A STORY OF SOLIDARITY RISING FROM MUĞLA

HAMLE NEWSPAPER

April 17, 2025

Özcan Özgür

To read the news: https://www.hamlegazetesi.com.tr

I said it would take two days to write this, but today is the third article... Neither Safai Özer, the founder of the EGET Foundation, nor EGET's exemplary activities can be covered in one or two articles... I started my first article, titled "The EGET Foundation has become the pride of our country and Muğla...", by saying, "Today I will share one of the EGET Foundation's successes with you." If I were to say, "Today I will tell you about the rest," I would get myself into trouble...

My aim was to contribute to the promotion of this exemplary foundation and to explain that you too can contribute to increasing the number of young people whose education they support with scholarships.

You too can leave a mark on hearts...

By clicking on the link https://www.eget.org.tr/destek-olanaklari/, you can find a suitable monthly or annual support option and donate easily and securely with your credit card...

EGET Foundation is not just a foundation that survives on donations...

It is a foundation that produces, educates while producing, and creates awareness.

In 2016, 2,600 Lavandula X Intermedia Super A variety lavender seedlings were planted on a 3.5-acre area in Muğla, and EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise not only created the first 'Lavender Field' in coastal cities but also introduced Muğla to truffle mushrooms for the first time.

The EGET Foundation, which organized the first "harvest festival" in Muğla, secured an "Organic Farming Certificate" for the Ula/Armutçuk Agricultural Enterprise in June 2022. It also established Muğla's "First Organic Certified Distillation Unit," enabling the extraction of oil from the seeds and roots of plants, primarily lavender. Following this, it launched the "EGET TEN" brand, offering lavender oil shampoo, handmade solid soap, liquid soap, lavender cologne, tonic, and pure lavender water (lavender hydrosol) for many different uses. They entered the cosmetics market with their products, followed by "day cream, shower gel, face wash, and body lotion."

They also established olive groves and started olive oil production. Their unfiltered extra virgin olive oils, "EGET Memecik" and "EGET Kuzluk," which have won awards at the world's most prestigious cold-pressed early harvest olive oil competitions held in England and Japan in collaboration with the Muğla Provincial Directorate of Agriculture, are now on sale.

The foundation also sells goji berries (wolfberries), thornless blackberries, and other ornamental plants and vegetable seedlings, which vary depending on the season.

All these products are sold on Saturdays at the Slow Food Muğla Earth Market in the Menteşe Bazaar's "Human Rights Park/Square," as part of activities organized by the Menteşe and Metropolitan Municipalities under the slogan "From Nature to You, From You to Education." All proceeds are donated to students as scholarships...

What if some of the leading supermarkets in Muğla, especially the Muğla Metropolitan Municipality's MELSA, opened stands for EGET products?

As I said, it's impossible to fit the EGET Foundation into this column for just two or three days...

To summarize this, I wrote some questions to Op. Dr. Naki Bulut, a member of the EGET Foundation's Board of Trustees. He, thankfully, summarized it with the title of this article, "A Story of Solidarity Rising from Muğla."

Describing the journey they embarked on with Safai Özer as "A journey born from Muğla, with the understanding that lack of education is one of the biggest shortcomings of this country, and with a desire for a life respectful of nature and sustainability...", my dear Naki stated: "This story of solidarity, focusing on young people and nature, came to life with the EGET Foundation, established in 2015 by Safai Özer and Özlem Uzman. This exemplary initiative, which has touched the lives of 244 students to date, continues to grow with hope and faith, offering hope to even more young people."

“EGET Foundation stands out with its digital system, BUSED – Scholarship Selection and Evaluation System, developed within its own structure to provide scholarships to students studying at state universities who are experiencing financial difficulties. Thanks to this fair and impartial system, free from human intervention, 39,960 applications have been evaluated to date, and scholarships have been awarded to 244 students. The foundation also holds the distinction of being the first foundation in Turkey to accept scholarship applications via a mobile application. At the same time, it is establishing a more inclusive system by approaching its scholarship recipients with social responsibility models such as contributing to society through volunteer work and repaying the scholarship after graduation.”

Naki Bulut pointed out that EGET Foundation, instead of a classic foundation model dependent on donations, established a structure centered on sustainability, and that it has achieved many important firsts in the field of social entrepreneurship with the EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise, which it brought to life shortly after its establishment. He continued:

“Turkey's largest private truffle mushroom farm, the first lavender field in coastal cities covering 22,000 square meters, and Muğla's first distillation unit with 'organic farm and plant production certificates' were established by EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise. In this distillation unit, in addition to the foundation's lavender, medicinal and aromatic plants from producers in the region are also distilled to obtain lavender oil and essential oils. These oils become raw materials for natural cosmetic products. These products are offered to consumers under the 'EGET TEN' brand. Meanwhile, as of 2024, EGET Foundation Economic Enterprise, which joined the 'Good Market Global' community, which only accepts producers who support 'what is good' worldwide, has received awards..." “By offering olive oils under the brands ‘EGET Memecik’ and ‘EGET Kuzluk’, it has achieved international recognition in social entrepreneurship.”

Safai, the architect, painter, writer, poet, and thinker who was also the architect of the EGET Foundation's success and who brought EGET to where it is today with his vision, knowledge, and personality, passed away on March 9, 2022, due to a sudden illness. In his poem "Eleven Owes Him," Safai clearly explains why he established a foundation, and in his will, he bequeathed all his assets to the EGET Foundation. Therefore, he donated them to humanity, specifically for the education of successful young people in need of support...

I don't know how accurate it would be to say that he also bequeathed the EGET Foundation to the people of Muğla, but the people of Muğla and local administrations should cherish this beautiful legacy...

Safai was born in Konya in 1952. After attending Konya Maarif College, he graduated from Selçuk University Faculty of Architecture in 1975. While continuing his architectural career as a freelance architect, he settled in Antalya in the 1980s. Here, he engaged in both architecture and furniture design, and in 1990, by restoring a historic 'Greek House' and establishing the 'Kaleiçi Art House,' one of the most important cultural venues of the time, he made a name for himself in the art world.

It's not specified where in Konya he's from, but it could be Karaman. After all those adventures, he finally settled in the city center of Muğla and added another 'example of civil architecture' to his life...

Let's hear from Op. Dr. Naki Bulut:

“The ‘Hacılatifler House,’ a historic Muğla house dating back to 1894, has been restored and brought back to life as the headquarters of the EGET Foundation. This building, designed by the founder of the EGET Foundation, Restorer Architect Safai Özer, while preserving its historical texture, has become the center not only of the foundation's administrative activities but also of its ecological operations.

The center, which boasts a large garden of approximately one acre, houses an exemplary ‘Permaculture Garden’ designed without the use of any chemicals. In this garden, environmentally friendly agricultural practices are implemented, demonstrating the importance of healthy and sustainable production to the community. Some of the foundation's ecological workshops and training programs are also held here.”

Of course, all of them are important, but I think the most important of the foundation's ecological workshops and training programs is the “Living with Nature Academy”... Op. Dr. Naki Bulut describes this academy as "Ecological Awareness for All Ages," explaining:

"One of EGET Foundation's important projects in the field of ecology education is the Nature and Life Academy, implemented as two different programs for both children and young adults:

- The Nature and Life Academy in Ula/Armutçuk is designed for primary school children and their families. Through activities such as composting, seed ball preparation, beekeeping, and navigation in nature, children are enabled to connect with nature at an early age.

- The program for young people aged 18-35 was developed in collaboration with TED University and TOVAK Foundation. Participants learn to look at ecology from multiple perspectives through interdisciplinary education in sustainable agriculture, environmental philosophy, art, literature, and economics. Practical workshops are conducted by EGET professionals and volunteers. Expanded in 2024 with the theme of 'Women and Ecology' with the contributions of Muğla Metropolitan Municipality, the program continues with different themes each year.

Furthermore, EGET Foundation also supports schools at different levels, from primary to high school..." By organizing seminars and theoretical trainings aimed at raising ecological awareness, along with practical trainings, it enables children to touch the soil, get acquainted with plants, and become familiar with sustainable living at an early age.

Let's continue with the EGET Foundation tomorrow, then let's look at what's been done to Akyaka...

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QUOTE OF THE DAY; Either you are hopeless or hope is you. Either you are helpless or the solution is you. -- Behçet Necatigil

Behramoğlu