Soma Kadın Atölyesi: The Story of helping women recover from emotional distress after the worst ever mine disaster of Turkey

The calendars showed May 13, 2014. The news from Soma was getting worse as the hours passed, and it was hurting the whole country. The people of Soma were shaken by a terrible mine accident, many families had lost their lives. Even those who did not experience the disaster themselves were deeply shaken, but the situation was much different for the women of Soma who lost their spouses and sons. They would either step aside and mourn, or they would come together and find their lost joy of life again and strive for the future of their children. They did the latter. Since then, Soma Women's Atelier has been helping every woman to produce and earn with her own handiwork and talent, with her own strength and stand on her own feet. Their motto is 'collective management, collective production'. Their goal is to reach more women and contribute to their empowerment and independence.

We, as Mahalle, visited them and were very much touched by their stories. We decided to carry their labor abroad. Thus, we not only bring you delightful homemade food but also create an awareness for women with big hearts and even with bigger ambitions who stand firmly on their feet.