A Fife-based Dundee charity boss has recalled her harrowing experiences helping with the Turkish earthquake relief effort.
Donna Jennings from Wormit returned to Scotland this week after assisting crisis response workers helping those affected by February’s tragedy.
More than 50,000 people died in the earthquake.
Donna and husband Tom run the For the Love of a Child charity in memory of son Sam.
He died at the age of five in 2009 after suffering a heart attack while playing at a fruit farm.
The Dundee organisation uses dramatherapy to aid children and their families who have suffered with trauma and loss.
Donna, who helped the relief effort in the city of Antakya, said: “You cannot believe the amount of devastation we saw during our visit.
“If you can imagine a city the size of Dundee where buildings have been demolished and families have been told by the government that their homes are not safe to go in – it was unbelievable.”
Donna travelled to Turkey after being contacted by someone she worked with at the Sam’s House project in Iraq.
Named after her son, the project is a safe space for children to enjoy music, dancing, arts and crafts.
She said: “As soon as I arrived (in Turkey) I had a little girl run right up to me and gave me a big hug, she wouldn’t let go.
“I was later told that the girl’s mum was forced to throw her and her brother out of their window in order to save their lives.
Children forced to sleep in tents on the street
“It was traumatising to hear but they all managed to survive.
“We took a load of toys for the children but we also had to bring food and hygiene packages to families.
“These people have to sleep in tents on the streets and have lost a form of income.
“They were grabbing at the packages because they can’t afford to buy anything.
“We also set up a play centre where the children could have a bit of fun. I took a big parachute that was used to play games with.”
For the Love of a Child is now hoping to raise money to buy a van that will be used as a Turkish mobile therapy unit.
The unit will help deliver dramatherapy to children in the IDP (Internally Displaced People) camps around Antakya.
Donna added “We need a van to go to different locations around the city. The one we used during our visit was rented.
“With the van, we would be able to run pop-up play events on a weekly basis.
“We want to name the unit after a girl called Elisa. Relief staff were attempting to rescue her family and could hear her screams as they got her brother out.
“Unfortunately she didn’t survive.”
Conversation