The earthquakes that rocked Türkiye and Syria on 06 February, have left the education of nearly four million children at risk due to the overwhelming number of damaged or destroyed schools. Turkish Education Foundation UK, a non-profit that provides access to high-quality education for young Turks, is helping the youth in earthquake-affected areas to remain in education.
According to the Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF, Afshan Khan:
“Children in Türkiye are at risk of developing anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder; they need to be able to resume their education, and they urgently need psychosocial support to help deal with the trauma they have experienced.”
Turkish Education Foundation UK (TEV UK), a platform founded in 2021 to aid young and talented students in Türkiye with better education facilities, is supporting young victims of the Kahramanmaraş earthquake through the Eduquake donation programme. The program aims to support 21% of Türkiye’s population aged 0-17 and 10% of all university students are from the earthquake-affected regions.
The earthquakes have caused significant damage to educational infrastructure, including school buildings, classrooms, libraries, and other educational facilities. As a result, the Council of Higher Education has suspended the schools and educational institutions in the affected areas until 10 March.
The people of Türkiye have also experienced an extensive loss of their families and livelihoods, driving many students to abandon their education in order to join the unqualified workforce and support their remaining family members.
TEV UK realised that it is times like these that are crucial that we extend our help and motivate these talented young students to remain in education. So, while the country advances to the next stage of relief, the programme is an effort toward a brighter and more resilient future for the students.
“It is essential that we do not let the prospects of young earthquake victims remain buried under the rubble. Providing them with the necessary resources to continue their education is the most precious gift we can offer”, said Dr. Hasan Turunc, Senior Advisor at Koç Holding A.Ş. and Partner at TEV UK.
A scholarship and provision of infrastructure could be some of the ways that may provide a lifeline for the affected families. TEV UK has already provided one month of support to students (~£60) who had applied for scholarships for the 2022-23 academic year but were rejected due to capacity constraints. The programme would also support students from the affected region with scholarships during their 4+4 high school and university years. To promote online education, TEV UK would also provide the necessary infrastructure, including laptops.
The Eduquake Donation Programme exemplifies humanitarian efforts following a disaster that can help build a resilient world. By focusing on education and providing support for schools and educational facilities, the programme helps to ensure that children and young people in affected areas can continue to access quality education despite the challenges posed by the earthquake.
TEV UK invites donations on its website as well as on its JustGiving webpage.
This article is in collaboration with ActionTurkiye.org. Action Türkiye is a technology-based platform that aims to drive awareness, news, sentiment, data, and resources to enable the redevelopment of the regions and cities affected by the earthquake. ActionTürkiye platform integrates the latest technologies, real-time data, mapping and forums technology to provide development, crowdfunding, and access to an aid and development network with leading international organisations and businesses to support Türkiye’s people, families, businesses, and organisations recovery from the earthquake.
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