A total of 204 women participated in seven training sessions provided over six months as part of the Samandağ Gastronomy Village Learning for Life Program

The Samandağ Gastronomy Village project, initiated by Mey|Diageo in collaboration with the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (Oxfam KEDV), Samandağ Women’s Cooperative, and Samandağ Municipality, is yielding results through its Learning for Life trainings. Launched in May 2024, these trainings have involved 204 participants. Among them, 15 women have started working in private enterprises, while 5 women have established their own businesses and generate income through home production.

Following the earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş, the Samandağ Gastronomy Village project, spearheaded by Mey|Diageo and the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (Oxfam KEDV), continues actively in partnership with Samandağ Women’s Cooperative and Samandağ Municipality.

While construction efforts for the Samandağ Gastronomy Village are underway, the Learning for Life trainings, initiated in various locations provided by Samandağ Municipality, are ongoing. Over the past six months, seven training sessions have been organized, covering topics such as hospitality, accommodation, culinary apprenticeships, and hygiene.

Out of the 124 women who completed the trainings in gastronomy and tourism and earned certificates approved by the Ministry of Education and universities, 15 women have started working in private enterprises, and 5 women have launched their own businesses, generating income through home production.

Samandağ Gastronomy Village to Open in the First Half of 2025

Şengül Akçar, the founder of KEDV, highlighted that weather conditions have affected the construction of the village and emphasized that trainings were initiated in alternative locations to keep the project on track. She noted the significant role of the trainings in empowering local women and enabling their active participation in life. “The village’s training center will be the first facility to become operational. Following that, we plan to open the restaurant and hospitality units,” Akçar added.

Bahar Uçanlar, General Manager of Mey|Diageo, expressed excitement about the project’s official launch, planned for the first half of 2025. “The Learning for Life program, which combines practical and theoretical training and has been implemented by Diageo in many countries, will continue and expand once the village becomes operational,” Uçanlar stated.

About Samandağ Gastronomy Village

Samandağ Gastronomy Village is a solidarity project born out of the February 6 earthquake disaster, created in partnership with Mey|Diageo, KEDV (Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work), Samandağ Women’s Cooperative, and Samandağ Municipality.

Located on a 20-decare area in Samandağ, Hatay, the project includes facilities for training, accommodation, and dining, as well as spaces suitable for gardening. Led by the women of the region, the project aims to transform the area into a tourism destination and build a sustainable future.

The village focuses on training local women within the scope of the Learning for Life program, integrating them into the workforce, and preserving and documenting the region’s traditional gastronomy culture and flavors for future generations.

Diageo’s Learning for Life program, adapted to Turkey in partnership with KEDV and local educational institutions, provides hospitality and culinary training for individuals seeking employment in the accommodation sector who have faced obstacles in education and employment throughout their lives.

Contact Information:

Zarakol İletişim – 0212 217 29 99

Zeynep Subaşı – [email protected] – 0532 312 3710