The Türkiye Technology Team Foundation (T3 Foundation) has been helping children affected by the devastating twin earthquakes in Kahramanmaraş on Feb. 6, teaching them subjects related to space as they watch the night skies together with telescopes.
Foundation volunteers set up the "T3 Foundation Game and Event Tent" in the tent city at the Kahramanmaraş Sütçü Imam University Avşar Campus to support the education process of children affected by the disaster and to accelerate their participation in social life by organizing entertaining and informative activities.
Hanging out with members of the team in astronaut costumes, little earthquake survivors watch the sun in the morning and the stars in the evening with a telescope. Children are also given information about space, planets, stars and the sun.
T3 Foundation Sakarya Provincial Manager Özge Demirel Hansu told Anadolu Agency (AA) that as a foundation, they have set up a "T3 Foundation Game and Event Tent" for children at 11 different points in five provinces.
Sharing that the children learn by having fun in the science workshops conducted inside tents, Hansu said that the activities arouse curiosity about space in children.
Hansu stated that they were met with intense interest from the little earthquake victims and hosted an average of over 200 children a day.
"There are many children here who are using a telescope for the first time. First, we explain how it is used, we ask them what they are curious about. Some are curious about Mars, some are about Venus. We try to show them as much as possible."
Hansu noted that they received many questions from children, most of whom realize for the first time the vastness of space and ask: "Is the sky really this close to us?" or "Are there really this many stars?"
"Our telescope is handmade. It was prepared using a plastic tube, two mirrors and one lens. By having our children watch the sky, we actually enable them to focus on the future and to dream about the future."
Hansu added that the children start the day by dancing with the mascot in an astronaut costume, and they aim to help them overcome the earthquake psychology with activities.
