Bilkent students Yaren Kalın (IAED/I), Tuba Alkan (IAED/I), Gül Deniz Uludoğan (IAED/I), Zeynep Eda Aydın (COMD/I) and Feyza Demir (IAED/I) went to Hatay for three days between April 12–15, after midterm exams, to facilitate activities for children living in the tent city.
They organized many activities in the psychosocial support and technology tents, such as face painting, bookmarking, hand printing, letter writing and bubble blowing as well as theater games and other activities.
Eda Aydın said, “We brought a lot of painting materials. However, when the children drew pictures, they always drew debris, so we couldn’t have them do many of these activities because the traumas are still continuing.”
Tuba Alkan, who in February was active in search and rescue operations in the earthquake zone, commented, “That place needs people more than it needs material aid. It is very important to entertain the children and chat with them; they loved having us there because they feel lonely. We asked the children to write letters, and all the letters said, “Please don’t go.” They need to see people, to return to normal life, to socialize.”
