24-26 July 2026 | Hatay, Türkiye
Three and a half years after the earthquakes of February 2023, we were back again in Hatay for our latest Study Trip. Every visit reveals a new chapter; from unimaginable heartbreak, to communities finding their footing, to what we witnessed this time: roots growing stronger.
Since 2023, through our Kahramanmaraş Earthquake Emergency Relief Fund, we’ve granted £3.9 million across 125 grants to 92 partners, reaching over 750,000 people. But this trip wasn’t about numbers; it was about the people behind them.
Livelihoods Rebuilt by Women’s Hands
Across Hatay, we kept meeting the same quiet force behind recovery: women turning craft into income, and income into dignity.
In Kırıkhan, invasive water hyacinth had been choking the Asi River and Gölbaşı Lake. TURSIYEV turned the problem into a lifeline, training local women to weave the harvested, dried plants into handcrafted goods. Some travel 10km every day to take part; not just for the income, they told us, but for the sense of solidarity and quiet healing the work brings.
At the Arsuz Life Centre, run by Füsun Sayek Development and Education Association, women trained in silk weaving, design, and business skills, reviving a centuries-old craft while earning household income. The centre has since grown into a full community hub, hosting children’s choirs, art workshops, and cultural gatherings.
When the earthquakes destroyed Defne Women’s Cooperative‘s production centre, the women lost both their safe space and their livelihoods. With our support, they rebuilt the facility and replaced essential equipment. Today they’re back in action; generating income, buying directly from local farmers, and keeping Hatay’s culinary heritage alive.
Healing Through Music, Sport, and Spaces of Their Own
Recovery isn’t only economic; it’s also about young people having somewhere to breathe, create, and simply be kids again.
On the Samandağ coast, Hatay Surf Centre teaches far more than surfing. Over 2,000 young people have had free lessons woven with child protection, inclusion, and safety; some now training for the national team. For children still living in temporary container settlements, a surfboard is something solid to hold onto, and the sea becomes a place to reclaim, not fear.
Hatay Symphony Orchestra Culture and Art Association, the city’s first, suffered tragic losses in the disaster. Music remained a lifeline anyway: our grants helped replace lost instruments and fund concerts reaching thousands. That support now extends to the Hatay Academy Children and Youth Multivoice Choir, giving young people a place to sing, bond, and build harmony together.
We were also thrilled to attend the opening of ALIKEV Mekan, created by Ali İsmail Korkmaz Foundation (ALIKEV) and Architecture for All Association, with our joint support alongside Mor ve Ötesi. Having lost their original building in the earthquakes, local youth now have a vibrant, custom-designed space to gather and build a collective future together.
Hearing the impact of Mozaik’s support directly from the most affected people made us understand how even the smallest amount made a difference in the most meaningful way.
— Sedef Çelikcan, Donor
Solidarity, Rights, and Care
Two organisations we visited work to make sure women aren’t left carrying recovery alone. Operating from the Samandağ Women’s Life Centre, Samandağ Women’s Solidarity Association offers psychosocial support and empowerment workshops, with a particular focus on people with disabilities and their caregivers, helping them access legal rights and adaptive equipment.
Nearby, Hatay Mor Dayanışma Association gives women a space to gather and support one another, offering legal guidance on housing, family law, and domestic violence. As they told us during our visit, accessing even basic legal rights after the disaster remains an uphill climb, which makes this work as vital as ever.
Meeting the teams, feeling their energy, and seeing their smiles as they welcomed us made me feel that they were not only receiving support but also feeling seen, valued, and encouraged.
— Duygu Ergin, Donor
Protecting Hatay’s Nature
Hatay holds a rare distinction; it’s the only place in Türkiye where mountain gazelles and striped hyenas share a single habitat. Hatay TAKODER works to ease human-wildlife friction through camera trap monitoring, field research, and community dialogue, helping locals protect biodiversity even as habitat destruction and post-disaster land changes reshape the landscape.
Recovery Is Built Step by Step
As we left Hatay, we were reminded that lasting recovery is never sudden. It’s built from the ground up, piece by piece, and always together.
Whether through craft, music, sport, legal aid, or a room of one’s own, every organisation we visited is actively leading this revival. We left Hatay deeply moved, and more determined than ever to stand alongside these communities for the long haul.
None of this journey would be possible without your trust and generosity. Thank you for walking this road of recovery alongside us, to the local organisations for opening their doors so warmly, and to our partner, the Support Foundation for Civil Society (Sivil Toplum için Destek Vakfı), for hosting this unforgettable trip.
