In a video news prepared by Jiyan Erkılıç, a young journalist actively operating in the earthquake-stricken area with the editorial oversight of Mehveş Evin, a renowned journalist, look into he determined battle of women entrepreneurs as they strive to reestablish their lost livelihoods in the aftermath of the earthquakes in Maraş and Hatay.
Jiyan Erkılıç
From February 6th to 22nd, a series of earthquakes centered in Kahramanmaraş affected 11 provinces and resulted in the destruction of tens of thousands of buildings, including the businesses that are the lifeblood of these cities. In the aftermath of the earthquake, while thousands of people mourned the loss of their loved ones, many business owners also mourned the loss of their cherished enterprises, often referred to as their “pride and joy.”
In Hatay, 48,422 businesses were reduced to rubble, and in Kahramanmaraş, known as the earthquake’s epicenter, the businesses of 29,000 entrepreneurs suffered extensive damage. Among those who faced the harsh reality of losing their businesses were women who had, against all odds, adapted to the challenging business environment of the region.
In the wake of the earthquake, many business owners, dissatisfied with the government’s support for rebuilding their enterprises, are striving to make a fresh start using their own resources. Given the scarcity of sound structures in Kahramanmaraş and Hatay after the massive destruction, women, much like their fellow entrepreneurs, find themselves either operating their businesses from government-provided containers or setting up mobile enterprises.
These women, who have been affected by the earthquake, shared their inspiring stories of how they re-entered the business world by establishing their own ventures.
“My business was my pride and joy”
Serpil Sığındım, a henna and wedding organizer who lost her 8-year-old business in Kahramanmaraş, shares her experience of the earthquake day and its aftermath, explaining how she managed to rebuild her business:
“I lost my business in the first 7 seconds of the initial earthquake. It was an eight-year endeavor that I had built from the ground up. As a woman in an unfamiliar and relatively new industry, I faced criticism and skepticism. People would say, ‘What can someone who spent 18 years as a homemaker know about business?’ I chose to ignore such comments and, with the support of KOSGEB and my husband, founded a henna organization company. I persevered through ups and downs, shed tears, and, at times, even faced setbacks, but I kept that business running for eight years until the earthquake struck. I lost everything – my livelihood, my entire world. I lost 70 lives in the process. Eight years in the same business location felt like a significant portion of my life. My business was my pride and joy.”
“I loved my hometown deeply, and I knew I had to rise again”
When we asked her how she got started again, she used the following words:
“Honestly, I wasn’t going to continue with this business. I had given up on everything. I went to Ankara on the fourth day after the earthquake because I have a small child, and there was nothing to do here. I didn’t leave my room for a month and a half. I wanted to experience the grieving process. In the place where I stayed, there were ladies from Hatay, Adıyaman, and Malatya who were staying with their families. I started talking to them, sitting with them. We shared our pains. As we said, ‘What have you lost? What’s your story? You tell yours, and I’ll tell mine.’ It began with sharing our pains and crying. Later on, we got to the point of ‘What can we do?’ We started doing handicrafts. Reconnecting with people brought me back to my feet. I remembered my mission. I have three children, and I love people and my hometown deeply. So, we returned to Kahramanmaraş. My brides called me again, and we started supporting each other anew. A beloved sister of mine arranged a small temporary place for me in a wedding hall. I started organizing henna nights again. I’ve been doing my job for two months now. I want to do better, but I need support for that.”
“Women entrepreneurs need government support”
Sığındım now seeks assistance for female entrepreneurs in the region:
“I’m advocating for positive discrimination in favor of female entrepreneurs who have lost their businesses. We need support for reestablishment. I’m speaking not just for myself, but for all those who have lost their businesses. We request a postponement of our loan payments. I believe in honoring our commitments, and I fully intend to repay, but it’s not possible at this moment since I’ve lost everything – my livelihood and assets. I have nothing to offer as collateral; all I have is the wreckage. I might give you a handful of soil, but that’s about it.”
“For us, working was a necessity”
Sermine Yardımcıoğlu, who resides in Hatay city center, made the decision to return to her family in the Altınözü district of Hatay after her workplace was destroyed. She, like many other determined women, is striving to overcome the seismic aftermath through her own efforts. She started making sweets and began selling them as a street vendor alongside her brother’s wife.
Three months after the earthquake, Yardımcıoğlu embarked on a new business venture with her sister-in-law, commencing her story by recounting the loss of cousins, nieces, and neighbors: “When our business and home in Antakya were reduced to rubble, we returned to our family’s hometown. Upon our return, we sought something to occupy ourselves, both financially and emotionally. It became a necessity. Once we decided on the type of work we wanted to pursue, we struggled to find a skilled craftsman to prepare a vehicle for selling the sweets we had in mind. We had to adapt the vehicle ourselves.'”
Yardımcıoğlu, who had nurtured the dream of opening a restaurant for years, claims that she took her initial step toward that dream after the earthquake. Yardımcıoğlu states, “On the night of the earthquake, we never thought we would be able to leave our home. It was a challenging ordeal to evacuate with my children. That’s the way it was meant to be. I had harbored dreams of launching a business beforehand. Now, I manage my business from home, coming and going as needed. I personally prepare the sweet dough. I craft the sweets, while my sister-in-law Sermin handles the sales. It serves as a form of motivation for us, a way of holding on to life. Let’s call it a determination to endure. Hopefully, we aspire to open a delightful establishment. I aspire to possess a flourishing business.”
Despite seven months having elapsed since the earthquakes, there remains a lack of available data regarding the number of working women in the region and the extent to which their professional lives have been impacted. As emphasized by the women interviewed for this story, support is crucial for their successful reintegration into the workforce and for sustaining their livelihoods.
*This videp-story has been prepared as part of the ““News Exists, Voice Exists”: Women Journalists Solidarity Project” under the “Women’s Solidarity Fund” of the SES Equality and Solidarity Association.