'Cool' Sarah Ferguson

Virginea LopesNov 13th, 2008 - 11:07:58

We all know that some children with mental retardation or cerebral palsy does not control the movements and sometimes do not have control of their strength makes them violent with himself or with others to his back.
Need to be immobilized. And the crazy sanatorium in this case also.
So I think Sarah wants to appear on top of these documentaries. I am not the only one to say this but the Internet has thousands of sites suddenly gone Sarah Ferguson.Sarah is barely seen on the Internet.
I would leave my opinion of things that I read on the Internet.
I do not want to offend anyone, just explain what I think about the matter that I read.
I am Brazilian always had good news regarding Turkey, to know a doctor in Turkey. Here where I live has many Turkish immigrants.
About Sarah Ferguson: I believe that children with charity, but charity is different from celebrity. We can help without appearing on TV.
There are a thousand and one ways to help the next.
Sensationalism does not help in any way, Fama also not.Fama is good only for those who have.
We must seek real solutions to help those who need.
I think Sarah could have gone undercover to Turkey and shoot the orphanages, but then she should get together with the authorities of the country (Turkey) to expose the problems and really try to help. Too bad she turned into a Talk-Show and moved to a red light Diplomacy and International Relations.
She failed to respect the country of Turkey.
I've watched a documentary well in China, about orphanages, but the Chinese government denied all different filming and other scenes showing the footage. The director of the documentary became famous, but the children received help?
So I ask: Who wins with this? Children? Sarah Ferguson?
Do they, the children are really helped after this talk-show?
Or is it just a publicity coup, to show how the Duchess of York, left his last futile and girl namoradeira (nobody forgets John Bryan and his blowjob in the big toe) that did not follow the rules of the Royals and now (10 years for here) become a serious person who fight for social causes. Turned good Samaritan.
Like I said there are many ways to help the next ....... and sensationalism, no one deserves.
Sarah should forward after the shooting, the entire video material on the Turkish authorities and propose solutions and help with the problem. Sarah sought the Talk-show, by paying fame and fortune, all this is unfortunate.

I thought all this unnecessary publicity. It is very easy to earn advertising fees of poor and oppressed.
Get money, sponsors and various proposals publicity because of high audience.
So what Sarah suggested that the solution to this problem?
It will only show the documentary?Sarah should apologize for this talk-show for using the image of humble people to promote.
It should help these institutions for real projects and making changes in the quality of life.

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Angie Mitchell SunkurNov 24th, 2008 - 09:52:44

November 13th 2008
IN REPLY TO SARAH FERGUSON AND THE SECRET CAMERA

As previously planned, two friends and I went to pay the orphanage in Mugla a public visit. We had made an appointment with our Kaymakan in Bodrum and he personally called the Social Services’ Mudur to expect us.

Traditionally the Bodrum international community has for some 20 or so years raised money and supported the orphanage. In October we launched a calendar for 2009 and chose to continue in this tradition with an intention to give 50% of the proceeds to help benefit the children at the Mugla Yuva (orphanage). Over the years many foreign nationals with Turkish spouses in the Bodrum area have successfully adopted kids from the orphanage. However, due to the current political storm caused by the Royal Duchess – Sarah Ferguson - secretly entering institutions in Turkey to expose cruelty and abuse; as local residents, albeit foreigners, we knew we would be skating on recently thinned ice. We left our cameras at home.

The kids at the Mugla Yuva are generally not orphans from birth. New born babies are re-homed reasonably quickly. There is currently a new annex being built for incoming babies, it will be modern and up-to-date.

Most of the current residents are from broken homes, divorced or widowed parents who simply cannot cope. These are the kids we want to help, either through education or just to help their lives post education – job creation, housing, etc…. generally when they end up on their own post state care.

We entered the door – from everywhere there were smiles, giggles and welcomes ‘hos geldiniz’ (welcome) echoed from the stairwell as we were greeted in the traditional sense, kids, nurses, carers, cleaners alike, all more than politely acknowledged our visit without hesitation.

We met the mudur, (director) drank cay, introduced ourselves and asked how we could help. ‘We don’t need help’ he replied, ‘our kids have all they need, always we need pyjamas and slippers, because the kids grow so quickly’……………. His female assistant added – ‘digital cameras for the older girls, maybe a laptop because our computers are old’ Umph?

We then were given a wonderful tour of the establishment. There are 36 kids housed here in a colourful, well managed and clean environment. (We were amazed there are no bunk beds). Smaller kids have 4 beds to a bedroom (not a dormitory), the bedding and soft furnishings -lovely. There is a resident nurse when they get sick. There are outdoor park facilities, a pavilion with barbeque, swings, slides, and football pitch and volleyball court.

On reaching adolescence the boys move on to other regions such as Fethiye and Aydin and the older girls stay on in Mugla.
The older girl’s quarters are in a fabulous new building and stunning – a Kosk – Mugla mansion style, 2 girls share a bedroom room and 2 bedrooms a bathroom. The rooms are beautifully appointed, the bathrooms clean and gorgeously tiled. The girls are allowed to choose the colour scheme for their rooms. They have a luxurious communal lounge with open fireplace, TV and DVD. Their kitchen is state of the art and they are encouraged to cook and gain the skills which will ultimately lead to a happily married life. You get the feeling they will accept nothing less than this standard of lifestyle when they eventually do get married and they will be more than responsive to their own offspring and try to be the parents they never had. The book shelves were lined with Britannica encyclopaedias, they will strive to have these for their own children no doubt!

We were amazed. Of course this yuva is in a comparatively prosperous town. Mugla is the governing town of the Mugla Province, a university town and overseer of Bodrum, Fethiye and Marmaris. What shortfall there is from state funding is made up by local charitable associations of which there does not appear to be a shortage.

What is kind of shocking is that in Turkey overall, most low-income families do not have this degree of comfort. There are many families living under the poverty line, inadequate housing without adequate plumbing and just enough food to round. The kids at the orphanage are helped through education and many make it to university, for many young people in Turkey even this is a luxury. If you are of low means the extra tutoring required to supplement state school at the dersane (supplementary education) in order to pass the university exam can often mean the average family can only afford to send one child at a push. This tends to be the male children, just simply as they then have more longevity to support the family as a whole in the future. But, some families of course have a higher ratio of girls and it is from these families generally at least one girl is encouraged to be educated and therefore responsible for the future well- being of their families.


One may argue that these orphaned or displaced kids lack the love and support of a family. This isn’t the case in Mugla. There is a high degree of physical contact and love. All the carers are called ‘Anne” (mum) and there is a lot of touchy feely compassionate behaviour. This is something that would probably be beyond the limits of the law in so called developed-countries such as the UK in state run institutions. In Mugla, all the carers are mums to these desperate to be loved kids – everything is returned.

So, Sarah Ferguson – Thank you for your visit. Your spotlight shone on such shameful institutions in certain overpopulated Turkish cities is maybe just and well meant. Your objective is real, but in all countries there are scandalous stories of abuse in institutions. To single out Turkey as a major offender may have been an oversight on your part or the media.

With respect, you may have been taken advantage of by the media. We must keep things in perspective – for every sad story there is also one of joy. Professional journalism surely should give a more balanced report. What your documentary doesn’t outline are the institutions you entered and filmed are in overpopulated and impoverished areas of Istanbul and Ankara. In recent years there has been a high volume of rural-urban migration to these cities. (Currently the combined population of these cities is in the region of about 23 million people). Local infrastructure cannot cope or grow at the same speed. Traditionally most families would care for their own handicapped and orphaned family members. When these young families arrive in a city in search for work they invariably end up living in overcrowded and impoverished areas, life takes on a more materialistic vent – they have to go out and work and so have not the time to care for their own, also traditionally the grandparents take the parental role in families – this has started to change due to the migration. Institutions then for some young families become the only solution. The government is slow to recognise such problems. Social welfare is way down the list of priorities in an emerging nation and little is being done to train and equip professional carers and teachers for children with special needs. I believe on the whole what you witnessed was a case of ignorance, lack of understanding and incompetence as opposed to cruelty and abuse. The personnel employed to look after these wards are exactly the people working for a-below-poverty income to struggle and feed their own children. Lack of funding, training and professional administration is the biggest culprit. This is what needs to be outlined and reversed to move to a more positive conclusion. (And wasn’t this the case in post war Britain?)

Before we judge Turkey as a major offender and an unsuitable member of the EU, we must first look at the larger picture. There is nowhere in the world that can be held totally unaccountable for human rights issues and abuse of the unfortunate. Indeed Turkey has a long way to go, but its acceptance into the EU is exactly what is needed to bring the country up-to-date and oil the wheels for possible change and reforms. If you and your daughters really want to go down in history for your good work (and this is always easy for those who have never experienced poverty and hopelessness) how about putting money where your mouth is and consider setting up an NGO. Maybe the profits raised by your documentary could be worthily donated to establish such a school dedicated to train nurses and care attendants in the education of how things could and should be done. Choosing to embarrass, alienate and entertain in the name of television doesn’t really help the cause you are working toward. Turkey is hugely dynamic and progressive country with a thriving although dormant workforce. Foreign investment to further social services and training may indeed be option. I sincerely hope this can be a part of your larger and longer term agenda.

We have just moved away from a globally destructive era. We have a new light with a new US ambassador. We have learnt that bullying tactics don’t work and we are looking forward to a more positive and peaceful world. Needed now, is understanding and support by developed countries - not isolation. Turkey is a country that is proud and changing. The country will not respond to being invaded, criticized and reformed, as was Iraq. In Turkey we need to feel in touch, not out of touch and the country will respond to being European and globally overall it is in the name of world peace we need countries like Turkey to feel involved, not isolated by bullies. What was certainly achieved by your intervention was tarnishing Turkey’s reputation around the world, a country more and more reliant on the prosperity that tourism revenue introduces and offers a positive future for the next generation. This is what has fundamentally afforded the success story of Mugla Province, its Yuva and its happy and fortunate residents who are loved by devoted personnel and need for nothing – just a digital camera…..

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