Dünya / Breakthrough in Samandağ under women's leadership

Samandağ Gastronomy Village was established in collaboration with Samandağ Women's Cooperative and Samandağ Municipality to transform the region into a tourism destination under the leadership of women. The village spans approximately 20 acres and includes facilities for education, accommodation, restaurants, and gardening areas.

On February 6, 2023, while the earthquakes centred in Kahramanmaraş deeply shook Türkiye, Oxfam KEDV (Foundation for the Support of Women's Work) and Mey|Diageo joined forces to build a sustainable future in Samandağ, Hatay, following this disaster. Collaborating with Samandağ Women's Cooperative and Samandağ Municipality, these two organizations launched the Samandağ Gastronomy Village project with the aim of making the region a tourism destination led by women.

Established on approximately 20 acres, Samandağ Gastronomy Village stands out with its sections for education, accommodation, restaurants, and areas suitable for gardening. The project was introduced at an event held in Istanbul. Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay, industry professionals, NGO representatives, and members of the press attended the launch meeting.

In the meeting, Mey|Diageo General Manager Bahar Uçanlar and Oxfam KEDV President Şengül Akçar emphasized that one of the project's priorities is to educate and employ local women under the Learning For Life Program. Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay expressed his belief that the women who receive training in the gastronomy village will play a crucial role in the town's return to its former days.

The project aims to provide training in hospitality and job skills for local women, support women's labour, and increase the number of women entrepreneurs in agro-tourism and gastro-tourism. Additionally, steps are being planned simultaneously to document and preserve the region's traditional gastronomic culture and flavours for future generations.

Mey|Diageo General Manager Bahar Uçanlar, in her opening speech at the meeting, highlighted the significant role of gastronomy and tourism in the ecosystem, expressing her happiness that the project will provide multi-faceted and long-term benefits.

A Multi-Functional Training Platform

Uçanlar noted that Samandağ Gastronomy Village provides an appropriate platform for the Learning For Life program, which aims to provide job and hospitality skills to individuals seeking employment in the hospitality sector in every country where Diageo Global operates. She said, "After the earthquakes, we thought a lot about what more we could do to reintegrate women in the region into social life and turn them into productive individuals. We learned that Oxfam KEDV was interested in a gastronomy village started by Samandağ Women's Cooperative but damaged in the disaster. We saw that the village provided a suitable platform for Diageo Global's Learning For Life program. We decided to proceed together on a project to revive the village with Oxfam KEDV. We started our training before the village was fully operational, as we found suitable spaces that would physically and morally benefit the women. We hope that the women who participate in the training will easily find jobs in local or regional businesses because they are receiving very diverse and functional training."

Around 100 Women Trained

In Samandağ Gastronomy Village, courses in gastronomy and tourism, approved by the Ministry of National Education and universities, are provided as part of the program. Training, which began in May 2024 with about 40 students, reached nearly 100 women with the second term in June 2024. Women from the region, not just from Samandağ, can participate in the training.

Samandağ Gastronomy Village Opens in October 2024

Oxfam KEDV President Şengül Akçar, who shared detailed information about Samandağ Gastronomy Village at the meeting, said, "The earthquakes left many people, especially women, unemployed in the region. During our work in the area, we came across a gastronomy village owned by Samandağ Women's Cooperative, which included Samandağ Municipality among its stakeholders. It was in a damaged state. After gaining support from the cooperative and the municipality, we took steps to revive the gastronomy village by coming together with Mey|Diageo, which we trust in the field of gastronomy and tourism."

Akçar stated that the project is nearing completion and that they aim to open the village's doors in October 2024. "We will first complete the spaces for practical and theoretical training and open a restaurant for service. Finally, we plan to activate units for accommodating guests. Visitors to Samandağ will be able to stay in these units within the village. We believe that this aspect of the project will also contribute to tourism. Additionally, we plan a shop where local products produced by the women will be sold," Akçar said, noting that these revenues will be directly transferred to the village's operating fund. Akçar emphasized that they aim for the village to stand on its own feet in the future with the participation of women who gain skills from the training. She added that the village will employ between 50 and 100 people permanently, excluding chefs and trainers, once operational.

‘’The Role of Women in Local Development Is Important’’

Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay thanked Oxfam KEDV and Mey|Diageo for supporting this project, which was damaged by the earthquake and seemed impossible to revive. Karaçay said, "I believe that women have a very important role in local development because they know what is needed for their children, families, and environment. They come together easily and produce solutions for even the most challenging tasks. The education and activities planned for the gastronomy village, as described to me, show that it will create new opportunities in Samandağ, set an example for the region, and add value to our district's economy. I thank Samandağ Women's Cooperative, Oxfam KEDV, and Mey|Diageo for introducing us to this project. I promise that we will provide all necessary support from the municipality for the quick realisation of our gastronomy village."