Village homestays in Turkey
How this vacation makes a difference
Environment
Heating in winter is provided by cow dung stoves. Cooking and bread making takes place over dung fires as much as is possible. All water is provided from local wells which are fed by rainwater. No pesticides or fertilisers whatsoever are used to cultivate the crops from which the food is sourced. Everything from the rice to the jam is organic and home produced. The organization is run from a home office on a paper free basis.
There is abundant wildlife in the area including foxes, owls, reptiles, and occasional wolves. There is also a rich birdlife present with many birds using the village on migration routes. Resident birds include large numbers of hoopoes. The local economy is based totally on small-scale agriculture, and where the interests of wildlife do not clash with those of the farmer, wildlife is not only undisturbed, it is actively encouraged.
Community
Visitors are encouraged to support the newly-opened and underequipped pre-school unit in the village. Donations of clothing and equipment have been recently made by Istanbul-based businesses as a result of publicity generated by the home stay scheme. The home stay scheme also actively encourages appropriate gifts for the unit, working in conjunction with teachers, attempting to meet the exact needs of the pre-school children, some of whom have special needs. Pre-school education is vital since adult literacy in the village runs at only 50%.
All money left by visitors to the village goes directly into local households, providing much-needed extra income in an environment where people live of less than a dollar a day. All day trips organized benefit the local economy directly, especially since many of the sites visited are off the normal tourist route.
Visits to nomadic tribes benefit all of the tribe directly since part of the fee paid by visitors for the trip is used to present the tribe with essential goods such as sugar, oil, and tea.
All families taking part in the home stay scheme are local, and on low incomes. Training is given to the women of the families with regards to serving guests. All produce is home-grown or locally bought.
The nomadic tents were woven locally by tribeswomen. All bedding and seating cushions are produced by women in the village using their own wool.
We strongly urge visitors to observe local customs, especially with regards to dress. We aim to keep the culture of the Kurdish tribes with whom we stay intact. A cultural guideline is provided at the time of booking.
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