Abdi İbrahim Foundation Launches "Brave Strokes" Swimming Program for Children with Down Syndrome

Established in 2021 by Abdi İbrahim, the healing power of Türkiye, the Abdi İbrahim Foundation aims to impart swimming skills to children aged 5 to 8 with Down Syndrome through the social responsibility project, Brave Strokes. This initiative is realized in collaboration with the Down Syndrome Association of Türkiye.

Abdi İbrahim, the undisputed leader of the Turkish pharmaceutical industry for 22 years, has initiated a new project under the Abdi İbrahim Foundation, as part of its social investment programs that aim to create value for the country and society by healing the lives it touches.

The project, named “Brave Strokes,” is a joint effort of the Abdi İbrahim Foundation and the Down Syndrome Association of Türkiye, with the goal of helping children with Down syndrome aged 5 to 8 to get familiar with water and learn swimming skills.The project accepts applications through the Down Syndrome Association of Türkiye and selects participants based on the criteria after one-on-one interviews. The participants will receive a 16-week training from 17 February to 8 June 2024. To motivate the children, the participants are given a kit containing the products they would need during the course. The participants will receive a certificate of participation at the end of the course to commemorate these beautiful experiences.

Coaches were also given special training

The coaches in the project received special training from the Down Syndrome Association of Türkiye to guide the children to familiarize themselves with being in water and develop new skills in a safe environment with expert staff.

“The best journey begins with Brave Strokes”

Commenting on the project launch, Dr. M. Oğuzcan Bülbül, the Head of Abdi İbrahim Human Resources, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Group and the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Abdi İbrahim Foundation, said: “I would like to underscore that this meaningful project, which we organized under the theme of ‘Health and Swimming’, is one of our social investment programs that we conducted to create more value, and it is a first in Türkiye. As a company that has been achieving many firsts for 112 years, we are proud to lead our industry with this project. This wonderful experience marks the first step in the children's journey in water. It provides them with the opportunity to discover and develop their talents, have fun, and create cherished memories. Stressing the importance of starting and embracing sports at an early age, this course may very well shape their future careers by paving the way for them. We firmly believe that the best journey begins with Brave Strokes. As the healing power of Türkiye, our mission is to forge a path towards a better world for future generations as we lead our industry guided by a century-long legacy of experience and expertise. Moving forward, our commitment extends to ongoing investments in the future of both our children and our nation.”