their hands in classA child carrying water containersProject signs at the roadsideUbuntu: I am because we are
Learning should be out of reach for no child.
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Latest posts

New notes from the field

Every post follows a project, a journey or an idea. The four newest are here; the rest are on the section pages.

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About

Akif Çevik

Akif Çevik is an educator, activist and project consultant whose work spans education, dialogue, humanitarian aid and socio-cultural life. He continues to carry out research, field visits, voluntary consultancy and writing across Türkiye, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and America.

Children holding out their bowls at a meal distribution
Türkiye · Central Asia · Africa · Europe · America

Education, dialogue and humanitarian aid across four continents

He has worked on projects in education, dialogue, social responsibility and humanitarian aid in countries across Türkiye, Central Asia, Africa, Europe and America.

Ubuntu: "I am because we are"

A view with Ubuntu at its centre

His work puts Africa's Ubuntu at its centre, serving "the ideal of keeping humanity alive" through the values people everywhere share: love, respect, empathy, helping one another and solidarity.

A young man filling a container from the water beside a fieldChildren queuing with their bowls
Research · Field visits · Writing · Voluntary consultancy

Helping to rebuild the fallen fortress of humanity

Guided by Ubuntu's "I am because we are", he carries on with research, field visits, writing and voluntary consultancy.

The whole story
Frequently asked

Questions people ask

The questions that come up most often about the blog, the content and following along.

What will I find on this blog?

Stories of real projects in education, dialogue, social responsibility and humanitarian aid; travel notes; and, in the "Life & Perspective" section, book reviews and summaries.

What does Ubuntu mean?

It is an idea of African origin: "I am because we are." It places love, respect, empathy, helping one another and solidarity at the centre of life, and it is the thread running through everything written here.

How can I follow new posts?

You can subscribe to the email newsletter or follow the social media accounts. Every new post lands in your inbox as soon as it goes up.

Can I read the posts in other languages?

Selected posts will also appear in Turkish, Dutch, Spanish and German; you will find them under the language option at the top of the page.

Can I use these projects as a model for my own work?

That is exactly what this blog is for. The posts are shared to give ideas and direction to anyone who wants to set up something similar. If you have a question, write from the contact page.

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The common thread

The six values at the heart of Ubuntu, the compass behind every post on this blog.

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  • LoveEasing the sorrow in an orphan's eyes is one of those moments that leave a person truly content.Uganda
  • RespectDifferent faiths and cultures side by side on one boat; living together begins with dialogue.Maastricht
  • EmpathyThe story of 100 million people forced from their homes takes shape at the gate of a camp.Nakivale
  • Helping one anotherA single drop of clean water changes the health and the hope of a whole village.Uganda
  • SolidarityA project reaching from New Zealand to Africa is a bond of the heart that shortens the distance.New Zealand → Africa
  • Ubuntu"I am because we are." One brick in rebuilding the fallen fortress of humanity.I am because we are