Oya Kayacık

Oya Kayacık was born as the only child into a wealthy merchant family at Beyoğlu district of Istanbul in 1938.[1][2] She was educated in Arnavutköy American High School for Girls in Istanbul.[1][3]

After graduation, she joined the "Kasımpaşa Çocuk Yuvası Koruma Derneği" ("Kasımpaşa Kindergarten Protection Association") at age 21 to take part in a social responsibility project.[1][3]

In 1960,[4] she was involved in charity work in the orphanage ("Kasımpaşa Çocuk Yuvası", later "Kasımpaşa Çocuk Evleri Sitesi") in Kasımpaşa quarter of Beyoğlu run by the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Services.[1] She started working as a volunteer pushing away the opportunities offered by her family.[3]

She explained how she decided to work in the orphanage: "The first day in the orphanage, I met a 3.5-year old sick boy in the orphanage. He was in treatment at Cerrahpaşa Hospital. I cared for his recovery, and he behaved warmly to me. The pleasure of having helped him kept me to stay in the orphanage."[5]

The orphanage was housed in a small building, and was financed through the revenues of a dispensary situated in the building. In addition to the boarders, children living in the premise, there were also day children.[5] In the beginning, she daily went to the orphanage from her home. She improved conditions in the institution by collecting stoves from the coffeehouses around to keep the children warm. She brought food cooked at her home to the children. Finally, she left her home and moved into a small room in the orphanage in order not to leave the orphans alone. She thus became best described as a mother.[1] The orphans and the people living in Kasımpaşa called her "Oya Anne" ("Mother Oya").[1][5]

Kayacık was legal guardian of two girls, Nursel Ergin,[6] and Göksenin.[1][2] Nursel Ergin became known in the television game show 'Var mısın? Yok musun? (Turkish version of Deal or No Deal) and presents the television cookery show Nursel'in Mutfağı ("Nursel's Cuisine").[1][4] In 2008, Ergin started during her appearance at the game show a donation campaign in amount of ₺ 2.5 million (approx. US$ 1.67 million in 2008) for the completion of the construction of a new orphanage building to replace the old one, which was damaged during the 1999 İzmit earthquake.[4] Göksenin is a Down syndrome girl.[1] In 2018, President Erdoğan, who was born and grew up in Kasımpaşa, honored Oya Kayacık by paying a visit to the orphanage and meeting her personally.[7]

She worked in the orphanage for more than 60 years without being on salary.[1]

By November 2020, she was diagnosed with COVID-19, which she got over with the determination to live. After a short time, she was hospitalized due to low blood pressure.[3] Oya Kayacık died in the Koşuyolu Hospital from cardiovascular disease at age 82 on 2 December 2020.[1][3] She was interred at the Feriköy Cemetery next to her parent's graves following a memorial ceremony held in front of the Kasımpaşa Orphanage,[2] and the religious funeral service at Hacı Ayşe Sarıgül Mosque.[8] She was not married.[1][5]

Upon a directive of Zehra Zümrüt Selçuk, the Minister of Family, Labour and Social Services, who attended the funeral,[2] the orpanage was officially renamed to "Kasımpaşa Oya Anne Çocuk Yuvası" ("Kasımpaşa Mother Oya Kindergarten").[3][8]