Marketing Türkiye / Samandağ Gastronomy Village comes to life: women's lives change in 178 hours

After the February 6 earthquake disaster, Oxfam KEDV (Foundation for the Support of Women's Work) and Mey|Diageo joined forces and aim to restore and enrich the "Samandağ Gastronomy Village" under the leadership of women and keep the flavour memory of the region alive. In fact, they are so excited about the project that they started trainings in an area allocated by the municipality while the Samandağ Gastronomy Village was being repaired and gave their first graduates in May, says Mey|Diageo General Manager Bahar Uçanlar. Oxfam KEDV President Şengül Akçar says that they are working to make women stronger, while Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay points out that Hatay has found the strength to stand up with the solidarity of the people after being destroyed 7 times before, and thanks everyone who is committed to the development of the city, which was destroyed for the 8th time due to the earthquake... These meaningful steps taken to make Samandağ a centre of gastronomy tourism will undoubtedly gain strength with the stakeholders who are committed to the project. So who and how can contribute to these 178-hour training programs? Let's listen to the details...

Oxfam KEDV (Foundation for the Support of Women's Work) and Mey|Diageo have come together in the aftermath of the earthquake disaster to launch the "Samandağ Gastronomy Village" project in collaboration with the Samandağ Women's Cooperative and the Samandağ Municipality. Their goal is to transform the district of Samandağ in Hatay into a tourism destination led by women and to build a sustainable future in the region.

 The Samandağ Gastronomy Village, located on approximately 20 acres in the Samandağ district of Hatay, includes structures suitable for education, accommodation, and restaurant facilities, as well as areas appropriate for gardening. We learn about the village at a meeting hosted by its stakeholders at Istanbul IWSA. At the meeting, which was attended by Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay, industry professionals, NGO representatives, and members of the press, Mey|Diageo General Manager Bahar Uçanlar and Oxfam KEDV Chair Şengül Akçar emphasized that their priority in the Samandağ Gastronomy Village is to educate and employ local women through the Learning For Life Program. Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay also expressed his belief that the women who will be trained in the gastronomy village will play a crucial role in restoring the district to its former days.

As part of the project, the aim is to provide training for local women on work and hospitality skills, support women's labour, and increase the number of female entrepreneurs in agro-tourism and gastro-tourism. Additionally, steps are planned to document and preserve the region's traditional gastronomic culture and flavours and pass them on to future generations.

Mey|Diageo Advocates for "Learning For Life"

In the opening speech of the meeting, Mey|Diageo General Manager Bahar Uçanlar highlighted the critical importance of gastronomy and tourism ecosystems, expressing great pleasure that the project would provide long-term benefits across multiple areas.

Uçanlar added that the Samandağ Gastronomy Village provides a suitable platform for implementing Diageo Global’s "Learning For Life" program in Türkiye. This program aims to offer job and hospitality skills to individuals who have faced educational and employment barriers throughout their lives in every country where Diageo operates.

Uçanlar mentioned various certification programs encompassing a wide range of development areas, from providing good service to kitchen assistance and financial literacy, aiming to impact at least 50 women's lives per month through the project.

She also emphasized that their partnership with Oxfam KEDV is open to everyone who wants to contribute. Anyone can support this project by holding business meetings or special events at the Samandağ Gastronomy Village or by sharing their expertise.

Training Has Begun

Under the Learning For Life program at the Samandağ Gastronomy Village, courses approved by the Ministry of National Education and universities are being offered in gastronomy and tourism. Starting with approximately 40 students in May 2024, the training reached about 100 women with the second term in June 2024. Women from the region, not just from Samandağ, can participate in the training. Initially, an average of 50 women will be trained each month, with a goal to increase this number to 100 in the future.

 Samandağ Gastronomy Village Opens Its Doors in October 2024

Highlighting the fact that the earthquakes left many people unemployed, Oxfam KEDV Chair Şengül Akçar mentioned that during their work in the region, they came across the gastronomy village belonging to the Samandağ Women's Cooperative, which includes the Samandağ Municipality among its stakeholders. Noting that this structure was significantly damaged, Akçar stated that they focused on revitalizing it with the partnership of Mey|Diageo, whose expertise in tourism they trust. Akçar continued, "Initially, we will complete the spaces for practical and theoretical training in the village and open a restaurant for service. Finally, we aim to activate the units for hosting guests. Visitors to Samandağ will be able to stay in these units within the village. We believe this aspect of the project will also contribute to tourism. Additionally, we plan to open a shop where local products made by the women there will be sold. The income will be directly transferred to the village’s operating fund. When the village becomes operational, aside from chefs and trainers, 50 to 100 people will be employed permanently."

"We Will Provide All Necessary Support as the Municipality"

Believing that women play a crucial role in local development, Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay concluded his remarks by saying, "Because they know what is needed for their children, their families, and their communities. They can easily come together and find solutions for the most challenging tasks. What has been explained to me regarding the training and activities planned for the gastronomy village indicates that these will be highly beneficial efforts, setting a new example for the region and adding value to our district's economy. I thank the Samandağ Women's Cooperative for introducing us to Oxfam KEDV and Mey|Diageo, who will work to bring this project to life. I also promise Bahar Uçanlar and Şengül Akçar that we, as the municipality, will provide every necessary support to ensure our gastronomy village becomes operational as soon as possible."

For more: https://www.marketingturkiye.com.tr/haberler/samandag-gastronomi-koyu/