Fragrant Scholarship To University -Yeni Asır Newspaper 29-September-2019
Founded 4 years ago in Muğla, the EGET Foundation supports 31 university students with 300 liras each per month through the sale of lavender seedlings, honey, soap, tonic, cream, cologne and shampoo.
In Muğla, lavender planted by the Education-Geriatrics-Ecological Agriculture-Tourism (EGET) Foundation, which was established 4 years ago, is dried and pressed, and cosmetic products made from its oil are offered for sale on the foundation’s website. With the profits, 31 university students receive a monthly scholarship of 300 liras each. Founded in 2015 by Muğlalı businessperson Özlem Uzman and famous painter Safai Özer to provide scholarships to students, the EGET Foundation created a lavender field. Lavender seedlings were planted on 4 decares of land in the agricultural enterprise in Ula’s Armutçuk village. EGET Foundation started selling seedlings at affordable prices to increase lavender planting in the region
THEY ALSO TURNED TO COSMETICS
In addition to selling lavender seedlings, the Foundation also produced lavender honey. The proceeds from the lavender seedlings and honey sold with the slogan ‘Let lavender blossom to support education’ were used for scholarships for students. When EGET’s lavender honey was appreciated, beekeepers in the region also turned their attention to Armutçuk. Last spring, honey producers placed around 600 hives around the EGET Armutçuk Agricultural Enterprise. After the harvest period in August 2018, lavender was distilled at the Mugla Metropolitan Municipality Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Local Seed Center Facilities. An agreement was reached with a company in Istanbul to make cosmetic products from the distilled oils. Soap, tonic, cream, cologne and shampoo obtained after the agreement were offered for sale on the foundation’s website at prices ranging between 20-30 liras.
ADDED VALUE IS CREATED
Özlem Uzman, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of EGET Foundation, stated that they obtain high value-added industrial inputs from agricultural products, and added that our country intensively imports oils and juices of vegetable origin. If we look even further, a very high added value is created by the transformation of this industrial input into retail products. It is possible for this added value to remain in the pockets of our farmers. We are proud to have demonstrated this. Of course EGET is a foundation and our main goal is to provide scholarships to low-income students. We are happy that we have found a new opportunity to give scholarships to more students as well as guiding our farmers to earn more income.
HIGH INCOME SOURCE
Safai Özer, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of EGET Foundation, pointed out that strong cosmetic brands that export can be created through cooperatives, and the process of obtaining cosmetic products from lavender oil and lavender water showed us that it is possible to obtain a very high added value from an agricultural product. If farmers are organized as cooperatives by the public or municipalities and these processes are supported, an important source of income will be provided for them.
ADEM ÜLKER