Little by Little -A Future Fuelled by Hope
When the earthquake struck Nurdağı in early 2023, it didn’t just level buildings — it shattered lives. In Turkey, over 8.8 million people were affected in mere seconds. In the blink of an eye, ticking like a clock, everything that felt secure — homes, businesses, families, dreams — crumbled into dust.
But from the deafening silence that followed, something remarkable began to rise, voices of resilience, solidarity, and quiet, unyielding strength. Before the disaster, life for Aynur and her husband was a simple but joyful rhythm. Together, they ran two small businesses — one where they lovingly crafted traditional sweets, and another where they sold them. “We had a motto,” Aynur recalls with a soft smile. “We don’t sell what we wouldn’t eat ourselves.”
They were known, respected, and hopeful for the future. But in a heartbeat, everything changed.
The earthquake took it all — their home, their businesses, and most painfully, Aynur’s husband. “We lost our anchor,” Aynur says. “I had to stand up again, even when I didn’t know how.” Now living in a container city with her three children, two of whom are still in school, Aynur has started a painstaking journey to rebuild — drop by drop.
Through the Recover Project by World Vision Syria Response, Aynur received critical business training and essential equipment, reigniting a dream she thought was gone forever. Today, she runs a Cozy dessert shop — a new home for sweets, breakfasts, coffee, and birthday celebrations, where the scent of hope is as strong as the aroma of freshly brewed tea.
“It’s slow,” Aynur says, her eyes shining. “But every drop is hope.” Ali’s story echoes a similar heartbreak — and a similar resilience. Before the earthquake, Ali was proud of the life he had built: a thriving butcher shop, a car, a home, and above all, stability for his wife and three sons. But overnight, all of it was reduced to rubble.
“We stayed in our car for two nights. It was winter, freezing cold,” he remembers. “When we got two tents, we gave one to our Syrian neighbours. They had nothing. We couldn’t look the other way.”
The trauma took a toll, especially on Ali’s wife, whose health suffered. Starting from scratch felt impossible — until he found support through the Recover Project. Business and financial training helped Ali craft a new plan, while provided equipment allowed him to reopen his beloved butcher shop — a legacy passed down from his father.
“It wasn’t just material support,” he says. “It was a push toward hope. Toward rebuilding.”
Funded by World Vision Korea and World Vision USA, the Recover Project focuses on reviving micro and small enterprises (MSEs) and cooperatives devastated by the earthquake.
To date, the project has reached 1,317 unique participants, including MSEs, cooperatives, and individuals who have gained employability and skills training. Among them, 728 are female and 589 are male participants from Şanlıurfa and Gaziantep. Additionally, 183 persons with disabilities (PWD) have participated in the project.
Through partnerships with local institutions, Recover has empowered entrepreneurs like Aynur and Ali not just to restart businesses — but to reclaim dignity, confidence, and community bonds.
In Ali’s words:
"The cycle is working again. We’re not just surviving — we’re living."
For Aynur and Ali, the road ahead is still long. But it’s no longer a road they have to walk alone. With their neighbours, their community, and organizations like World Vision standing beside them, they are building something stronger than what was lost — they are building new dreams.
As Aynur says:
"Life can be cruel. But it can also be sweet — especially when others walk with you."
From the ashes of devastation, seeds of recovery are sprouting.
In Nurdağı, where once there was only silence, the sounds of laughter, work, and dreams reborn now fill the air — little by little, a future fuelled by hope.
*Names changed to protect identity