Milliyet / Gastronomy village reviving hope

Three years ago, in April 2021, we read about the foundation of a gastronomy village to be established in Vakıflı by the initiative of the Samandağ Women's Cooperative in Hatay. Hatay, a city that has hosted 13 civilizations throughout history, a place that accommodates all languages and religions, truly embodies descriptions like "meeting point of civilizations" and "cultural mosaic" better than any other place—a real mosaic. The words of Libanius, the founder of Antioch Academy (4th century AD), that "If your goal is to get to know different cultures, visiting Antioch is enough," are not far from the truth. Especially if your goal is to explore the cuisines of different cultures, you are definitely in the right place. Let us also remind you that the city was deemed worthy of the Creative Cities Network in gastronomy by UNESCO a few years ago, and let's return to the project that should have long ago become the cradle of gastronomic tourism.

Unfortunately, the foundations laid in 2021 suffered serious damage in the earthquakes that shook the entire country on February 6, 2023, and the gastronomy village project, along with life in the region, came to a halt. Now, let's turn to the good news, the power of solidarity: KEDV (Foundation for the Support of Women's Work) and Mey|Diageo joined forces after the disaster to lend a hand to the Samandağ Women's Cooperative and Samandağ Municipality. Thus, the Samandağ Gastronomy Village project, aiming to transform the district of Samandağ in Hatay into a tourism destination under the leadership of women and to establish a sustainable future in the region, came back to life. This was announced at a meeting attended by Samandağ Mayor Emrah Karaçay, Mey|Diageo General Manager Bahar Uçanlar, and Oxfam KEDV President Şengül Akçar in Istanbul IWSA earlier this week, bringing hopeful news from Samandağ Gastronomy Village.

Education has already begun as the first task in the rapidly constructed village. Diageo Global has a program aimed at people facing barriers in education and employment in countries where it operates: the Learning For Life program. Within this program, approved by the Ministry of National Education and universities, gastronomy and tourism courses have been taught in Samandağ for the past two months to local women. Starting with 40 students in May, the training reached 100 women in June, aiming to train an average of 50 women every month initially, and eventually 100. With KEDV's involvement, the village aims to support women's labour, increase values such as agro-tourism and gastro-tourism, and plan to record the rich gastronomic culture of the region for future generations.

Finally, when will Samandağ Gastronomy Village open? In several stages. First, alongside educational areas and workshops, the opening of a restaurant is scheduled for October 2024. This will be followed by accommodation areas for tourists visiting Samandağ and shops selling local products crafted by women. The revival of life and hope in the region, and the establishment of a sustainable future, represent a significant and enduring step forward. Let's hope that collaborations fostering hope continue to flourish.