Having donated to our association, A.A. won a scholarship and came to Turkey for high school education in 2014. After graduating from high school, he won the Faculty of Medicine and has been studying BA in Medicine at a university in Turkey for five years.

He stated that he was in the dormitory with his friends when the earthquake occured and that they went out together in the panic caused by the earthquake. He said that he did not expect the earthquake to have such a great impact and be this devastating, and that he was very sorry for the loss of Turkey. “Turkey's joy is our joy, Turkey’s pain is our pain. We, immigrants, live in this country. We receive education in this country, we benefit from various opportunities here. We are grateful for these opportunities given to us, so we have given up to do our best for the earthquake victims. A few days after the earthquake, we moved to a safer place and we couldn't do much because we were displaced, but later on, with the guidance of KUDER (Kayseri International Student Association), I wanted to donate clothes to the Afghan Refugee Solidarity and Aid Association. Then I realized that I had lost my passport. I was very upset about this situation, I even planned to go to the embassy to get a new passport. Later, I was very happy when Mrs. Zakira  contacted me from the ARSA Association to inform you that you found my passport in the pocket of my jacket that I donated. Thank you very much!" he expressed.

He stated that he finds it very upsetting that hate speech towards refugees and the open targeting of various groups such as Syrians or Afghans during these times of crisis in Turkey. “Migration is a reality of life and an act of necessity. It is a natural act of world history and humanity. For instance, after the Battle of Manzikert, Turks migrated to Anatolia. People migrate to different countries and most of them cannot return for many reasons.” he said. Mentioning the necessity of taking preventive measures regarding the escalating racism and hate speech towards refugees, A.A. also said, “We should not allow situations that trigger tension and hostility in the society. This pain is everybody’s pain.”

We, as the Afghan Refugee Solidarity Association, would like to thank him and his friends for their donations for earthquake victims, and wish him success both in his ongoing education life and in the services he will be offering to the field of health care in the coming years as a doctor.

This interview was conducted by Social Worker Meltem Demirel, who is also a journalist.