When the earth shook in Turkey and Syria in February last year, more than 50,000 people lost their lives. Over two million were left homeless.
One of the epicenters was in Kahramanmaraş. We set up a container village there together with the Turkish sports club Galatasaray Istanbul.
In this container village, people have several rooms in their container apartments, their own small bathroom and open window fronts that let daylight into the containers. There are also stores, laundry rooms, playgrounds for the children, sports fields and psychological support. This is also urgently needed. Because the trauma runs deep. Many of the 1,600 residents lost relatives in the rubble.
“The village is a place where those affected can find shelter and a roof over their heads. Of course, it does not replace traditional housing and only serves as a temporary solution. But it’s nice to see that the children in particular can get some variety in their everyday lives thanks to the playgrounds and sports fields,” says STELP founder Serkan Eren.
Even if public attention is no longer focused on the earthquake regions in Turkey, the people there still need our support.
