From Seattle with Love: A Girl, Her Fox, and an Act of Artistic Solidarity

This article was first published on TurkNetwork magazine on April 1, 2025.

Mira Erdim, age ten, has a schedule worthy of a diplomat. Swimming four days a week, violin practice, vocal lessons, emceeing at Seattle’s International Children’s Friendship Festival, acting—and still, always finding time for art. Mira has been drawing since she was old enough to hold a pencil, each brushstroke marking a clear and colorful voice. Her creations—delicate, vibrant acrylic paintings—reflect a keen observational power surprising for her age.

Yet, it wasn’t until after the devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye nearly two years ago that Mira felt the impulse to use her art as a bridge, connecting her world in Seattle to children just like herself, whose daily routines had been abruptly disrupted by tragedy. Guided gently into philanthropy by her mother, Banu—a sustainability professional whose career weaves environmental responsibility with community engagement—Mira discovered the Bridge to Türkiye Fund, and quickly discovered how she could transform her creativity into action.

The family had long supported BTF’s mission, quietly channeling birthdays and special occasions toward classrooms in rural corners of Türkiye. When the devastating earthquakes struck Türkiye a year earlier, Banu explained to Mira how thousands of children had lost homes, schools, and routines overnight. It was a conversation that would shape Mira’s small but mighty project.

“I was really thinking about the kids after the earthquake,” Mira recalled during our conversation. “Like, what happened to them, what’s going to happen? They lost families, they lost homes.” She paused thoughtfully before adding, “I decided to help.”

Thus began Mira’s Giving Tuesday campaign, appropriately titled “Art for Change.” She selected Mehmet Ali Zengin Anaokulu, a humble preschool in Kahramanmaraş, the epicenter of the 2023 earthquakes. Mira’s modest goal was to raise $325 to purchase art supplies, giving the students there a chance to create, to dream, and perhaps, momentarily, to forget the traumas they had endured.

But Mira soon discovered something important about kindness—it multiplies. With gentle persistence, she shared her fundraiser page, sweetening the deal with an offer: her painting depicting a beautiful fox would go to whoever donated the most. Within weeks, she had surpassed her initial goal, raising enough for a set of educational toys, too.

Mira’s work is proof that the brush of kindness creates ripples, small acts echo across continents, and that hope, however distant, can always find its way home.

You can reach other schools in Türkiye, just like Mira! Discover our Adopt A Classroom program to learn more about how you can contribute.