The Calis Carnival Committee met last Friday with three of the ten students that were supported from the 2008 carnival funds.

Each student was funded directly as a result of generous support of all the people who attended the Carnival events, sponsored or otherwise donated money.

From left to right they are;

Huseyin Avci from Yaniklar who is studying at Isparta University to become a teacher of accountancy and computer studies,

Ozlem Cetin of Calica who is studying tourism and hotel management at Eskisehir University in Northern Turkey, and

Selim Arikan of Fethiye who is studying civil engineering at Konya University.

The students thanked the committee for the support they provided and discussed their achievements during the year.

The other seven local students are Eralp Cayli, Muhammet Celik, Esra Yildiz, Akin Osmanoglu, Kudret Sappak, Kamil Yildirim and Ismet Toksoz who have all just completed their first year at various universities across Turkey.

Every year many students in the Calis/Fethiye area who are clever and hardworking enough to secure places at universities across Turkey, are unable to take up these places as they come from families who do not have the money to support them through their years of study.

Fortunately Fethiye Belediye has a scheme where these students are invited to apply to them for a bursary to cover their university expenses - books, equipment, accommodation, food, transport etc.

Suitable students are selected but money for these bursaries is limited and the number of students facing financial hardship far exceeds the funds available.

Last year the Calis Carnival Committee agreed to fund 10 of these bursaries at a cost of 9,000TL.

Every month of the academic year the committee have been paying 1,000TL towards these students' expenses.

Following Fridays meeting it was agreed that the Carnival Committee would continue to support these 10 students through the second year of their studies.