Cyclist student handing out ‘hope’ in quake zone

HATAY

Berfin Kolcu, a university student who has been cycling for a long time, is trying to turn her hobby into something helpful for all the quake survivors by handing out aid materials on her bicycle in Hatay.

Taking aid materials, her bicycle and trailer with her, Kolcu started to deliver the supplies sent to the region to those in need.

Acting in coordination with municipalities, non-governmental organizations and authorized institutions, Kolcu delivers aid especially to neighborhoods where vehicles could not enter due to rubble and debris.

Kolcu said that when she saw the severity of the situation after the quakes, she felt the urge to do something for the quake survivors. Since her school was on semester break, she said she decided to volunteer in the quake zone, taking her bicycle with her.

“The devastation caused by the quakes was a lot more than I expected. It was as if I was on the set of a horror movie rather than real life. People who lost their families or their jobs, waiting for good news from their relatives in the rubble, crying in despair, not knowing what to do; believe me, the pain is almost impossible to describe,” she said.

“It was in Hatay that I learned what pain, sadness and despair are. At the same time, it was the first time I realized how beautiful and valuable hope and solidarity are for humanity,” she added.