Alkmaar children raise money for Turkey: “We really want to help”

The proceeds from the fancy fair will go to the International Humanitarian Aid Organization (IHH)which provides aid to victims of the natural disaster in Turkey.

Many children and parents from the neighborhood have relatives living in the affected areas. “My parents-in-law, family, friends are in the area. They also felt the earthquake,” says organizer Yusuf Mermer. “Fortunately there were no deaths, but I actually slept very little in those days.” According to Mermer, “a lot of children” from the neighborhood have relatives in the affected areas. “Their families have lost everything, they now sleep outside because they have nothing left.”

“We haven’t really recovered yet, we still have a lot of pain in our hearts and we try to help people a little,” says one of the children.

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Trauma processing

According to Mermer, the fundraiser is not just about raising money. “Because the children are now actively cooking food and making and selling things, they are busy processing the blow they received,” says Mermer. “Children see the terrible images on all TV channels. They see children lying there under the rubble for 72 hours, or sometimes 110 hours. And that is emotional.” According to Mermer, it is therefore good that the children can express their feelings at this time and give it all a place.

According to Mermer, the children ask their parents a lot about the disaster. “Children have a lot of questions about it. The children ask me: Dad, what will happen to the children now that they no longer have parents? It is quite painful and emotional for me, but it is reality. That is why we try to to help.”

Tomorrow is the second day of the fancy fair market. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., but today they went even longer because of “the great success”. All food is sponsored by the Lara Supermarket and by the parents themselves.