"Ayla Altan-Schirmer and her mother were sorting through boxes in the basement of their Berkeley home when they came across her old dolls and toys. Ayla, who had overheard her mother talking to relatives about the devastation back home in Turkey following the 2023 earthquake, which displaced millions, decided to donate her items so that impacted children had something to play with."
"Ayla's family visits Turkey every year, where she said she's seen the impacts of the earthquake and years of military conflict more than 40,000 people have died in Turkey in the past 40 years as a result of armed struggle between the government and Kurdish independence fighters. Many families displaced by the fighting and earthquake have moved to Izmir in recent years. It's a lot of kids and families who lost homes, an"
"Her gesture snowballed, she said, into a community effort, with relatives and community members in Izmir, Turkey's third-largest city, contributing books and other materials. What began as one bookcase led to the creation of a small children's library. Local municipal officials took notice and decided to expand the project into a larger permanent space, which is expected to open in the spring."
Ayla and her mother found old dolls and toys while sorting boxes in their Berkeley home, and Ayla decided to donate them after hearing about devastation from the 2023 earthquake that displaced millions. The donation inspired relatives and community members in Izmir to contribute books and materials, and one bookcase grew into a small children's library. Local municipal officials opted to expand the project into a larger permanent space expected to open in the spring. Ayla's mother, Basak Altan, grew up in Izmir, moved to Berkeley about 25 years ago, and helped found the Berkeley Turkish School, which closed in 2024. Many families displaced by years of fighting and the earthquake have moved to Izmir.
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