“We have no chance” Turkey Update
Last month I shared a story of one of our students in the Middle East, Mariam, and the opportunity that she received through your gifts to continue her education. At the time, I was on the way to Turkey to work with a local pastor and connect with refugee families there to see how we can help other students like her.
From the Istanbul airport, we picked up a rental car and drove two hours arriving in Sakarya, Turkey where we visited refugee families. The next day, we drove to Bursa, a city two hours away, and visited more families. The homes were pretty remote and reminded me of Kurdistan, Iraq
I asked about the death toll of the earthquake and they said that the news doesn’t say it, but it’s reached almost 100,000 in Turkey in the Kurdish and Syrian regions. “We have no chance,” says Pastor David, who is himself a refugee from Kurdistan and had to flee due to attempts on his life. Some of the families we visited lost loved ones in Syria with most on the streets in freezing weather due to the earthquakes’ destruction. The World Health Organization reports that from the earthquakes’ aftermath, more than 26 million people in Syria and Turkey need assistance.
We visited more families in another city, and I found that the poverty and trauma is so real for those who risked their lives on boats to be smuggled into Turkey in order to flee the terror of war. Yet being in Turkey means exposure to racism and constant fear of deportation back into the warzones they came from.
Pastor David gives aid where he can and visits refugee families on foot because he has no car, while waiting for a way out of Turkey for his family. His eldest daughter who is graduating high school sees no way to be able to go to college or university. Aside from it being too costly for her family, she said there was no point since she wouldn’t be accepted to work in the profession of her choice due to her ethnicity anyway.
The future is bleak and seemingly hopeless for so many, but educational opportunities for young people like Mariam can give them a way out of their depressed state and give them hope for a better future.
Would you become a monthly partner to help young ones like her find a purpose for living?
If we are able to get 6 monthly donors at a minimum of $30 we can help them receive the education needed to break the cycle of poverty. If you would like to be a monthly partner, you can reply to this email or you can set up your monthly giving directly online.
Grateful for your continued support!
Buena for POGI Foundation
* Pastor David’s name has been changed for his safety.
