The socio-economic empowerment project addresses the needs of refugee and vulnerable local women and their families’ living in semi-urban and peripheral areas, in particular Mardin, Kilis, and Çorum, by;
- Strengthening their self-reliance,
- Building their employability profile and,
- Improving their income generation prospects.
It also addresses raising their awareness regarding gender-based violence & sexual and reproductive health matters.
Lacking proper training and qualifications limits the women’s chances to enter the labor market; in response, the Socio-Economic Empowerment project increased the women’s professional profiles by providing them with skills training. Workshops in handmade soap production; training on Waldorf Dolls making and natural dyeing and wood printing workshops were offered to local women, supporting them in setting up small businesses to sell their handmade products and generate income.
Besides vocational training, additional advanced technical training for women interested in setting up small local businesses was offered, providing them with knowledge on sustainable marketing networks and branding processes, and entrepreneurship. The project decreased women’s vulnerability through support mechanisms that would increase their employability and economic productivity and provide them with a more protective social environment.
Leap Natural
Workshops in (1) Handmade Soap Production; (2) Natural Dolls Making Workshop, (3) Natural Dyeing and Wood Printing Workshops are offered to local and refugee women, supporting them in setting up small businesses to sell their handmade products and generate sustainable income.
Handmade Soap Production
The workshop provided vocational training aimed at empowering local and Syrian refugee women and their families in Mardin. The women worked with top quality natural materials to perfect the production of natural artisan soap. As the participants became more practiced, recipes were perfected, and production methods were revisited. Today Leap Natural soap workshop offers nine types of standard soaps, custom soaps for special occasions, three types of scrubs, Turkish bath sets, and hand-woven loofahs through individual packages or customized packages. Leap Natural brand offers as well guided visits to the Soap workshop in Mardin for groups.
Natural Dolls Making Workshop
In 2018, the “Natural Dolls Making Workshop” started- a workshop in Kilis for Syrian refugees & local women to learn not only doll-making from sewing and embroidering, but also marketing, entrepreneurship, product design, and basic financial training. Natural dolls are produced using a methodical approach to arts education, advancing children’s social, emotional, physical, and mental development. The act of playing has a central role in developing children’s creativity. It is how children impersonate and understand the real world. Leap dolls are handmade with natural materials, with a basic structure, neutral facial expressions.
Natural Dyeing and Woodblock Printing Workshop
In Çorum, the Natural dyeing and block printing workshop is offered to women aged between 18 and 45, providing them with a safe space as part of LEAP’s inclusive approach, socializing, learning, and applying their skills. In the workshops, Iraqi and local women share their life experiences, increasing their awareness of gender-based violence matters, and promoting social cohesion. At the Natural dyeing and woodblock printing workshops, the women learn printing techniques and art fundamentals through color mixing, tracing, and fabric painting.
