Leiden University students raise fund with bake sale for Turkey and Syria
Tables of baked goods filled the hall of the Pieter de la Court Building on Tuesday. With their bake sale students wanted to raise money for and draw attention to the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. It was a resounding success, with a visit by State Secretary Gunay Uslu as the cherry on the cake.
All day long enthusiastic students sell muffins, cake and Turkish delicacies. Visitors can also make an extra donation with a QR code. At 11 in the morning, several plates are already empty. Will they have enough? ‘There’s still a bit in the freezer but we hadn’t expected it to go so fast,’ says one of the organisers.
The students taking part in the Bake Sale wanted to do something – something other than sit at home in the knowledge that family and friends have lost everything and are fighting for their lives. Deniz, a psychology student, says, ‘We don’t just want to raise as much money as possible but also want to keep interest in the disaster alive. It’s an enormous region that has been destroyed. You really can’t rebuild it in a week. They’re going to need consistent aid.’
‘Baking was a welcome distraction from the flood of sad news.’
Kerem, a political science student, says his home village was hit by the disaster. It has been hard, he says, to constantly follow the negative news, so he’s pleased to be able to do something. ‘I couldn’t focus at all on my studies and was checking the news the whole time. Baking was a welcome distraction from the flood of sad news.’
The Bake Sale has brought people together, and this has given the students strength. And their achievements are admirable: the Bake Sale has raised 6,134 euros and State Secretary Gunay Uslu has popped by. She spoke to the students and was presented with a plate full of goodies.
The students are proud to have attracted the State Secretary’s attention. ‘This will only increase the attention we so desperately need,’ says Damla, a psychology student. ‘Then we really can make an impact. It’s hugely encouraging if your fight gets recognition, not just from Uslu but also from your fellow students.’
Vice-Dean Kristiaan van der Heijden is impressed that the students have managed to pull this off. ‘It really did come from the students themselves. All we did was support and facilitate. It’s great to see the community that has developed and fantastic that they are doing something for charity.’