The Füsun Sayek Association for the Development of Health and Education (Füsun Sayek Sağlık ve Eğitim Geliştirme Derneği), based in Hatay, carries out free health screenings and awareness activities on topics such as breast cancer. The association also organises educational workshops, talks, and symposiums, particularly women and children.
With grant support from our Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund, the association is implementing the “Weaving Lives” project to support the economic empowerment of women living in the Arsuz district of Hatay and to revitalise the region’s traditional silk weaving heritage.
Read the following interview to learn more about their work and the impact of your support.
Can you tell us about your organisation, so that our readers can get to know you better?
Since 2007, the Füsun Sayek Association for the Development of Health and Education has been organising cultural and social activities in Arsuz, Hatay. After the devastating earthquakes in February 2023, we expanded our efforts. We saw a growing need for cultural and social engagement, so we opened the Arsuz Community Centre.
Here, we run workshops, courses, concerts, and events for children, women, young people, and other groups facing disadvantages. These activities help rebuild a sense of connection and hope in the community.
Every August for the past 18 years, we’ve also organised the Füsun Sayek Health and Culture Events. These include exhibitions, concerts, workshops, sports tournaments, health screenings, community talks, and theatre performances.
In addition, our Scholarship Fund supports university students, particularly those studying health-related subjects. We currently support 100 students from the earthquake-affected region. For the 2024–2025 academic year, we’ll raise this number to 125.
We worked hard to build trust and help women believe in themselves. Many difficulties were overcome thanks to the women’s solidarity and dedication.
You launched the “Weaving Lives” (Dokunan Hayatlar) project with our grant support. Can you tell us about the activities, outcomes, and impact of this project?
The “Weaving Lives” project trains women in Arsuz in traditional crafts like weaving and silk production, both part of Hatay’s cultural heritage. It also helps these women, many of whom were affected by the earthquakes, to generate income.
We launched the Arsuz Weaving Workshop in March 2024. Currently, 26 women are participating. They started by learning basic weaving techniques, and we’ve since added a sewing workshop so they can create products to sell.
We also organise visits to local weaving workshops and producers who are still active in the region. These visits give participants hands-on experience with traditional practices, such as raising silkworms and extracting silk.
To support long-term impact, we introduced a mentorship model connecting a designer with emerging artisans. Through design seminars and practical sessions, participants are learning about product development, branding, and working with future collaborators.
Economic empowerment is one of the project’s main goals. What are the key challenges facing women in this context? Did you face any difficulties during the project implementation?
Women in the region face many challenges: limited access to education, traditional gender roles, family responsibilities, and a lack of social and economic opportunities. The earthquakes made these challenges even more severe.
We also faced practical issues during the project, such as delays in getting materials and finding trainers. But the real challenge was helping women regain a sense of purpose and connection after such a traumatic event.
At the workshop, we worked hard to build trust and help women believe in themselves. Many difficulties were overcome thanks to the women’s solidarity and dedication.
We also received strong support from the Arsuz Municipality, the District Governorship, local weavers and producers, and of course, our donors. Thanks to this support, we were able to create a safe and welcoming learning environment. Instead of giving up, we adapted and found flexible solutions.
Thanks to your support—and that of your donors—we see women in Arsuz, Hatay taking steps toward a more hopeful future every day.
What are your future goals and projects? How has our grant support influenced your plans?
After the earthquakes, we had to rethink our plans and respond to new needs more quickly. Our priority now is to continue delivering meaningful, sustainable programmes that support recovery and community wellbeing.
We plan to expand the Arsuz Community Centre to reach more people and offer a wider variety of events. We also aim to increase the number of university students we support through our Scholarship Fund.
This project, supported by the Support Foundation for Civil Society and Türkiye Mozaik Foundation, has inspired our future work. It showed us how social and economic empowerment can go hand in hand. We’ll carry the experience and lessons forward as we create new training and support programmes.
Do you have a message for the donors supporting this fund?
Thanks to your support—and that of your donors—we see women in Arsuz, Hatay taking steps toward a more hopeful future every day. This grant didn’t just help us start a workshop; it gave women in the region the chance to rebuild and dream again.
Its value goes far beyond the establishment of a weaving workshop. It gave women the chance to reclaim their place in society and move toward financial independence.
With the “Weaving Lives” project, women are not only preserving Hatay’s rich weaving tradition—they’re also creating new paths to support themselves and their families.
Your support will continue to create long-lasting, meaningful change. We are truly grateful.
