Roots & Shoots Türkiye is working tirelessly to provide support to those affected by the recent earthquakes in southern Türkiye and northern Syria. In the coming months, volunteers will be travelling to assess the situation on the ground and provide much-needed support.

Your help is vital. By joining Roots & Shoots groups around the world, you can help raise funds to make a significant impact on those who have lost so much.

Aslihan Niksarli, Chair of Roots & Shoots Türkiye shares her story.

“On Feb. 6, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck southern Türkiye near the northern border of Syria. This quake was followed approximately nine hours later by a magnitude 7.5 earthquake. In the following days, 57,658 deaths were confirmed: 50,399 in Türkiye, and 7,259 in Syria.

“The earthquake not only caused the loss of many lives and homes but also caused significant issues to the environment due to millions of tons of earthquake rubble. In the aftermath, we are also seeing issues relating to gender inequality, children’s rights, and the lack of the right to education.

“Like many institutions in Türkiye, we have shifted our focus since the earthquake, and are working to understand and support the needs of the region. For this reason, experts from many different fields such as child rights and education specialists, ecologists and academicians have come together. In April 2023, we are planning to travel to Hatay, one of the most affected regions, to better understand what is needed and create the necessary resources.”

With your support, Roots & Shoots Türkiye can achieve the following:

• 10 team members from Roots & Shoots will travel to Hatay to provide assistance on the ground, such as hygiene packages, underwear, shoes
• Provide educational materials, games and books
• Collect data for our report on “environmental risks and violations in the context of children’s rights in an earthquake zone”.

To keep the carbon footprint as low as possible, it is best not to send any items but to make donations directly to Roots & Shoots Türkiye to purchase the necessary items locally. Any amount you can provide, no matter how small, will make a difference to those who have lost so much.

You can make donations directly to Roots & Shoots Türkiye’s bank account, and for more information on how to get started as a group or fundraising ideas, you can contact your local Roots & Shoots office.

You can also reach out directly to the Roots & Shoots Türkiye office by emailing aslihan@rootsandshootsturkey.org.

Together, we can support Roots & Shoots Türkiye’s efforts to help those in need.

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