The Turkish Red Crescent (Kızılay) has hosted approximately 80 students from earthquake-affected regions at its Youth Camp in Çamkoru, Ankara.
Since 1936, the Turkish Red Crescent has been reaching thousands of young people through its youth camps, aimed at fostering solidarity, volunteerism and personal development. In recent years, these camps have given priority to students from earthquake zones.
Throughout the summer, camps in Istanbul's Heybeliada and Ankara's Çamkoru offer participants opportunities to engage in various activities, enhance individual and social awareness, and gain insight into the Red Crescent's national and international humanitarian efforts.
From Aug. 25-31, Çamkoru hosted a camp themed "Textile Production and Design," which welcomed around 80 earthquake-affected girls from Adana, Adıyaman and Osmaniye.
The students participated in workshops on crafts and design, disaster and first aid training, as well as sports, music and drama activities.
They also enjoyed city tours, including visits to Anıtkabir and the National Library. Entrepreneur Dilek Yıldırım, who has established her own brand with handmade products and reached 436 homemakers, met with the students.
Yıldırım, also the designer of the Red Crescent’s "A Drop of Story" project, shared her career journey from nursing to entrepreneurship and answered the students' questions.
Sıdıka Irem Akıncı, a student from Osmaniye, said: "We do activities all day here, and performing them onstage increased our initiative and reduced our shyness; the camp environment is beautiful, with activities, trees, clean air and we're away from the city. The camp made me happy, and although it's sad to leave, I recommend it to everyone."
Yaren Parlak, who came from Adıyaman, said: "The camp made me very happy; I think we need such a natural environment before school starts; we learned crafts and musical instruments, participated in stage performances, made many friends and had a lot of fun. I'm sad it's over; I think everyone should come here to relax and develop themselves."