Okaz/Saudi Gazette

GAZIANTEP, Turkey — Three Saudi women volunteers were overwhelmed with mixed emotions of joy and grief when they shared their experiences of getting a chance to lend a helping hand to the victims of the earthquake that rattled several regions of Turkey.

“We are immensely proud to represent Saudi Arabia and provide assistance to the worst affected Turkish people,” they said while engaged in rescue and relief work in a region where hundreds of civilians were killed or injured in the disaster.

The women are Mouda Al-Bareedi, Sharifa Youssef, and Rahaf Al-Obeid. Mouda and her female companions are in the forefront of international relief and rescue workers who toil in rendering tireless services to the injured or the families of the deceased victims.

Mouda and the entire Saudi team move in the quake-hit areas by pronouncing the Turkish word “Saudi Arabistan” to show that they came from Saudi Arabia to help them. The motto of the Saudi team on Turkish soil is “Giving sans borders for the sake of humanity.”

Speaking to Okaz/Saudi Gazette from Gaziantep, they said that they represent the entire people of Saudi Arabia, which is the Kingdom of humanity.

“When I climbed the plane ladder in my first foreign mission as part of the Saudi Red Crescent team, I felt extremely proud at the prospect of representing my country, Saudi Arabia, on board a humanitarian mission,” said Rahaf, who sees her passion in volunteering.

Rahaf joined the Saudi Red Crescent, after completing her studies in emergency medicine. “I am ready to engage in relief and rescue work so as to provide everything needed by the earthquake victims in Turkey.”

Rahaf, who speaks Turkish, was overwhelmed with happiness in getting the opportunity to help those in distress, despite the heavy odds, including the bitter cold. She is actively engaged in giving first aid to the quake victims.

Rahaf believes that happiness lies in giving for free, and this is what brought her to Turkey on her first foreign trip, after she received the highest-level training in dealing with crises and disasters.

On her part, Sharifa believes that no matter how much she offers to alleviate the suffering of the quake victims, she feels that she finds deficiency in humanitarian work. For her, the sky is the limit for giving.

Before leaving Riyadh for Turkey, Sharifa received a huge dose of moral support from her family, who sees this as a deed involving great pride.

“This is what drives her to work with dedication and sincerity as part of an elegant team, led by Abdullah Al-Ruwaili, a high-spirited engineer who is an embodiment of altruism and empathy,” she added.