Turkey and Syria need our help. On 6th February 2023, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit the two neighbouring countries, leaving widespread destruction in its wake.
The death toll has risen to 50,000, with countless casualties still unaccounted for and trapped under rubble. The situation was made even more dire by the aftershocks that have caused further damage to the buildings, infrastructure and landscape of the two countries.
While Singapore may be far away from this devastating tragedy, we can still do our part to aid the victims of this earthquake. Here, we’ve listed organisations that you can donate to as part of a global mission to help the people of Turkey and Syria.
Feature Image: International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
1. Singapore Red Cross Society
In response to the catastrophic earthquake, the Singapore Red Cross Society has pledged USD$100,000 in humanitarian aid to the Turkish Red Crescent and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent.
Both entities have deployed emergency response teams on the ground to help those affected, be it through distributing essential items (like food, water, tents and blankets) or assisting in search and rescue missions.
- Find out how you can donate here
2. DBS/POSB
A bank with a heart, DBS/POSB created LiveBetter, a new sustainability initiative that’s accessible via the DBS digibank app. Now, there’s an added Give Better feature on DBS LiveBetter that lets you donate to those affected by the earthquake.
Within just three days of their fundraising campaign, bank customers donated $550,000. If you’re a bank customer, you’ll be happy to know that your donations will go directly to the Singapore Red Cross Society’s efforts to aid the Turkey-Syria earthquake victims.
- Find out how you can donate here
3. Islamic Relief Singapore
One of the world’s largest Muslim NGOs, Islamic Relief has over 100 offices in 40 countries, including Singapore. While its humble beginnings are rooted in immediate disaster relief, it now also provides water, food and education as part of its long-term, sustainable care.
Their rescue teams are currently in south-eastern Turkey and north-western Syria to provide food, drinks, medical supplies and other essentials to the earthquake victims. They have launched a fundraising appeal, hoping to raise $31 million to continue their life-saving work.
- Find out how you can donate here
4. World Vision Singapore
An international Christian humanitarian organisation, World Vision aids children, families and their communities – regardless of religion, ethnicity or gender – by addressing root causes of poverty and injustice.
They currently have teams distributing life-saving non-food items and heat supplies in Turkey and Syria where the cold is a concern. In Singapore, World Vision launched a public fundraising appeal, doubling its pledge to $200,000 to support the need for relief items.
- Find out how you can donate here
5. Save the Children
Save the Children champions the rights of kids to grow up healthy, educated and safe, especially those who are vulnerable in the most remote and hard-to-reach places around the world.
Their emergency response team is on a mission to distribute hot meals, blankets and winter clothes to the earthquake victims taking shelter in temporary facilities, including the sports stadium in Hanay. Your donation to their Emergency Children’s Fund will go a long way.
- Find out how you can donate here
6. MATW Project
Founded by the late Ali Banat – the Australian businessman who became a philanthropist after he was diagnosed with cancer – Muslims Around the World (MATW) Project focuses on communal involvement and maximising donations through sustainable development works.
The organisation is currently seeking donations that will go into their survival kits that provide “shelter, health essentials and protection against the risk of any uncertain circumstances” to those affected in Turkey and Syria.
- Find out how you can donate here
7. UNICEF
Non-political and impartial, UNICEF or the United Nations Children’s Fund was formed to safeguard the rights of children everywhere, especially disadvantaged children in hard-to-access parts of the world.
With millions of children in dire need of disaster relief support in Turkey and Syria, their response teams have been working around-the-clock to distribute essential, life-saving supplies and creating safe spaces for kids to play and recover from the trauma of the devastating events.
- Find out how you can donate here
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![“Growing up in Singapore, we’ve been taught from a very young age that we are a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society. Yet, the portrayal of this diversity in our media wasn’t reflecting well. It often fell short, reducing minority races to mere caricatures.
Determined to change this narrative, I made it my mission as an actor to bring authentic representation to my work. And there are many ways to do that. For me, I chose to be mindful of the roles I play and portray.
I meticulously selected roles, even telling my agents to send me for castings which were not intended for my race. I strongly believe that race is a social construct that can be overridden by the actual acting work. True talent transcends racial boundaries.
My persistence paid off when my agency rolled the dice on me, submitting my name for auditions beyond traditional ethnic roles. I knew I was making strides because I was getting callbacks to the later rounds.
Soon enough, the ‘gamble’ paid off. The breakthrough came when I was called in to audition for the St Patrick's Day campaign by Guinness. I successfully booked it, and went on to be the only Indian in the regional commercial that aired across Southeast Asia.
That job gave me the confirmation that I should continue striving for equal representation. Shortly after, another opportunity came when Air New Zealand (@airnz) did a casting for a couple to star in their new commercial. It was to promote travel between Singapore and New Zealand.
Getting that job was monumental for me, because not only did we get to portray an interracial Singaporean couple, we did it for an international audience. It was the first commercial between the two countries when borders reopened post-COVID.
Bringing the same energy when I moved to New York City (NYC), I kept auditioning for roles that weren’t specifically for people of my ethnicity. However, that doesn’t mean I wasn’t auditioning for roles that were for South Asians too.
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