From February 14-17, students from the Community Service Club (CSC) organized a fundraiser, collecting donations to support earthquake relief in Turkey and Syria. Although the club tends to prioritize hands-on service activities over monetary aid, the club leaders, Begum Gokmen ’23 and Racquel Welcome ’24, and faculty adviser Ms. Melissa Koomson, agreed that financial donations to on-foot organizations — Kadın Hekimler Eğitime Destek Vakfı (KAHEV), White Helmet, and Mercy USA — would be the best form of support for victims of the earthquake.
Ms. Koomson, the Director of Community Service at Choate, highlighted the importance of “community outreach and supporting a vulnerable population who have already been through so much.” She added, “It’s the right thing to do to care for the community, especially coming from a place of privilege.”
A table was set up throughout the week for students to stop by and donate money through their Choate Student ID cards or with cash. According to Ms. Alexandra Long, Director of Student Activities, the funds will be delivered through checks to said organizations.
Sarah Yildirim ’23, a boarding student from Turkey, commented on the many underlying issues the earthquake has revealed in Turkey. “The earthquake brings our attention to a number of political and administrative problems that already exist in Turkey,” she said. “Although it’s devastating that it takes 36,000 lives lost to get media attention on issues such as lack of construction codes and efficiency of response from the government, it is important to act on these issues. Turkey is known to be a vulnerable region for earthquakes; we must do our best to ensure the least destruction when we know more quakes will hit.”
Indeed, government organizations, like the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD), were slow in responding to the crisis during the initial hours, and the destruction of many buildings has been linked to poor construction by developers. Non-governmental organizations, to whom the donations will be going, have been playing a critical role in ensuring the safety of those who are trapped under debris and left stranded without homes.
Specifically, KAHEV focuses on funding sustainable education. “Attending school brings an end to cycles of poverty when you get access to things,” said Ms. Koomson. “There’s a connection between education and earthquakes. When you’re investing [in] people, you are really investing in the community and the country.”
A small donation can go a long way, especially when victims have lost their entire livelihoods in a single night. Ms. Koomson said, “There’s a lesson to be learned from students here in terms of raising awareness of inequities and cultivating a perspective of compassion and empathy.”
The fundraiser successfully raised $1844.67 alongside increasing awareness of the destructive forces of natural disasters and mobilizing Choate’s student body to take transformative action toward this issue.
