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Head Office Istiklal cad. 21, 50400 Urgup Turkey (90 384) 341 6255 · fax 341 6257 |
Branch Office Sevgi Yolu 10A, 35920 Selçuk Turkey (90 232) 892 8484 · fax 892 8474 |
| MORE ABOUT SOGANLI |
 The population of Soganli village is 400. Out of this number; 98 residents are above the age of 60, 152 are between 40 and 60, 65 are between 6 and 17, and 35 are pre-school age. Sadly, there are only 50 residents aged between 20 and 40. There is one primary school (grades 1 to 5) with a total of 32 students in 2 joint classes. The two teachers, also a couple, have been living in the village for 8 years and are two of the three outsiders. The third is the imam, the prayer leader of the mosque in the village. 27 students take the service bus to a nearby town to attend the secondary school and 8 are students at high school. Within the last five years, 15 have attended university, only 2 were girls. Back in 1997, the villagers were asked to move out of their houses in the old village because of the threat of danger caused by erosion. The government provided them with new, 'prefabricated' houses, neatly organised in rows. That was quite a change for the villagers and most did not like it. However, in time, they got used to the new 'order' in their lives and altered the new houses according to their needs; adding gardens or stables. Now about 100 families live in the new village but they move back into their houses in the old village during the summer months, re-joining the 15 families who never left. |
| AND THE GOOD NEWS... |
A co-operative in Soganli village was opened in 1994 to promote the village and the dolls. However, because of bad management, it gradually lost the support from the villagers and has been inactive since 2000. Since then, however, the villagers have come to realise that in order to succeed in the real and challenging business world outside Soganli, they have to be one and act as one. Thanks to the young and dynamic muhtar (village leader), Ismail Ablak, they applied to the Turkish Patent Institute for the Soganli dolls.  About a month ago, they received the good news; the village now holds the patent on Soganli dolls which means that they can only be made in Soganli village. Another piece of good news is that the co-operative will be active again soon. Sales outside the village will be handled by the co-operative and the prices will be fixed. The main aims of the co-operative are:
I became involved with the women of Soganli village and their dolls in 1996 when Paola Gianturco and Toby Tuttle asked me to help them to contact the dollmakers. They had discovered Soganli dolls by chance and wanted to include them in their book about women and their handicrafts. I contacted the dollmakers and everyone was interested and willing to be interviewed. The interviews took us from one house to another; each woman had her own story. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and interesting day. The Soganli women still ask and talk about Paola and Toby. I think none of us at this end did or could thank Paola and Toby enough for making us a part of that great and valuable project. Cok tesekkurler Paola and Toby for reminding us all that all is really IN our HANDS. Since the publication of their book, IN HER HANDS Craftswomen Changing the World, individuals, shop-owners, and even an author in the US voiced an interest in obtaining the dolls. A contact person became necessary to channel these requests, due in part to the lack of a functioning co-operative and the language barrier, that role fell to me. Until the co-operative establishes their online ordering system, I will happily be of service.  |
