KOSTANA'S BLOG
April 30, 2008
I have just learned that Reyhan Tuzsuz and her family will be forced out of their home in Gazi Osman Pasa in 15 days! I am posting this message from Ferda Bayazit, a long time friend of Reyhan's with information on how you can help her family:
"Reyhan Tuzsuz, is a wonderful Turkish Roman dance teacher from Gaziosmanpasa in Istanbul. Some of you have met with her and taken a class. I have been a friend and student of Reyhan's for 5 years and on my last visit I learned some very very upsetting news and I felt I had to do something.
Some of you may know about what has been happening in Sulukule in Istanbul the oldest and longest settlement of Roman people in the world. The current city government is demolishing the historic area, forcing the people (who happen to be Roman some of the most marginalized people in the world and very poor) to accept very limited money and leave their homes. The money is not enough for the families to buy another home in Istanbul as the house prices in Istanbul are very high. Therefore the people must leave Istanbul or pay rent (very high rent) until their limited mney is gone and then they will have nothing. The whole community and this unique culture are being scattered and are at risk of being lost. For more about this you can read this here:
www.casbahdance.org
or here: www.romnews.com
But this email is about our friend and teacher and a great Rom ambassador to the world, Reyhan Tuzsuz. Last week I learned that Reyhan's family is being forced out of the gecekondo neighbourhood where they were born, where they have lived with their extended family, where their mother died, where her children were born and are being raised and where she has brought the world to learn about her clture and especially her dance. The world is richer for it. So, after witnessing Reyhan's sadness about losing her home and her fear for what they would do because the government will not pay the (very little) money until they leave their home, and she has no money to put a security deposit down to rent a new home in her neighbourhood, I felt I had to do something as Im sure you would, if you knew...
So here I am telling you all. If you would like to help, if you would like to contribue to preserving this treasure of a dance teacher in istanbul, THEN ...here is what you can do:
1. Send this message out to others who may want to help
2. Collect money from your community, even little bits will help THEN...2 options I can offer...
Reyhan has no bank account so the safest way to send money is by Western Union, I think. You can do it on-line with your credit card, (there is a 20% fee) give her name Reyhan Tuzsuz and her location (Istanbul Turkey) and then Reyhan goes to the nearest Western Union office to her with her ID card and picks up the money.
OR another option is you can visit the paypal website and go to the account yildizdanz@yahoo.com and the name Janet Shook. You can make a donation with no charge there.
Jennet has been a student of Reyhans for five years. She moved to Istanbul largely for the purpose of studying with Reyhan and helping her with her career. Janet manages many of Reyhans affairs and on several occasions before has used her account to transfer money to Reyhan.
This is our chance to help Reyhan and her family and to give other dancers a chance to learn with her. I hope together we can help this wonderful woman
Thank you for your help
Ferda Bayazit
ANOTHER WAY TO HELP REYHAN! The World Music Folklife Center is hosting her to teach at their annual Herdeljezi Festival on May 17, 2008 plus an additional Turkish Romani dance workshop on May 18 in Washington, DC. A portion of proceeds from Saturday's festival and all proceeds from Sunday's workshop (after expenses) will go directly to the Tuzsuz family to help them purchase a new home. We will also have a donation box available for those who want to make a donation directly to Reyhan. For more information, please visit: World Music Folklife Center. Thank you!
