Four Ways You Can Help with the Türkiye and Syria Response

The earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria have resulted in devastating impacts on children and families. Thanks to our incredible supporters, we were one of the first organizations to respond and can be there for the long-haul recovery efforts. We can’t do any of our life-saving work to ensure children in crisis survive, learn and are protected, without the generosity of Canadians across the country.  We know you care deeply about children in crisis and we often receive questions about how you can get more involved.

Here are four ways that you can get more involved or try something different to raise awareness and help children in Türkiye and Syria at this time:

1. Make the most of special occasions: When you celebrate a birthday or a special milestone, you can ask the people who love you most to support the causes closest to your heart. Asking for donations during a special time in your life can be a memorable way to make an impact. You can ask for donations to the Save the Children website instead of gifts.

Josefina plays among the pompoms at a child-friendly space for Venezuelan migrants in Lima, Peru.
Photo Credit: Hanna Adcock / Save the Children

2. Start Your Own Fundraiser: if you want to get more involved with raising funds for children and families in crisis, you can become a fundraiser too. Create a personal fundraising page here, and add your personal touch. Once it’s done, you can ask your friends, family, work colleagues and anyone else you know to support you! You can also share your campaign on social media for increased exposure.

Sample peer-to-peer fundraising page, with Save the Children logo, buttons to donate, register or log-in, text inviting people to add their own campaign, and an image of Save the Children volunteers working with survivors in Turkiye.
This is a sample of a peer-to-peer fundraising page. All it needs is your support.

You can also raise funds in a more creative way, like holding a bake sale at your school or office or donating a portion of sales at your retail shop. If you’re a fan of being active, you can tie your activities into campaigns, with a walkathon, or by collecting donations while you run, jump, or skate.

John Hillman, a WWII veteran, does an annual walkathon, with funds supporting children and families in crisis around the world. He is posing with his walker, wearing a hat and shirt from Save the Children.
John Hillman, a WWII veteran, does an annual walkathon, with funds supporting children and families in crisis around the world.

 

3. Spread the Word: One of the best things you can do is share what is happening in Syria and Türkiye, and what Save the Children is doing to respond, among your social networks. To stay informed about what’s happening in each country, you can follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. We’ve been sharing press releases, breaking news, and stories from colleagues, children and families direct from Syria and Türkiye.

Child campaigners in Indonesia lead a march of children in Jakarta, stretching a combined canvas more than 200 meters from children around the world, speaking out about the climate crisis as part of the Generation Hope campaign. In Indonesia, the Generation Hope campaign is carried out under the name Aksi Generasi Iklim or Climate Generation Action.
Photo Credit: Save the Children Indonesia

 

With each like, share, and follow, you can help us amplify our message while supporting the voices of children and families in Türkiye and Syria. You can also quickly advocate for children and families in Syria and Türkiye by sharing this blog post: Click here to tweet this article. Many thanks for your support!

 

Save the ChildrenSave the children staff provided some Psychological Support (PSS) activities in one of the rural areas around Antakya, Hatay Province, Türkiye. They also helped with setting up up a tent and the CSG and MHPSS officers played with the children in the area, which is one of the areas hardly reached by any aid. The devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria have caused massive amounts of damage and resulted in a huge death toll. Save the Children is responding in both countries. Buildings and infrastructure such as bridges have been damaged or destroyed.
Save the Children Staff setting up a tent in a rural area near Antakya, Hatay Province, Türkiye//Photo Credit: Randa Ghazy

 

4. Watch Max Keys’ Instagram Concert and Donate: This nine-year-old musician took his talent to Instagram with a concert fundraiser for those impacted by the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye. All proceeds will help in our earthquake response and recovery efforts. So far, he has raised more than $3000! Tune into his Instagram account to watch the replay and share it with your friends! Remember if you missed the concert, you can always still help him reach his goal by donating here or visiting his page to learn more.

Max Keys's portait - he has brown eyes and shoulder-length blonde hair. He is wearing a white shirt and a fitted hat.
Photo Credit: Maximum Keys

 

We hope that each of these tips is helpful. Thank you for all of your support in helping children and families affected by the earthquakes in Syria and Türkiye. With your efforts, you support us in providing winter clothing, food rations, heaters, blankets, mental health support, family reunification work and more. If you have questions or need support with any of these actions, please reach out to us at donations@savethechildren.ca.