Hikmet Tunç/Zeynep Turgut

 

VAN - “I have learned how to stand on my own feet in territory that I was scattered to along with my family. The most beautiful feeling of the world is the women to create their own alternative,” said Ferinaz Çoban, who weaves prayer rugs for years to fight poverty imposed by forced migration.

 

Ferinaz Çoban moved to Tuşba district of Van from a village of Bitlis’ Hizan district due to a policy of forcibly evacuating villages in 1990s. She has fought poverty imposed by forced migration. She has taken care of her two disabled relatives and a family of 12 and she has woven prayer rugs for years.

 

‘When we didn’t accept to be village guards…’

 

Stating that they had to leave their village due to the impositions on them to be village guards, Ferinaz said, “We were engaged in farming in our village. Our village was burned when we didn’t accept to be village guards.”

 

‘I had to create my opportunity’

 

Making a living by weaving prayer rugs, Ferinaz said, “I had to create my financial opportunity. While thinking about what I should do, I remembered weaving prayer rugs I had learned from my mother. But first I had to set up a workbench. We looked for the people, who could set up the workbench. Finally we could set up a wooden workbench in a room of my house.”

 

‘The worst thing is landless’

 

Stating that she has fought poverty for 17 years by weaving prayer rugs, Ferinaz said, “Our customers usually are women. Because the women know the hand labor’s value. We were forcibly taken away from our lands. The worst thing a person can be subjected to is to remain landless. But I have learned how to stand on my own feet in territory that I was scattered to along with my family. The most beautiful feeling of the world is the women to create their own alternative