Turkish Red Crescent Hatay Community Center held a Harvest Festival in Reyhanlı Agricultural Project and Implementation Field. Hatay Deputy Governor Erhan Günay, Reyhanlı Mayor Mehmet Hacıoğlu, Vice President of the Turkish Red Crescent Murat Ellialtı, Turkish Red Crescent Director General Dr. İbrahim Altan, Turkish Red Crescent Hatay Branch Manager Şükrü Kudret Özbakış and the managers of our regional branches, Provincial Agriculture and Forestry Manager Ergun Çolakoğlu, Provincial Health Manager Mustafa Hambolat and representatives of agricultural chambers attended to the event which was held with the participation of the President of the Turkish Red Crescent Dr. Kerem Kınık.
It was aimed to harvest bananas in greenhouse on purpose of ensuring benefactors of local and different nationalities to acquire professions and earn their own livelihood in the harvest festival held on 20-decare field with the support of Reyhanlı Municipality in 2020.
300 People Received Certificate in Reyhanlı Agriculture Field
In the event that has started with the speeches of Turkish Red Crescent President Dr. Kerem Kınık and Hatay Deputy Governor Erhan Günay, Dr. Kerem Kınık who is harvesting bananas in the greenhouse, pointed out that products obtained from the banana and strawberry greenhouses would be distributed to the orphanages in the region. President Dr. Kerem Kınık said, “We gave vocational training to all our beneficiaries in the greenhouse. We taught both banana cultivation, agriculture, and cattle breeding. We have a henhouse and a barn, 300 people in Reyhanlı received certificate in this farm. Therefore, they are now competent enough to establish their own greenhouses to produce on their own in existing greenhouses or farms.”
In his speech, Hatay Deputy Governor Erhan Günay said: “I think it is very important to raise awareness of our producers on the point of cooperatives and the trainings given on this subject are very important” and thanked Turkish Red Crescent for those attempts.
Within the scope of the Project that İş-Kur supports, an average of 110 eggs per day started to be produced with 300 chickens raised in henhouses as well as banana and strawberry greenhouses established on 20-decares of land. 80 pomegranate saplings, 600 bananas and 8,500 strawberry saplings were planted in the area where cow breeding is also carried out. 321 trainees received training here and participated in the production.
1 Million and 900 Thousand People Benefited from Community Centers
With the support of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) , 1 million 900 thousand people benefited from the multidimensional programs carried out so far in 19 community centres opened within the Turkish Red Crescent. Approximately 100 thousand people benefited from the socio-economic empowerment program. 526,000 people participated in programs based on socio-economic adjustment. With the Qualified Vocational Trainings implemented within the scope of the same program, more than 22 thousand people became certified professionals.
In the event where the banana and strawberry harvest was held, the milk and eggs obtained together with the bananas were on their way to the orphanages, and the harvest festival ended with a souvenir photo taken by the participants
