"We collected more than we originally aimed for in a short period of time."
A month after the earthquakes Cem Oğuzhan RC L12 03 reached out to Ari Zalma RC 02. He shared photos of him personally delivering aid to the affected cities and asked if RC 02 would like to help. Cold weather and heavy rain meant survivors needed better shelter than tents. That is how a 10-day RC 02 fundraiser kicked off - to purchase a container house for a family in need. Zalma states “The reaction from the whole class was overwhelming, and we collected more than we originally aimed for in a short period of time. Cem also helped us find several container house manufacturers through references. Everything looked set until we realized determining a family in real need and delivering our donation was another challenge."
Right at that time a resident doctor working at one of the state hospitals in Istanbul reached out to Fitnat Topbaş RC 02 and told her she and her family lost their homes during the earthquake and had no means to secure a container. None of the NGOs in the region were able to come to the village for help. The class quickly organized the transportation of a container to the village in Adıyaman, and the family was able to set up the container home that same week. Fitnat relays “Although in the greater picture of the disaster, this help might be minuscule, we know that we could at least help a family in need and find a temporary solution until they get the opportunity to set up their lives again.”
The remainder of the donations were passed onto Needs Map (İhtiyaç Haritası) for effective allocation of limited resources.
Published July 2023
