An Evaluation on Sodes Project “Feelings Expressed by the Ropes”

Abstract

Social Support Program, which is briefly called SODES, was initiated by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Development in 2008 for the purposes such as increasing the labor force by providing employment in disadvantaged areas and ensuring that the people living in these regions are integrated into society by cultural and artistic activities. This initiative in which local administrators are widely authorized in coordination with the provincial governorates and which is people-oriented and project-based aims to minimize the problems that may occur as a result of migration, poverty and unplanned urbanization by implementing the ideas which are generated by the local dynamics and which will contribute to the society in these respects. One of the projects prepared within this framework is the study called "Feelings Expressed by the Ropes" which is conducted by Yüzüncü Yıl University Rectorship and coordinated by us. The project aims to ensure that the disadvantaged women outside formal education who came to the region by immigration, aged between 18-29 can acquire a profession through which they can contribute to the family budget and thus achieve a better position in society. In our project prepared within these frameworks, rug weaving which is among the traditional handicrafts of Van and has begun to disappear was evaluated. In this context, the women living in the disadvantaged regions were ensured to participate in production by teaching how to weave, and thus stand on their own feet by gaining economic power and canalize into the community. Within the frame of our project which has been approved by the Ministry of Development by number 2013-065-0224, a workshop where women can get rug weaving education has been established. In this workshop, one hundred twenty-five women have been trained alternately, besides it was ensured that new weaving masters that would ensure the continuation of traditional weaving of Van region have become integrated into the society by giving weaving certificates to those who continued education without interruption at the end of the project.