Our journey in Turkey · Part 2 of 3
Three months after the earthquakes of 6 February 2023, the region was still in crisis. More than 53,000 people had died in Turkey, and across the eleven affected provinces, home to about 14 million people, many families who had lost their homes were still living in tents.
The earthquake at a glance
6 Feb 2023
the day it struck
7.8
magnitude
53,000+
lives lost in Turkey
14 million
people live in the 11 affected provinces
Back in Turkey
In May 2023, the same year, we returned to Turkey in partnership with the UBC’22 project and together with Fountains of Hope International. This time we came with a team of volunteers ready to build, and with vans full of clothes, shoes, food and other supplies for families in need.
What we did in May 2023
10
wooden tiny houses for families who lost their homes
1
water purification system, in a Syrian refugee camp
Food & aid
for several camps of displaced people
A new home
The heart of this trip was building. Working side by side, our team built 10 wooden tiny houses for families who had lost their homes in the earthquake. Each house is small, but it is dry, safe and their own.
For the families we met, a door that closes and a roof that keeps out the rain meant they could begin to rebuild their lives.
Clean water in a Syrian refugee camp
Together with Fountains of Hope International, we installed our first water purification system, in a camp for Syrian refugees. Clean drinking water protects families, and especially children, from illness. It was the beginning of a partnership that brought us back to Turkey in 2026.
Food and aid for the camps
We also carried food, clothes, shoes and toys to several camps for internally displaced people (IDPs). Families lined up at our vans, and we did our best to make sure everyone left with something they needed.
The team
This trip was possible thanks to our team of volunteers, our partners from UBC’22, Fountains of Hope International and the local friends who worked alongside us. Thank you to everyone who gave their time, their strength and their support.
Our journey in Turkey
February 2023
First trip: emergency aid and tents
We brought aid and put up tents for displaced families.
May 2023
Second trip: tiny houses and clean water
We built 10 wooden houses and installed our first water purification system.
You are reading this story
May 2026
Third trip: clean water in Hatay
We installed three water purification systems in camps in Hatay.
When disaster strikes, we go where we are needed, and we come back. We do it because we love people, and because God loves them.