The story of Zarife’s craft!

The work of her hands…Zarife’s designs come to life in knitting, jewelry and handicrafts.

Zarife is married with 4 children and also takes care of her mother. She defines herself as a housewife, but she has always worked since she got married and still continues to work.

After Zarife got married, she attended public education courses and received training in cutting and sewing. She also learned to knit in these courses and started knitting by hand. “I used to make the bags I make now with crochet and by hand,” she says. Zarife improved what she learned from the course and started knitting and making different models. She made her work visible by selling her work first to her neighbors and then to her friends with whom she held gold days. Then she started to receive orders from her neighbors. “There were no telephones back then. I was announcing my visibility through word of mouth,” she says.

She did machine embroidery for a while. However, due to economic conditions, she started gardening: “I enjoyed knitting and making new models, but I had to choose whichever job paid better.” “I was working in the garden on a daily wage basis. My children were at home and I was in the garden, so I couldn’t take care of my children, but I had to work. When my children grew up and could stand on their own feet, I quit gardening.”

After she quit gardening, she started knitting again. Before the earthquake, she made and sold a few bags and bought knitting materials with the money she earned. Since her neighborhood knew her and her work, she started to receive orders again.

“45 minutes before the earthquake, I was sitting at home designing jewelry.”

After the earthquake, she and her family stayed in Antalya for a while. After some recovery, they returned and Zarife resumed her knitting business. During the earthquake, she suffered from hand discomfort because it was wet for too long. That is why her children did not want her to work. However, she continued to work both because her husband was retired and not working and to support her daughter’s education at university.   After the earthquake, life in Hatay was very stagnant, so she thought she should do something. She and other women who made handicrafts like her thought of an event where they could promote and sell their products. They decided to organize a bazaar one day a week in a certain place. Thus, after the earthquake, she opened a stand at the bazaar, promoted and sold her products and received orders. However, when businesses and shops started to open, the bazaar lost its former vitality. Although she still participates in the bazaar, the bazaar as the only sales channel was no longer enough.

Zarife explains that she was not in a position to open a shop, she did not have a place to exhibit her products at home and she did not know what else she could do: “I didn’t have an area in my house where I could display my products and put my materials. I even stuffed my materials in my daughter’s room in wholesale bags, one on top of the other.”

It was at this point that Zarife heard about MaviKalem’s project and applied for it. MaviKalem provided her with the basic materials she needed to continue her work, and she was able to continue and improve her business. Zarife describes her situation as follows: “MaviKalem provided me with shelves, cabinets, glass stands and sewing machines. Thanks to this support, I was able to display my products at home, and the sewing machine made it so easy for me! Before the sewing machine, I used to sew by hand and it would take me a day. However, due to the discomfort in my hand during the earthquake, I had a lot of difficulty and I really needed a sewing machine. Now, thanks to the machine you provided, I can sew in 45 minutes and knit the rest of the time. This way, I am less tired and my income has increased because I can also knit.”

Zarife, who does her work at home, wants to develop her business and open a workplace.

Zarife says that she loves developing her business and constantly trying new models and that she feels good doing it. To women who want to start their own business, she says: “Keep going with great determination. Do not give up, you will see that you will succeed in the end!”

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