Sabancı Foundation and Enerjisa Enerji, which have been actively supporting the earthquake-affected region since day one of the devastating earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş and impacting 10 provinces, continue their efforts in the area. As part of their commitment to ensure uninterrupted education in Hatay — the province with the highest number of students in the disaster zone — Sabancı Foundation launched the “3 Schools in 3 Months for Hatay” initiative in 2023 and delivered the schools in record time as promised. With contributions from Enerjisa Enerji’s foreign shareholder, E.ON, the Enerjisa Atatürk Primary School in Hassa district of Hatay was officially opened on April 23rd, National Sovereignty and Children's Day, as a gift to students and teachers.
Among the provinces most heavily affected by the earthquakes and with the highest student population, Hatay remains a key focus of Sabancı Foundation and Enerjisa Enerji’s ongoing efforts. With the support of E.ON, Enerjisa Enerji’s foreign shareholder, the opening ceremony of Enerjisa Atatürk Primary School — built in the Hassa district — was held on April 23rd with great enthusiasm. The event featured colorful activities for children. Among the attendees were Hassa District Governor Osman Acar, Hassa District Director of National Education Sait Sancaktar, Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan, Enerjisa Distribution Companies General Manager Oğuzhan Özsürekçi, Enerjisa Enerji CFO Dr. Philipp Ulbrich, E.ON Foundation General Manager Dr. Stephan Muschick, along with teachers and students.
Sabancı Foundation’s “3 Schools in 3 Months for Hatay” Initiative Continues with the Support of Sabancı Group Companies
In a campaign to ensure the resumption of education in safe environments, Sabancı Foundation and Sabancı Group Companies have so far completed three schools in Hatay. The first, Enerjisa Hatay Vocational and Technical Anatolian High School in Reyhanlı — construction of which had begun before the earthquake — was completed and opened on April 23, 2023. The Sabancı Lassa Middle School in Dörtyol was inaugurated on May 19, and Sabancı Arsuz Middle School in Arsuz opened on June 21, welcoming students and teachers for the 2023–2024 academic year.
Sabancı Foundation General Manager Nevgül Bilsel Safkan stated: “We know that education is a fundamental pillar in addressing social challenges, and ever since our Foundation was established 50 years ago, our work has reflected this belief. Following the devastating earthquakes, ensuring students and teachers could reunite in a safe school environment became one of our top priorities. That’s why we launched the '3 Schools in 3 Months for Hatay' initiative soon after the initial shock. We are proud to have delivered Enerjisa Hatay Vocational and Technical High School, Sabancı Lassa Middle School, and Sabancı Arsuz Middle School in record time. Last year, we were excited to open our first school on April 23rd — a day with great significance to us. Today, one year later, we are thrilled to open our fourth school. Enerjisa Atatürk Primary School was built with contributions from Enerjisa Enerji and its foreign shareholder, E.ON. As an institution that values collaboration, we will continue joining forces with different stakeholders and working tirelessly to support quality education.”
Enerjisa Enerji CFO Dr. Philipp Ulbrich said: “I am here today on behalf of the E.ON Group and its 70,000 employees, whom I am honored to represent. Within just a few days after the earthquake, our employees and company raised over one million euros, and we decided to allocate this donation to the construction of this school in Hassa. You can imagine how meaningful it is to see those donations transformed into something that truly helps the people affected. My presence here today is a testament to E.ON’s and Enerjisa’s shared commitment to recovery and solidarity with the local community. Our partnership in Turkey stands as a model of sustainable prosperity, and this school building symbolizes the results of our shared efforts and the responsibilities we have undertaken. Together with Sabancı and E.ON, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to building a more prosperous and sustainable future for the next generations.”
Enerjisa Distribution Companies General Manager Oğuzhan Özsürekçi added: “Five of the eleven provinces affected by the February 6, 2023 earthquakes — including Hatay — are under the responsibility of our distribution company Toroslar EDAŞ. As a company that lost colleagues and suffered infrastructure damage, we are also an earthquake-impacted organization. From the early days of the disaster, we worked intensively to recover and, by the first anniversary of the earthquake, restored the electrical grid to pre-earthquake capacity with an investment of 1.9 billion TL. While continuing our core mission of providing high-quality and uninterrupted electricity distribution, we are also committed to supporting education — a need just as vital for the region’s recovery. Following our commitment to '3 Schools in 3 Months for Hatay,' we are proud and happy to open our fourth school, Enerjisa Atatürk Primary School, thanks to the generous contributions of our shareholder E.ON. As we set an example in the electricity distribution sector, we remain dedicated to addressing the needs of the earthquake-affected region.”
