How you can help rebuild schools in post-earthquake Turkey

In what was a miraculous survival, a two-week old kid was rescued from the debris of a collapsed building in Ercis. The baby was rescued 42 hours after a 7.2 magnitude earthquake hit eastern Turkey on 23 October, 2011. Not everyone was as fortunate, though. There were more than 600 casualties and thousands were left homeless.

However, rehabilitation programs are going on in full swing and a non-profit organization known as Bridge to Türkiye Fund (BTF) has risen to the occasion.

BTF: A Beacon of hope

The scope of BTF’s program, in the words of the organization is, “providing educational assistance to children and families impacted by this disaster”. Besides actively working in collaboration with other agencies to rehabilitate the victims of the quake, BTF has been working to uplift the lives of the Turkish people over the years.

Formed in 2003, the organization is being run by Turkish Americans and has conducted a number of projects. The focus of the projects has been primarily on providing education and healthcare to children in the villages of Turkey.

Various programs of BTF

The programs run by BTF vary in their length and their scope. The ones focusing on education are School Improvement Programs, Educational Micro-Scholarships, and Library Set Up Programs. There are also ones focusing on the health of school children such as Student Enablement Programs and Children’s Health Programs.

There’s also a program that involves the alumni of various Turkish universities to fund deserving students who are unable to afford college education as well as the education of school children from low-income communities.

How can you help?

The organization runs on the basis of 100% volunteer participation, so if you can spare some time, get involved in their volunteer program. If you work in a similar organization or in any other organization that is willing to get involved in social welfare activities, then you can link up with them and share their vision.

However, if you cannot spare the time then you can surely spread awareness through word of mouth and your Facebook and Twitter accounts. Last but not the least; make a donation because it can go a long way in brightening the future of a deprived child.