Support and Humanity for the Victims of the Earthquake Disaster
in Syria and Turkey
Ercan Senoldu is not only convincing with his excellent work as factory manager at RSGetriebe in Sonthofen, he has become an important contact person among his colleagues when it comes to helping the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria during the last weeks thanks to his voluntary and honorary commitment in the Integrationsbeirat Oberallgäu e.V. In the interview, he talks about the great willingness to support by the local people and his colleagues at RSGetriebe.
Mr. Senoldu, please explain briefly: What exactly is the „Integrationsbeirat Oberallgäu e.V.“ and what is your role?
Senoldu: For about 5 years, I have been working there as the 2nd chairman taking care of the successful integration of refugees into the communities of Sonthofen and the Oberallgäu region. Me and my colleagues are giving a helping hand when it comes to everyday tasks like shopping or registering for language courses or even organizing appointments with doctors or offices. As the son of an immigrant, I know exactly how important such support is in the initial phase and it is of course highly appreciated.
How does the association support the aid campaigns for Turkey and Syria?
Senoldu: On Saturday, February 25th, we held a successful fundraising event, the "Kermes Oberallgäu". We sold various Turkish specialties there and all proceeds are directly donated to the earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. It’s such an awesome event, because it brings the people of the communities and the refugees in our region closer together, but also because it is an active contribution by all those who have been so warmly welcomed here and can thus express their gratitude.
What personal connection do you have to the severe earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria?
Senoldu: Some of the families living here have been directly affected by the disaster and also lost relatives in the severe earthquake. There are two employees at RSGetriebe who have lost family members. Even though my family is not directly affected, I know how hard such an experience can be. My wife experienced the earthquake in Turkey back in 1999 herself. Accordingly, the motivation to help as much as possible is particularly high.
What exactly does the support of RSGetriebe and the HerkulesGroup in general look like?
Senoldu:The people here in the region are very willing to help and do what they can, either through private donations in kind or monetary donations. RSGetriebe has provided vans to collect the donations from the various communities and transport them to the collection stations. In addition, the company has made a monetary donation of €1,000, which has now been joined by €5,000 from the HerkulesGroup. These monetary donations help enormously both to buy the urgently needed relief goods and to transport the donations in kind..
If you would like to make a donation, you can either contact the association „Integrationsbeirat Oberallgäu e.V.“ directly or donate using the following bank details:
IBAN DE08 7335 0000 0320 2586 35
BIC BYLADEM1ALG, Sparkasse Allgäu
Intended purpose/Reason for payment: Initiative-Helfen-Verbindet