Rising After the Quake: How Education Helps Girls Rebuild Their Futures in Türkiye

“I remember the silence after the earthquake,” says 16-year-old Diya. “It felt like the world had stopped.”
The February 2023 earthquakes destroyed her home and changed her life forever. Trapped under rubble, she lost her mother in the disaster and her father earlier in the war. After weeks of recovery, Diya and her siblings moved to Istanbul to live with their grandmother.
Now, she studies hard every day and dreams of helping others heal. “I want to heal people’s hearts, not just their bodies,” she says.
With support from UNICEF and ECHO, Diya’s education continued despite her hearing challenges. The program helped resolve her registration issues, giving her a fair chance to learn again.

Dreams That Keep Growing

Seventeen-year-old Aye once dropped out of school due to bullying. “I was bullied because I’m Syrian,” she recalls. “I thought my dreams were over.”
Through UNICEF and its partner SGDD-ASAM, she joined a vocational training program. Today, Aye is learning hairdressing and hopes to open her own salon one day. “Education gave me back my voice,” she says proudly.
In Hatay, 15-year-old Selam found comfort in art after the quake. She dreams of becoming a heart surgeon. UNICEF helped her family with registration and supplies so she could return to school.
These girls show that when education continues, hope does too. Each lesson brings confidence, courage, and new dreams. Supported by UNICEF and ECHO, thousands of girls in Türkiye are now rebuilding their futures — one classroom at a time.