Inspired by his Polish friend (Andrzej Kuczara), Mehmet Gencel started to raise awareness about meningitis in 2017. Especially during the Covid-19 pandemic, studies on meningitis were carried out alongside activities on social media and on the street.
Mehmet built up a team around him, which grew into the Meningitis Volunteers Association (Menenjit Gönüllüleri Derneği). In 2024, they were officially registered as a non-profit association. Most of the team is made up of medical students in Turkey’s prestigious universities. They raise awareness among students, on social media and in co-operation with pharmaceutical companies, and their ultimate goal is to see meningitis disappear at the national level.