By Arzu Karacanlar | Project Leader
Dear Donor,
We have prepared this report to share with you our decision to finalize it at this point, where we have achieved 80% of our project goal, and our reasoning behind it.
On Sunday, February 6, 2023, in the early hours of the morning, southeastern Turkey was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake. Just nine hours later, the same region was struck by a second earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale. The earthquake brought life to a standstill in 10 cities, directly affecting a population of 17 million, destroying 28,000 buildings, and claiming the lives of over 53,000 people according to official figures.
As a women's organization based in Istanbul, in western Turkey, we mobilized all our resources within a week to reach the province of Hatay, which had been devastated by the earthquake, and for three years we have been working continuously in Hatay focusing on women and children in the post-earthquake recovery efforts.
We launched this project to respond to urgent needs immediately after the earthquakes, and we were met with unexpected support, compassion, and warmth. Thanks to you, our project ranked among the top projects out of over a hundred launched to raise donations for the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.
You reached out to us from different parts of the world, showing us that we are not alone and that our efforts are worthwhile. Ensuring that your uninterrupted donations reached the right people, at the right time, and through the right methods became our greatest responsibility, and we did our utmost to fulfill it.
The goal of our project was to provide food, clothing, toys, stationery, hygiene, and personal care items to 1,000 children living in container cities in Hatay. With your continuous support in 2023, 2024, and 2025, we:
• Met the monthly formula and diaper needs of 500 babies.
• We supported the underwear and clothing needs of 500 children aged 2-12.
• We provided stationery packages containing painting supplies to 500 children aged 3-6.
• We distributed kits containing hygiene and care supplies such as shampoo, soap, and toothpaste to 500 children.
At this point, having reached 80% of our project's target, our decision to end the project is not based on the needs being met. Over 100,000 people in Hatay are still living in container cities. The problems caused by the earthquake in infrastructure, shelter, health, and education services continue. However, we need to move from the emergency phase, which focuses on providing basic necessities, to a phase of permanent recovery and development.
We continue to work in Hatay; we are here. For nearly two years, our priority has not been to provide basic necessities, but to support families affected by the earthquake, especially women, in becoming self-reliant.
Believing that you will continue your invaluable support, we would like to share our ongoing projects with you:
Support 1000 Women Affected by the Earthquake
Stay updated on us and our projects.
With solidarity,
Links:
By ARZU KARACANLAR | Project Team Leader
By Arzu Karacanlar | Project Team Leader
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