The Kitchen Establishes Scholarships For Turkish Earthquake Student Victims

MIAMI/ANKARA: As we all watched from the safety and security of our homes, Southern and Central Turkey, along the Syrian border, were devasted by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the early hours of the morning on February 6, and three weeks later, related aftershocks and tremors continue. Death tolls continue to rise. Buildings are still collapsing.

To date, over 51,000 have been killed and 1.25 million people have been rendered homeless. Four days ago, another 5.5 quake caused more devastation in the same area.

Fortunately our team at The Kitchen Turkey were safe, the quake hit about 350 miles south of Ankara, our Turkish headquarters.

We collectively reached out to many of our Turkish friends, colleagues, and clients, and thankfully, they were all safe. Yes, they did have friends and family members still unaccounted for and they asked for prayers as the world watched in horror.

When the earthquake hit, Hacettepe University, also located in Ankara, was on a break, and the students were visiting their families, many in the South. 17 students from various departments died because of the earthquake. Many other students were dislocated and are in desperate need of help.

Although more than 10 students and their families were affected by the earthquake in Hacettepe University's American Culture and Literature Department, two of them are in desperate need of urgent help as they lost their relatives, homes, and jobs. These students and their family members fled their hometowns in their pajamas, without any shoes, clothing, or money. They are now in Ankara and İzmir and are starting over from scratch. The professors and friends at American Culture and Literature Department are trying to help these students in any way possible, since they need anything one can think of. They also need money to rent a house and pay their bills. Although the government helps those families, the destruction is so huge that it is never enough and with government aid, it does take time. These people will need independent support for at least a year. Therefore, we kindly ask you to help these students so they can continue their education to be translators, teachers, or academics in the future.

The Kitchen Turkey’s Managing Director, Gunay Goksel, is a graduate of Hacettepe University, where he majored in American Culture and Literature. The University, is one of Turkey’s largest and most respected and has a large department with student majoring in translation and localization as well.

The idea of establishing a scholarship in The Kitchen’s name can be attributed directly to Gunay. “These young people have their entire lives ahead of them. They need to see some good in the world. They need to know that others care. I believe that even a small effort can help and that it would go a long way, and I thank you in advance for your consideration.”

The University will distribute any monies collected, directly to the students that are now homeless, penniless, and certainly living with a very bleak outlook. “We know that your contribution will help!”

Kindly send whatever you are can to Paypal@thekitchen.tv. We will collect the monies and send one combined donation as we introduce our first global support Kitchen Scholarship, enhancing the future of young students who are looking to participate in our business. There is no doubt that our consideration will help greatly.

Thank you in advance for your consideration. If there are any questions or concerns please email info@thekitchen.tv.

PS: Our Paypal email is: paypal@thekitchen.tv Please reference Earthquake.