“I lost many relatives and saw many horrible things,” Muhammed recalled of the immediate aftermath. “We all had to come together as neighbours, as a community.

He spent some time in Istanbul to receive medical treatment, then returned to Adiyaman wondering what his next steps would be.

As part of recovery plans, authorities constructed a ‘social market’ in the town centre – where various shops would cater to residents’ needs and revive economic activity. Included in the plan was a bookshop.

Muhammed, already known in his community as a booklover, came on top the list of recommendations of who could be trusted to open and run the bookshop.

“I was selected by authorities to lead this effort and provided by the Turkish Red Crescent a first set of books,” he says. “I started from zero. Everything was devastated after the earthquakes.”

Despite the uphill battle, Muhammed was driven by his belief that books could aid in his community’s collective healing.

“My goal was to help people recover through books. Books can teach everything and make one feel everything, from pain to happiness.”

Starting with old iron shelves, Muhammed wanted to transform his bookshop into a more charming and comfortable environment.

Through the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) cash grant programme, Muhammed was able to purchase new bookshelves.

“The cash grant programme is part of IOM’s wider support to recovery efforts in the affected region. Working closely with local authorities, we aid select entrepreneurs to purchase items or equipment, enabling them to re-establish or expand their business. This, in turn, drives socioeconomic activity,” explains Çağlar Yetişkin, IOM National Project Officer (Livelihoods).

As of March 2024, 333 entrepreneurs in 10 provinces have received cash grants. Recipients include migrants, refugees and host community members, covering sectors such as food, textile and services.