Edremit ADEM End of Year Exhibition

The handcrafted products made by women who attended the courses opened by 9 Family Support Centers (ADEM) operating under the Edremit District Governorship Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation (SYDV) for approximately a year with great effort were presented for admiration.

At the exhibition held at the Edremit Sahil Family Support Center, products prepared with great effort throughout the year by women and various decorative items were exhibited. The opening of the exhibition was attended by Edremit District Governor Yücel Erdem, institution managers, ADEM coordinators, and course participants.

Providing information about the courses, Edremit District Governorship Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation (SYDV) Family Support Centers (ADEM) Coordinator Güney Erişir said, ‘We have 9 Family Support Centers affiliated with the Edremit District Governorship SYDV. We have a total of 224 courses in our ADEM. Each of our courses has approximately 12 to 24 students. We have a total of 2,500 students. Each of our ADEMs has its own unique courses. Our Family Support Centers have essential courses such as nursery, literacy course, ready-made clothing, knitting, handicrafts, painting, music, and fine arts. Women in need, distressed, and needy families in our Family Support Centers produce handcrafted products in accordance with Law No. 3294 to provide benefit to their families and livelihood. They also create employment. With the training they receive in our Family Support Centers, they can obtain certificates and subsequently open their own businesses. They can also obtain master instructor certificates and then open their own courses. In this way, they both provide employment and support their families.’

‘For us, it is very valuable that our women come to these courses to relax,’

Edremit District Governorship SYDV Köyiçi Family Support Center Coordinator Gülçin Güngör said, ‘We have 20 courses and nearly 300 students in our center. We try to teach our women forgotten arts such as carpet weaving courses, basket weaving courses, and in addition, we have handicrafts, literacy courses. It is very important for us that our women come to these courses to relax. It is very beneficial for them to gain their own economic freedom. When they receive the rewards of their efforts, their self-confidence in themselves, their families, and their household increases, enabling them to stand as individuals. This is very valuable for us and our District Governor Yücel Erdem. We thank our district governor very much for providing us with these opportunities. We thank the director of the Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation. We work as a family. As 9 Family Support Center coordinators, we opened our exhibition hand in hand with great enthusiasm on the coast of Edremit. We have very beautiful products. I recommend those who want to come to see the handcrafted products made by our women and participate in our courses.’

‘If we want to change a society, we need to reach out to mothers first,’

Edremit District Governorship SYDV Süphan Kültür ADEM Coordinator Zahide Yılmaz said, ‘We have 30 courses and 440 students in the Family Support Center. Our goal here is to provide women and young people living in a patriarchal society with a profession. It is to create a socio-cultural environment. Indeed, when we see it currently, we consider that we have succeeded. We have young people preparing for university. In music, painting courses. In vocational trainings, whether it is handicrafts, ready-made clothing, leatherworking courses, ebru art courses, literacy courses, food and beverage such as cooking and pastry courses, theater courses, we have all of these. Women in handicrafts find the chance to gain self-confidence, stand on their own feet, and see themselves as individuals. In short, we can say that we are transferring culture from yesterday to tomorrow. Our aim here is if we want to change a society, we need to reach out to mothers first. What we are doing here is reaching out to mothers. When we reach out to the mother, we touch the child, and when we touch the child, we change a society. If we want to educate a society, we need to start with our mothers. Here, we contribute to mothers realizing that they are individuals, that they can stand on their own feet, and that they should be aware of themselves.’