A new Café for Hakan
Help from Operation Blessing after the Earthquake Disaster in Turkey
When the earthquake struck Turkey and Syria in February 2023, 60,000 people died and 125,000 were injured. Thousands of buildings lay in ruins. There were serious problems with the water, sewage and energy supply, and roads and information channels were destroyed in the affected region. Livelihoods were literally razed to the ground.
Hakan’s Story
Hakan lived in Atakya (formerly known as Antioch) for over 40 years. For five and a half years, he successfully ran his own small café “Retroo” there. After the earthquake, nothing was left of his livelihood. “It was a trauma for me to see my city, the lives of my friends and so many people destroyed. Before the earthquake, my life was colorful and vibrant. My café was like a child to me.”
Nevertheless, Hakan did not want to give up on his city. He wanted it to be rebuilt, even though he had little hope. He then came into contact with the CBN aid organization Operation Blessing and met Diego Traverso, the international head of disaster relief. Diego has been in the disaster area from the very beginning and knows the needs of the local people inside out. In addition to everyday things such as water and food, one thing deserves special attention: “One of the most important things now is that people can generate an income again. We want to give them back some of their dignity. Because they don’t want to be given anything for free, they want to work again and earn money for their families.”
Microloans for Business Start-ups
Operation Blessing supported various individuals and families with microloans to set up a small business so that they can create a new and sustainable livelihood. Hakan was one of them. He received a completly new small café as a gift from CBN, including all the necessary equipment. The employees also gave him training to prepare him to start working again.
In June 2023, Hakan was able to inaugurate his new café and take a step back into normal life. He is now treating his guests to delicious drinks and snacks again. With projects like these, CBN is supporting reconstruction in Atakya and helping people to regain a bit of normality.
Overwhelmed by the Willingness to help
Hakan is very grateful for this help: “They have given me new hope. It’s really incredible and has really touched me. Someone from the other side of the world who doesn’t even know me has come all this way to help.”
The CBN aid organization Operation Blessing is committed to helping people in crisis areas to rebuild their lives. That is why it is active in other regions besides Turkey on a long-term basis – e.g. in Ukraine, Poland (among refugees from Ukraine), Israel and Greece, where streams of refugees from trouble spots such as North Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia are gathering.
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