Gazete Pencere / We stand tall, undefeated. We are growing stronger together!

Imagine a village heavily damaged by an earthquake, with the scars of destruction lingering in the lives of its people, yet life continues. To reconnect with life stronger than before, a collective effort to hold on is now essential... At this point, every step taken, every project undertaken is immensely valuable. Perhaps that's why the saying "A home is made by a woman's touch" still resonates today, as every place touched by women becomes stronger in presence. Women never fall; they rewrite their destinies and stand tall every time. The greatest support for women comes from other women.

"WHERE THERE IS HOPE, THERE IS LIFE, THERE IS HATAY!"

Bahar Uçanlar, General Manager of Mey|Diageo and Şengül Akçar, Founder of the Foundation for the Support of Women’s Work (KEDV), joined forces and fully supported Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay, declaring, "Where there is hope, there is life, there is Hatay!" They came together to contribute to the revival of the ancient city of Hatay, recognized as the cradle of gastronomic culture. The introduction of this special project took place in Istanbul, where they shared their excitement with us. Inspired by the power of women, the Samandağ Gastronomy Village is coming to life. This village is an inspiring project where women can bring their efforts into production and create their own brands. The project aims to provide training for local women in job and hospitality skills, support women's labour, and increase the number of women entrepreneurs in agro-tourism and gastro-tourism. It also plans to document and preserve the traditional gastronomic culture and flavours of the region, ensuring their transfer to future generations.

A TOURISM DESTINATION UNDER WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP

Oxfam, KEDV, and Mey|Diageo are working to transform the heavily damaged Samandağ district of Hatay into a tourism destination under women's leadership. The initial steps of a long-term, sustainable project to enrich and revive the gastronomy village, which was damaged in the earthquake and leased from the municipality by the Samandağ Women's Cooperative, have been taken. This collaboration aims to train local women and integrate them into employment within the Learning For Life program in the revived Samandağ Gastronomy Village. Steps are being taken to document, preserve, and pass on the region's traditional gastronomic culture and flavours to future generations.

CURRENTLY TRAINING 50 WOMEN PER MONTH

The Samandağ Gastronomy Village, located on approximately 20 acres in the Samandağ district of Hatay, features structures suitable for education, accommodation, and restaurants, as well as areas suitable for gardening. The initial phase of training has begun. In the Learning For Life program at Samandağ Gastronomy Village, Ministry of Education and university-approved courses in gastronomy and tourism are being offered. The training, which started with about 40 students in May 2024, reached approximately 100 women with the second term in June 2024. Women from the entire region, not just Samandağ, can participate in the training. Initially, an average of 50 women will be trained each month, with the goal of increasing this number to 100 in the future.

REBIRTH FROM THE ASHES!

Hatay has been destroyed 7 times and rebuilt 7 times. Hosting 13 different civilizations, Hatay is now preparing to rise from the ashes for the 8th time. This success is due first to the solidarity of the people, then to the presence of diligent and conscientious mayors, NGOs, and undoubtedly, powerful companies like Mey|Diageo that offer their support. The company has spent nearly 100 million on the earthquake region so far. When they came to Samandağ Gastronomy Village, they did not even consider the cost, as it involved women. Come on, let strong companies continue to support Hatay, which is preparing to rise from the ashes, both materially and morally!