Rebuilding womens livelihoods earthquake
Projects

Mavi Kalem: Rebuilding women’s livelihoods in post-earthquake Hatay

Supporting women in Hatay, Turkey, to rebuild agricultural businesses through tools, training and a solidarity network – promoting income, resilience and sustainable farming.

Reduce hunger and poverty, and improve livelihoods

Asia and Pacific, UK & Europe

2025-2026

UN Sustainable Development Goals

No poverty
Decent work and economic growth
Reduced inequalities

The objective

To equip 225 women in Hatay, Turkey – one of the areas hardest hit by the February 2023 earthquakes – with tools, knowledge and visibility to restart agricultural businesses using sustainable, agroecological practices.

The issue

The 2023 earthquakes devastated Hatay, Turkey, destroying homes, farms and livelihoods. In the aftermath, women played a vital role in family survival, taking on care, recovery, and small-scale economic activity. Many resumed informal production but lacked tools, income and market access to sustain it.


Mavi Kalem, a women-led NGO formed during the 1999 Marmara Earthquake, launched this programme to support those rebuilding. It aims to move beyond emergency relief focusing on dignity, sustainability and women's leadership in recovery.


The partner: Mavi Kalem

Mavi Kalem is a grassroots Turkish association based in Istanbul and Hatay, focused on women's rights, access to income, gender equality, and disaster recovery. A member of the Core Humanitarian Standards Alliance, Mavi Kalem integrates empowerment and solidarity into all its work.

Find out more at kadinisi.org

mavi kalem chairty

The project

With a one-year grant of £88,547, the Hatay is Developing with Producing Women project will:

  • Provide 25 women with tools and equipment to restart agricultural production
  • Train 100 women in agroecological farming practices through workshops with the Ministry of Agriculture and academic experts
  • Establish a solidarity network of 100 women for business support and peer learning
  • Launch a digital marketing campaign to promote women’s products via kadinisi.org and social media
Women will receive in-kind support tailored to their work – including juicing machines, fridges, pomegranate processing tools, fertilisers and agricultural equipment. Workshops will cover crop diversification, permaculture, organic farming, and sustainable food production.

The project also promotes a circular, participatory, solidarity-driven economy, where women support each other to build sustainable livelihoods long after the funding ends.
“This project goes beyond recovery – it’s about resilience. These women are rebuilding their lives and leading their communities through sustainable, dignified work.”
 

Croda Turkey

Impact

  • 225 women directly supported
  • 25 women provided with agricultural tools and production equipment
  • 100 women trained in agroecological farming practices
  • 100 women joined a business solidarity network
  • 800 family members benefit from improved income and food security
  • Increased biodiversity, recycling, and sustainability embedded in production practices


Our Governance

Croda Foundation, established in 2020, is an independent charitable company set up by FTSE 100 specialty chemicals company, Croda International Plc, and is registered in England and Wales (number: 1196455). The Foundation is solely funded by generous donations from Croda International Plc and led by an independent Board of Trustees.