In 2023, products created under the Cham Silk project, supported by Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), were showcased at the She Trades Exhibition.
The “Color of Memory” initiative, also backed by TİKA, brings together skilled Cham artisans to craft high-quality silk products. Beyond their economic significance, these items serve as tangible representations of Cambodia’s rich cultural heritage, showcasing its deep-rooted traditions.
The exhibition, held in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia, provides an opportunity to introduce these products to broader markets while preserving their cultural narratives. It also makes a significant contribution to the artisan’ livelihoods and economic well-being.
Ülkü Kocaefe, Ambassador of the Republic of Türkiye to Cambodia, visited the stand, which drew considerable interest from attendees. She highlighted that TİKA’s project, aimed at revitalizing the Cham community’s economy, strengthening Türkiye-Cambodia relations, promoting traditional craftsmanship and contributing to sustainable development, effectively combines entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and cultural diplomacy.
Chhang Youk, Director of the Documentation Center of Cambodia (DC-Cam), remarked that Cham silk embodies the identity of the community. He noted that the project supports local families by preserving the tradition of silk weaving and plays a role in safeguarding cultural heritage for future generations.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) inaugurated a sales market at the headquarters of the National Association of Women Farmers of The Gambia (NAWFA) in Brikama. The market was established to enable women producers to sell their agricultural products.
The opening ceremony was attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Banjul, F. Türker Oba; NAWFA General Manager, Njaga Jawo; TİKA’s Coordinator in Banjul, Şule Bayar; officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, female farmers affiliated with the association and local media representatives.
The market is designed to serve as a central hub for consumers, facilitating the sale of a wide variety of agricultural products. These include vegetables, fruits, rice, maize, millet and oilseeds such as sesame and groundnuts, as well as processed goods like juices, groundnuts, cashew oil and sesame oil—all produced directly by women farmers across six regions.
About NAWFA
The National Association of Women Farmers (NAWFA), established in May 1999, represents 30,000 women members across 1,070 villages. The organization is dedicated to improving the social and economic well-being of its members and other stakeholders while contributing to poverty reduction at the household level.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a semi-industrial soap production workshop in Yomou, in the Republic of Guinea.
Yomou is a strategically significant city with most of its agricultural lands dedicated to the cultivation and harvesting of palm oil. While the locally produced palm oil is primarily used for food consumption, it holds significant economic potential as a high-value product.
The workshop established by TİKA aims to minimize losses caused by labor-intensive production methods and enhance productivity by transitioning palm oil processing from traditional techniques to an industrial scale. This initiative is designed to optimize labor efficiency and prevent economic waste.
Situated at the crossroads of regional trade routes near the borders of Côte d’Ivoire and Liberia, the workshop is positioned to export soap and other by-products to neighboring countries. This export activity is expected to expand international trade volume, introduce local production to global markets and contribute to the Guinean economy in the long term.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA), in partnership with the National Islamic Youth Community of Guinea-Bissau, provided materials and equipment to disadvantaged women to help them engage in income-generating activities.
Essential tools and supplies for producing cakes, bread, local desserts and other bakery items were distributed to women in need across Guinea-Bissau. This initiative aims to support family economies and provide a sustainable source of income for these women.
In the initial phase of the project, 40 women actively participated with the goal of enabling at least 250 individuals, including their family members, to engage in economic production and gain access to sustainable income opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of the women benefiting from the project, Helena Hassan Said highlighted the important role of women in Guinea-Bissau’s workforce. She stated, “Women constitute 60% of our country’s population. Therefore, this support is of critical importance to us. We extend our heartfelt gratitude to TİKA for this invaluable contribution.”
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided equipment support and renovated an agricultural training hall to combat the mango mealybug in the Azad Jammu region of Pakistan.
In Mirpur, a city in Azad Jammu with a farming community of over 5,000, appropriate insecticides and agricultural tools were delivered to local authorities to mitigate the damage caused by the mango mealybug to mangoes and other crops.
Alongside the provision of chemical pesticides, equipment such as lawn mowers, pruning saws, garden shears, hoes, rakes and sickles were supplied to support fieldwork efforts.
Moreover, TİKA renovated and equipped the training hall within the Mirpur Agriculture Directorate to enable the delivery of essential training for farmers. This initiative aims to ensure the proper and effective application of pest control techniques.
A health camp focusing on urology and gynecology was organized in Kenya’s Lamu Province through the collaboration of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) and Yeryüzü Doktorları. The initiative aimed to provide surgical care for patients who had been awaiting operations for extended periods and to enhance the expertise of local doctors in their respective fields.
In the island-filled province of Lamu, Turkish doctors traveled between hospitals on different islands by boat, successfully performing 27 urology and 7 gynecology surgeries including oncological procedures. Additionally, 47 patients received medical examinations and treatment.
The camp extended beyond direct medical care by offering Kenyan doctors practical training in modern surgical techniques. Expert surgeons from Yeryüzü Doktorları demonstrated advanced methods in real-time.
Through such health camps, TİKA seeks to strengthen healthcare infrastructure in underdeveloped and developing regions while contributing to the professional development of local healthcare workers.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has provided material support to the vocational training workshops at the Moyamba Government Technical Institute, located in Moyamba, one of Sierra Leone’s largest cities.
As the region’s sole vocational training center, the institute serves 1,200 students and has now upgraded its Solar Panel Assembly and Repair, Electrical-Electronics, Computer Training and Cooling Systems Repair workshops with TİKA’s support.
Previously hindered by outdated and insufficient equipment, the center now offers enhanced theoretical and practical training. This initiative aims to employ young people in the private sector, help them gain a profession and contribute to the country’s economic growth.
Speaking at the material delivery ceremony, Institute Director Joseph Joe expressed his heartfelt gratitude to TİKA. He emphasized that due to the lack of adequate equipment, students had been limited in their practical training opportunities. With the new materials, students can now integrate theoretical learning with hands-on practice.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) established a soap manufacturing facility in Salfit, Palestine.
In Salfit, one of the leading olive-producing cities in Palestine, TİKA collaborated with the Salfit Municipality to set up a manufacturing facility for the production of natural soap.
In addition to olive oil soap, the facility will produce soaps with natural ingredients such as lavender, turmeric, jasmine, avocado, Ölüdeniz mud and black sesame.
Thanks to the equipment support provided by TİKA, the facility is now operational, employing five people and contributing to the local economy.
The project aims to utilize natural resources and strengthen Palestine’s local production capacity. By doing so, it seeks to enhance sustainable income opportunities for the Palestinian people while supporting TİKA’s broader development goals in the region.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided mobile coffee stands and supplies to 40 young people in Sierra Leone who have overcome addiction, helping them reintegrate into the workforce.
In cooperation with the Sierra Leone High Islamic Council and the Ministry of Social Welfare, TİKA supplied mobile coffee stands and essential consumables. This initiative aims to support local governments in their fight against substance abuse while facilitating the economic reintegration of those who have successfully overcome addiction.
Speaking at the delivery ceremony in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s Deputy Minister of Social Welfare, Mohamed Haji-Kella, expressed gratitude to TİKA and its staff for traveling from Guinea Conakry to Sierra Leone, demonstrating their solidarity with the youth.
Third Secretary of the Turkish Embassy in Freetown, Mehmet Selim Ortak, expressed his appreciation for TİKA’s efforts in supporting the employment of young people who have overcome addiction and are receiving education through the Sierra Leone High Islamic Council.
The ceremony concluded with the distribution of materials to the young participants.
The initiative aims to economically empower the youth while also contributing to their family incomes through the sale of coffee and milk tea, both of which are widely consumed in the country.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided essential equipment and materials, including professional wheelchairs, to the Gayrat and Vahdat Wheelchair Basketball Clubs in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, to help strengthen their infrastructure.
The Gayrat and Vahdat Wheelchair Basketball Clubs support individuals with disabilities in Tajikistan, promoting sports participation among young people. Facing challenges due to limited resources, the clubs have taken a significant step toward professionalization with the infrastructure support provided by TİKA.
To mark the delivery of the equipment, a friendly match was organized, attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Tajikistan, Umut Acar; the Rector of the Institute of Physical Education, Muhammadsho Abdullozoda; TİKA’s Coordinator in Dushanbe, İbrahim Ethem Ünal; and supporters of the clubs.
In his speech at the ceremony, Ambassador Acar expressed his delight at witnessing the growing bond between the Turkish and Tajik peoples through the impactful, real-life projects implemented by TİKA in Tajikistan.
TİKA’s Coordinator in Dushanbe, Ünal, emphasized that the project aims to promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities in social life through sports and to elevate the clubs to a level where they can compete in the Paralympic Games, both in terms of infrastructure and athlete development.
As part of the project’s next phase, various training programs and friendly matches between the wheelchair basketball teams of Türkiye and Tajikistan are planned. These initiatives aim to foster experience-sharing and strengthen cooperation in sports between the two friendly nations.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) has renovated the metalworking workshop at Pionier Boys’ School, a boarding institution that offers vocational training to children from disadvantaged families in Namibia. Essential tools, equipment and metalworking machines were supplied to the workshop.
The delivery ceremony for the project was held in the capital, Windhoek with the attendance of approximately 200 people, including Türkiye’s Ambassador to Windhoek, Feral Çekerek Oruçkaptan; Khomas Administrative Region Governor, Laura McLeod-Katjirua; TİKA’s Coordinator in Windhoek, Ömer Özbey; as well as students and teachers.
In his remarks, Ambassador Oruçkaptan highlighted that Türkiye’s global development and technical assistance efforts are coordinated by TİKA. He noted that 112 projects have been successfully completed in Namibia to date and emphasized that this particular initiative will benefit both the Namibian economy and its education sector.
Governor McLeod-Katjirua praised TİKA for implementing numerous projects tailored to Namibia’s needs and expressed her gratitude to both TİKA and Türkiye for their support.
TİKA’s Coordinator in Windhoek, Ömer Özbey, provided details about the project, stressing that TİKA remains committed to supporting people-centered initiatives in Namibia.
Following the opening speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held, marking the formal completion and delivery of the project.
Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) donated 22 computers specially designed for visually impaired students to the University of South Africa (UNISA).
Established in 1873, UNISA has produced notable graduates, including Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. With 26 centers across South Africa, the university serves approximately 400,000 students.
The Advocacy and Resource Centre for Students with Disabilities (ARCSWiD), established at UNISA, promotes equality in education by providing accessible resources and integrating assistive technologies.
Improved access to information for students
TİKA donated 22 computers and provided hardware support to ARCSWiD for visually impaired students. This equipment will enhance information access for more than a thousand students across the center and other campuses.
Speaking at the delivery ceremony, UNISA Rector Puleng Lenka-Pula emphasized the importance of equal opportunities in education and expressed gratitude to TİKA and the Turkish people for their contributions to the education of visually impaired students.
