MUĞLA'S AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED INTO DOMESTIC INDUSTRIAL RAW MATERIALS

MEHMET KAYA / ANKARA

Source: Dünya Haber

EGET, based in Muğla, transformed its agricultural activity, initially started to generate scholarship income, into a social entrepreneurship venture in pursuit of higher earnings.

Operating on the principle that all income from the foundation is given as scholarships, EGET established the first lavender field in the coastal region. Following the production of lavender oil and lavender water at municipal facilities to increase the added value of lavender, lavender-based cosmetic products, from shampoo to tonic, were produced using this raw material, which Turkey currently imports. EGET's extra virgin olive oil, specially produced from olives in the Muğla region, also won a silver medal at the prestigious Japan Olive 2020 olive oil competition. Özlem Uzman, the Founder and Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, stated, “The pandemic has caused significant income losses in all sectors. We believe that more university students than ever before will drop out of their studies. Therefore, we have shifted our entire focus to scholarships. Everyone can contribute in this regard. It is a rule in our foundation charter that all income is directed towards scholarships. I believe we are a good example of social entrepreneurship and a foundation contributing to education.”

Özlem Uzman noted that despite being a newly established foundation, they have achieved a significant number of scholarships compared to many foundations that have existed for years, thanks to donations and income from initial economic activities. She added that a total of 80 students currently benefit from EGET scholarships, including 48 students currently receiving scholarships.

The Education, Geriatrics, Ecological Agriculture, and Tourism (EGET) Foundation's agricultural activity, initially aimed at providing scholarships to university students in Muğla, has transformed into an example of "social entrepreneurship," utilizing local agricultural raw materials and producing gourmet products. EGET's Armutçuk agricultural enterprise planted truffle-inoculated oak saplings on 22 acres of land to cultivate truffles, one of the world's most expensive foods. The first truffle harvest is expected in early or mid-2020. Lavender was also planted among the truffle-inoculated oak saplings. This proved that lavender, which is considered difficult to grow in coastal areas, can be successfully cultivated.

Following this stage, efforts began to explore ways to utilize the harvested lavender. Turkey is an importer of aromatic plant oils. With the establishment of a facility by the Metropolitan Municipality, it was decided that instead of selling the lavender raw, it would be processed into lavender oil and lavender water. Given the high quality of the resulting product, it was determined that lavender cosmetics would be even more beneficial. Thus, EGET TEN branded cosmetic products were produced by an experienced manufacturer, having obtained all necessary health and compliance certificates.

Award-Winning Olive Oil

In order to evaluate the olive oil produced by farmers in the Muğla region, cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil production, which is the most delicious and healthiest method of obtaining olive oil, was carried out.

The olive oil obtained through the process carried out by EGET volunteers won a silver medal at Japan Olive 2020, one of the prestigious competitions for olive oil producers.

The problem of low-income students losing significant income during the pandemic and having to stay in education is bigger than you might think.

Özlem Uzman, Founder and Chairperson of the EGET Board of Directors, stated regarding the foundation's work: “The problem of young people failing, unable to start their education, or dropping out due to insufficient financial support is much bigger than you imagine. Every year, we experience great sadness during the scholarship application process. We are a foundation that hasn't yet spread nationwide, and despite our limited announcements, in the last three years, more than twenty-five thousand young people have applied for scholarships. Seeing the answers given to the questions in our software, we feel great sadness for the students we cannot help, for whom we have no power. The problem is deeper than you think. This year, due to the pandemic, workers, farmers, and low-income individuals suffered significant income losses. The unemployment rate has risen. We fear that in the coming years, there will be many students who, despite winning a place at university, will be unable to attend and will drop out of education. Our experience shows this.”

Safai Özer, the founder of the EGET Foundation and Chairman of the EGET Board of Trustees, reminded everyone that EGET allocates all its income to scholarships, a written rule of the Foundation, and stated: “While striving to generate income, we are developing methods to increase the income of our country's farmers. From lavender farming… to providing one of the best examples of agriculture-based industry through EGET TEN; we started producing cosmetic products. Now, our olive oil has received an international award; we have become a source of pride for Turkey. All income of the EGET Foundation is allocated to scholarships. Every contribution made to our Foundation, every product purchased, provides support for students to hold on to life. While we are making efforts to generate income for the EGET Foundation, we are also being extremely beneficial to producers outside of our own organization.”

EGET developed special software

EGET also developed special software to manage the scholarship process and ensure fair evaluation of applications. With software funded by the foundation's founders, applicants are automatically ranked according to predetermined criteria based on their responses during the application process, and the software selects the young people who will receive scholarships. Students are only asked to verify their statements during the scholarship awarding process.