Turkey: Students barter paintings to feed stray animals

KONYA, Turkey

In Turkey’s central Konya province, a group of elementary school students bartered their paintings Friday to feed stray animals.

Students in Selcuklu district drew paintings ahead of the World Animal Day on Oct. 4. for a local animal-friendly project.

Konya’s Society for the Protection of Animals and Nature, and non-profit organizations leagued together to encourage students to feed stray animals.

Children, who collected 150 packages of food for animals, will use them to feed dogs and cats of Selcuklu.

Umit Surmeli, the chairman of Society for the Protection of Animals and Nature in Konya, said children should be fed with the sense of goodness, and adults should pose as role models for them.

Surmeli also explained how the idea emerged: "Four children sold their paintings to shopkeepers during the last winter, saying they would buy food for animals living in the streets in their town," he said.

"After hearing that, we took a step to communicate with those children. And we wanted children to paint for animals. Those four children inspired us [for the further move]," he added.

Surmeli also stressed that children will be more sensible and responsive to nature and animals by involving in these kinds of activities.

*Writing by Fahri Aksut