Healing page after page in earthquake-affected Türkiye

Ahead of World Book and Copyright Day, celebrated annually on April 23, IOM's Miko Alazas met a book lover in Adiyaman, Turkey, who is helping to heal his community through the power of books.

Muhammad clearly remembers the day his uncle gave him his first book of stories. At the age of ten, this was the beginning of his love for literature and poetry.

Growing up, he would arrange book club meetings with friends. As a teenager, he organized book fairs. After university he worked in journalism.

By his twenties, he had already envisioned his dream retirement plan: opening a bookstore.

When earthquakes struck his hometown of Adiyaman in 2023 and left a trail of devastation, little did he know that his plan to retire would come to fruition decades earlier.

“I lost many of my relatives and saw a lot of terrible things,” Mohamed recalls of what happened immediately afterward. “We all had to come together as neighbors, as a community.

He spent some time in Istanbul receiving medical treatment, then returned to Adiyaman wondering what his next steps were.

As part of the revitalization plans, the authorities built a “social market” in the city center – where various shops meet the needs of residents and stimulate economic activity. The plan included a library.

Mohammed, who is known in his community as a lover of books, came at the top of his list of recommendations for people who could be trusted to open and run the library.

“The authorities chose me to lead this effort and the Turkish Red Crescent provided me with the first set of books,” he says. “I started from scratch. Everything was destroyed after the earthquakes.”

Despite the uphill battle, Muhammad was driven by his belief that books could help in the collective healing of his community.

“My goal was to help people heal through books. Books can teach everything and make one feel everything, from pain to happiness.

Starting with old iron shelves, Mohammed wanted to transform his library into a more charming and comfortable environment.

Through the International Organization for Migration's cash grant programme, Mohammed was able to purchase new bookshelves.

“The cash grant program is part of IOM’s broader support to recovery efforts in the affected area. Working closely with local authorities, we help selected entrepreneurs purchase items or equipment, enabling them to re-establish or expand their businesses. This in turn It drives social and economic activity,” explains Çağlar Yetışkin, National Project Officer (Livelihoods) at IOM.

As of March 2024, 333 entrepreneurs in 10 provinces have received cash grants. Recipients include migrants, refugees and host community members, covering sectors such as food, textiles and services.

Mohamed is one of more than 300 earthquake-affected entrepreneurs who are benefiting from a cash grant program offered by the International Organization for Migration.

Almost a year after opening the library, Mohamed is happy with where life has taken him, despite having been exposed to such a horrific disaster not long ago.

“I love this work. I'm happy to be around books. I meet people from all walks of life and have a unique relationship with each of my clients.”

Mohammed is also involved in efforts to re-establish public libraries, named in memory of literature teachers who died during the earthquakes. Through this, he hopes to make books accessible to everyone.

He adds: “When you read, a new world captivates you.”

In fact, Muhammad hopes every day that his clients will be transported to a new world of healing and hope in the midst of tragedy.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/04/1148871 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

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