Within the scope of the Erasmus+ (Adult Education) program, a group of approximately 15 participants from Italy, Spain, and Spain's autonomous Basque region was hosted at the Zembul Women's Cooperative in Tunceli, a cooperative shaped by women's labor.
The Zembul Women's Cooperative, brought to life through the efforts of women in Tunceli, hosted an international gathering. As part of the Erasmus+ Adult Education Program, around 15 participants from Italy, Spain, and Spain's autonomous Basque region had the opportunity to observe the cooperative's activities on site. The program highlighted the role women play in production, solidarity, and the preservation of local culture, while cultural interaction and the sharing of experiences were at the forefront. The production model and organizational structure developed by the Zembul Women's Cooperative over the years once again demonstrated the impact of women's empowerment extending from the local to the international level.
We are the Turkish partner of the project
Speaking about the process of becoming involved in the adult education program, Zembul Women's Cooperative President Yıldız Gündüz said:
“As the Zembul Women's Cooperative, this is the second group we have hosted within the scope of the Erasmus+ Project. We are implementing two projects, both of which have partner organizations. The visiting participants are from the lead organization, while we are the Turkish partner of the project. Our main aim here is cultural interaction. For nearly six years, as the Zembul Women's Cooperative in the geography of Tunceli, we have been carrying out various activities focused on the production of local food and the preservation of cultural heritage. As a result of these efforts, we have brought ourselves onto the international stage. We experienced some fortunate coincidences and meaningful encounters. We became involved in the Erasmus program through the daughter of one of our partners. The reason they included us in the program was that, without even realizing it, we had established a social workers' cooperative, which attracted their attention. In a small and challenging geography like Tunceli, a city with a very small population, such an organization drew great interest and was considered highly successful.”
This has been a truly wonderful experience for me
Oihana Galardi, who came from the Basque region as part of the exchange program organized by the consumer organization she works for, said:
“The organizers of this exchange program invited us, and within this scope we met with the women working at the Zembul Women's Cooperative in Tunceli. Seeing how they work and produce here was truly very interesting. This has been a truly wonderful experience for me. I was very happy to come here and especially to meet everyone in this cooperative. The work they do and the way they do it were genuinely very impressive.”
Clotaire Nteıenou, who lives in Spain's autonomous Basque region, stated that this was his third visit to Tunceli and said:
“This is my third time coming to Tunceli, and thanks to the Erasmus+ project, I think discovering new places and tastes is extremely valuable. I am a designer of European projects and also work as a trainer. I have ten years of experience in European projects within the Erasmus+ framework, and this is my third visit here. Each time I come, I discover new things about the local culture. In general, I can say that the people here are very hospitable. I can especially say this based on my experience with the Zembul Cooperative, because they are our main stakeholder in this organization. It is a structure that shows us the local reality and enables us to discover it. Everywhere we go, people ask whether we know Zembul, and we proudly say that we do.”
— Tunceli, İhlas News Agency.