Umut Care and Rehabilitation Centers, operating in our district since 2006, is making a name for itself in our region due to its continuous renewal, addition of new institutions, and being an exemplary family business.

We asked Umut Care and Rehabilitation Centers Chairman of the Board Özgür Camcı about the management, success, its centers and fields of activity, and the secrets of its goals and achievements. Here are the questions we asked the Chairman of the Board, Özgür Camcı, and his responses:

**Can you introduce yourself?**

I was born in 1975 in Yunak. I completed my primary education at Hacıfakılı Primary School, my secondary education at Akşehir Atatürk Secondary School, and my high school education at Akşehir High School. In 1997, I graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences as a Social Worker.

After serving as a social worker at Ankara Street Children Center, Gaziantep Street Children Center, Soma Care and Rehabilitation Center, Akhisar Care Home, Manisa Provincial Directorate of Social Services, Izmir Bornova Boys' Dormitory, and Buca Care and Rehabilitation Center for about ten years, I resigned and opened my own business.

Since 2006, I have been serving as the Chairman of the Board at UMUTEVİM LTD. ŞTİ. I am married and have two children. My wife, Hatice Sezgin Camcı, is the manager of the Akşehir Girls' Dormitory at the Credit Dormitories Institution.

**So, how was Umutevim Limited Company established, and what are its areas of activity?**

Umutevim Limited Company is a family business. Our founder is our father, retired teacher Yaşar Camcı. He graduated from the 1971 Iviriz Teacher Training School. After serving as a classroom teacher and school principal for many years in Yunak and its villages, he retired from Haydar Tuna Primary School in Akşehir. Since 2006, he has been working as a special education teacher for individuals with intellectual disabilities. My brother, Gökhan Camcı, is the Founding Director of the Company. He was born in 1974 in Yunak. He is married and has three children. Gökhan, who graduated from Akşehir High School, has been a tradesman in Akşehir Industrial Site since 1997. He successfully manages the personnel, administrative, and financial affairs of the Company.

My sister, Ayşe Demiral, serves as the Director of our Residential Care Center. She is a graduate of Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Business Administration. She is also a graduate of the Atatürk University Department of Social Services.

Our company was founded in 2006 and started its activities under the name of Private Umut Evi Special Education and Rehabilitation Center affiliated with the Ministry of National Education in a building we rented on İstasyon Avenue. Six months later, we opened our second branch in the Yunak district.

We started serving 200 citizens with special needs in our main building in Akşehir. Due to the insufficient physical space in our building in Akşehir, we built one of Turkey's largest rehabilitation centers on a plot located at Seyran Mahallesi Kuvayi Milliye Caddesi No:55, with 3000 m2 of closed area. In 2010, we moved to this building with a magnificent opening ceremony. Today, we strive to provide services to approximately 315 children with special needs with the latest technological facilities. The management of this institution has been successfully carried out by child development and education specialist Şahide Bolat since 2007. Şahide Bolat, a graduate of Konya Selçuk University Department of Child Development, combines her over 20 years of experience with her heartfelt bond with individuals with disabilities to achieve successful results. Also, as a Family Counselor, Mrs. Şahide conducts successful work with the families of our disabled individuals. Perceiving all problems of a disabled individual and their families as their own, Mrs. Şahide strives to find solutions and develop the ability of families to live with disabled individuals smoothly, both psychologically and socially.

In 2012, in our district, where there was a great need for a residential care center, we opened our center at İstasyon Cad. No:56 (next to the BP station), affiliated with the Ministry of Family, Labor, and Social Services. We continued to provide services in this building, which has a capacity of 120, for our disabled citizens in a 24-hour residential care center.

What kinds of services do your mentioned organizations provide to individuals with disabilities and their families?

Our special education and rehabilitation center is an institution providing day support education affiliated with the Ministry of National Education. At this center, we provide support education to approximately 315 children with special needs. We offer 5 different programs including support education programs for individuals with intellectual disabilities, hearing impairment, autism spectrum disorder, and specific learning difficulties. We have a total of 38 staff members, including 1 manager, 1 assistant manager, 5 physiotherapists, 10 teachers for individuals with intellectual disabilities, 2 teachers for individuals with hearing impairment, 7 child development and education teachers, 4 master instructors, 4 clerks, and 4 drivers.

In 2007, our rehabilitation center was recognized as the best in the region by Ministry of National Education inspectors and awarded with a commendation certificate by the Konya Provincial Directorate of National Education.

Our building in Akşehir, which was designed according to the standards of special education schools, was completed with 40 classrooms, physical therapy rooms, and administrative sections, taking into consideration the accessibility of individuals with disabilities.

In 2012, we opened our 120-bed residential care center affiliated with the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services in a 5-storey dormitory building located near the Police Station on İstasyon Street. Upon reaching full capacity, we built our residential care center consisting of 3 blocks with a total closed area of 7500 m2 on a 7000 m2 plot of land we purchased on Taşkın Street in the New Neighborhood to serve individuals with physical, intellectual, and psychological disabilities. Our center, which became operational in 2015, currently provides 24-hour residential care to 223 disabled citizens.

We provide unlimited professional services in 3 shifts to approximately 130 severely disabled individuals, including those with physical, psychological, and intellectual disabilities. Our care center is staffed with 1 manager, 1 administrative manager, 4 social workers, 1 physiotherapist, 1 child development specialist, 12 nurses, and 110 care personnel. We ensure that our disabled individuals spend their leisure time in the best possible way with our handicraft workshops and knitting courses. The director of our institution is Social Worker Ayşe Demiral, who is deeply committed to disabled individuals and has become indispensable with her successful work.

In 2017, as the number of individuals we served exceeded 500 and our staff count reached 170, we opened the UMUT SOCIAL FACILITIES at 33116 Street No: 11 in Seyran Neighborhood. In this facility, we carry out all our social activities in a planned and scheduled manner.

In January 2019, we opened the liaison office of our company at Selçuk Neighborhood, 24 Agustos Street No: 76 E (Afyon Street). Our LIAISON OFFICE, where individuals in need of special education and care services can receive free counseling, will be open from 08:00 to 18:00 in the morning.

Do you have any new projects, and if so, what are they?

Due to the full capacity reached at our building with a capacity of 223 affiliated with the Ministry of Family, Labor and Social Services, located on Taşkın Street in the New Neighborhood, we will construct a 3-block RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTER with a total closed area of 10,000 m2 on our 11,000 m2 plot of land in Seyran Neighborhood to provide services to physically, intellectually, and mentally disabled citizens above European standards.

This building will be one of the largest care centers in Turkey. It will be able to serve 300 disabled citizens and provide employment for approximately 200 new staff members. In this building, which we aim to complete by December 2019, there will be practice gardens, animal shelters, and sports facilities for each disability group. Our care center, which will be created with a warm atmosphere where the disabled can feel at home and with hotel comfort, will once again set new standards in the field of care and will bring praise to our district and country.

Furthermore, in Seyran Neighborhood, across from Hars Machinery, we will put into operation a PALIATIVE CARE CENTER in 2020, which will be the first of its kind in our country. This center, which will be built on a 3000 square meter area, with a closed area of ​​4000 square meters, will provide care and health services to bedridden citizens in need. We will provide full support to citizens and families who are cancer patients and have reached the terminal stage and require serious health and care services. In this center, we will also employ 120 citizens from Akşehir.

Another one of our projects, which will be operational in 2021, is our 300-bed RESIDENTIAL CARE CENTER on our 7500 square meter plot of land in Sultandağı district. In this center, we will also employ 200 citizens.

You are undertaking major projects and continuing to do so. What do you attribute your success to?

I owe my success to my family. When I say family, I definitely do not exclude my employees. What we do is a labor of love. It is not merely about financial concerns; we don't do our work without loving the disabled. Since 2006, my directors, clerks, teachers, physiotherapists, nurses, and auxiliary staff have been working together in perfect harmony and dedication to helping the disabled and their families. I believe in teamwork. We achieve success with a team of 170 people.

When I say family, I do not separate our disabled individuals and their parents either. Their support and seeing us as part of their own family are the greatest factors in our success. I extend my infinite gratitude to all public institutions and organizations and the people of Akşehir who have sincerely supported us in solving our problems and those of the disabled. Especially, I must not forget you, the esteemed members of the press, who have been by our side in every activity, in our joys and sorrows. As the local press of Akşehir, you have not hesitated to headline the problems, activities, and happiness of our disabled individuals. I also extend my infinite gratitude to you.

Lastly, what are your wishes?

According to the data of the Turkish Statistical Institute, it is accepted that approximately 10% of our country's population is disabled. Accordingly, we can assume that there are approximately 10,000 disabled individuals in Akşehir and its surroundings. We are always ready to do our best to reach out to these disabled individuals and provide them with the best services.

As the Umutevi family, we will continue our journey to overcome obstacles and be a source of hope for our disabled individuals.