{"id":150703,"date":"2023-02-17T14:57:21","date_gmt":"2023-02-17T13:57:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=150703"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:26:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:26:39","slug":"students-come-together-for-help-and-support-after-earthquake-in-turkey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2023\/02\/17\/students-come-together-for-help-and-support-after-earthquake-in-turkey\/","title":{"rendered":"Students come together for help and support after earthquake in Turkey"},"content":{"rendered":"

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have deeply affected many students. A walk-in session allowed students to come together on Monday evening, to support each other and talk about the help that the region needs.<\/p>

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\n\t\n\n<\/svg>\n<\/span>\n\tImage by:<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tJosephine Hartmann<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>

At 5 pm, a large group of Turkish students gathered in the Theil building. The lecture hall was completely full. Mozaik had put together a programme that offered room for the stories of students who had to deal with the earthquake first hand, for example because they have family in the affected areas. The rector, Annelien Bredenoord, was also present to support the students.<\/p>\n

Dramatic stories<\/h2>

One of these students is \u0130dil \u00d6zdemir. Her parents live in Hatay, a province in the region affected by the earthquake. During the meeting, she talked about the region she comes from: \u201cI\u2019ve lost friends and family members and my parents can\u2019t go home, they\u2019ve found shelter outside the disaster area.\u201d Her family left their home after the earthquake and cannot return due to the unstable buildings and the debris.<\/p>\n

\u00d6zdemir found the week after the quake very difficult: \u201cMostly because people didn\u2019t understand how dire the situation was. Little attention was paid to it, and it was hard for me to understand the situation myself, because I couldn\u2019t contact my parents properly.\u201d<\/p>\n

After her story, other students in the room spoke up about their situation. People talked about lost relatives and classmates.<\/p>\n\t

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Do you need help? Or do you want to talk to someone about the earthquake in Turkey and Syria? You can contact a student counsellor<\/a> or student psychologist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In the Living Room<\/a>, other students can provide a listening ear. The offices of student association Mozaik and the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility team are also open.<\/p>\n

Next week, there are walk-in sessions and seminars on campus with psychologists familiar with Turkish or Syrian culture and an Islamic (Arab) spiritual counsellor. More information at the Student Wellbeing Platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Brainstorming<\/h2>

The students were then given the opportunity to share their thoughts on the basis of a Mentimeter. They were allowed to submit ideas about what they think people in the affected area need most. A word cloud appeared on the screen with words such as \u2018food\u2019 and \u2018winter clothes\u2019, but also \u2018psychological help\u2019 and \u2018education\u2019. The students not only considered the basic needs, but also the systematic changes that are required to help the country recover.<\/p>\n

Opinions were divided. Some students felt that schools should be built as soon as possible and mental health services sent, such as psychologists who can help people process the widespread trauma caused by the earthquake. Others felt that this could be postponed for a while and for now were keen to collect as many items as possible to send to Turkey. A student whose mother is an aid worker in the disaster area wondered whether this made sense: \u201cStuff doesn\u2019t always end up with the people who need it.\u201d The Red Cross and the Turkish embassy in the Netherlands asked not to donate goods anymore. Instead, they say money is more useful right now, so organisations can ensure that people get the goods they actually need.<\/p>\n\t

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A group of Turkish students is organising a fundraiser. They raise money through GoFundMe, to support local organisations. Read more:<\/span><\/em><\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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Read here<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t