'We will have the real feast when there are no poor children in this country'

Photos: Evrim Kepenek/bianet

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She asks the women what their biggest problem is. She paints pictures with children.

I ask one of the women what they like about her the most. 

The reply is, "Her kitchen is like our kitchen. The way she speaks, she laughs. She is one of us..."

Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu, met the women and children in Çatalca and Kırklareli in the scope of the "Nutrition Hour" program organized by the İstanbul Beylikdüzü Municipality to support families with children. 

No bodyguards

Let me be clear, I went there in order to report, but concerned about how much I would be able to see Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu, expecting an army of security guards, formalities, procedures, and large crowds.

However, it did not turn out to be that way.

How was it? 

Let me invite you to get glimpses of Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu's wife Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu's visits in Çatalca and Kırklareli.

We were inKızılcaali, Gökçeali villages and Çatlıköyü of Çatalca on April 15, Saturday. Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu first met the women who work in greenhouses growing vegetables. She asked one woman working in the greenhouse, "What is your biggest problem here?"

The woman said, "I am 60 years old and I am still working here. We do not want to be dependent on men."  

Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu told them about the "Family Support Insurance" project of the Republican People's Party (CHP). The salaries will be deposited into the accounts of the women at the house. The women will have their own budgets." And she added, "All will become a reality after May 14, hopefully... Do not ever give your salary cards to the men." 

At another greenhouse, Kılıçdaroğlu collected lettuce together with the women. This time they asked her, "So how is it? Is it difficult to collect lettuce?"

She replied to them, "Of course, it is difficult."

And the women told her, "We work so hard here, and there is no one who comes to buy them. Those who do buy them for very cheap. Our labor is so cheap." 

"Make our voice heard"

Women who work at the greenhouse talked, and Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu listened. And she listened to each one of them. She did not allow anyone to interrupt them. 

The women in Çatalca told that they are sending vegetables to many places in İstanbul and that the vegetable problem of İstanbul was solved, thanks to Çatalca. They told Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu that their labor was very cheap, and they wanted her to help them make their voices heard.

Another place we stopped was a "Mother and Child" meeting in a mukhtarhood in Çatalca. Here, Kılıçdaroğlu talked about the "Nutrition Hour" project here and some of the children called her "Selvi mother," which made their elders smile. 

Next, we went to the Gökçeali village of Çatalca this time, together with a team of ten people which did not include any armies of security guards, and where Beylikdüzü Mayor Murat Çalıkand Zehra Çalık was also present. There again women showed great interest in Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu. 

Visit to the Aziz Nesin Foundation 

The next stop was the Nesin Foundation in Çatalca. Many will remember, the money in the accounts of the foundation was appropriated. The foundation was stuck with financial difficulties. The manager of the foundation, Süleyman Cihangirlioğlu described these problems. He also told that the foundation also took its share of the economic problems in the country. 

Earthquake victim woman: Two months have passed, but our pain has not

 The last thing in the program was a meeting with women at a coffee house in a village in Çatalca. Here again, Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu met with dozens of women. She showed special interest in a woman, an earthquake victim who came from Hatay, and a mother of three. The woman said, "We lost everything in the earthquake. Our beloved stayed under the debris. There was no one. Nobody came. Two months have passed but our pain has not passed. There is still no one that helps us. We came to stay with our relatives here but we have many problems. How will we continue our lives?"

Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu held her hands and said, "Your pain, all our pain is so great. We will dress the wounds all together from now on." 

She behaved not like a "first lady" candidate but as a civil society volunteer all day long. Listening to and talking to the children, I saw Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu so sad for the first time.

She gave a speech here, and she said, "Hello dear women and children. I am very happy to be here today. Here, and in all our country, there are so many children that are poor. The reason is that the family is poor. It is mostly the women and the children who are affected the worst by poverty. It makes all mothers and fathers sad when they are not able to feed their children well. The growth of the children depends on their nutrition. We prepared this project for the children who cannot get access to sufficient food. Our purpose is not to increase the number of children in this situation but on the contrary to decrease this number. Believe me, that day will be our real feast, our real festival." 

The second day: We are in Kırklareli

We were in Kırklareli with Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu and her team on the second day. First, we visited a Cooperative of women and the women gave her information. 

The group then visited an old mill in Kaynarca. Kılıçdarooğlu walked to the mill, and the local people, and especially the women showed great interest. 

I asked one woman who wanted to have a photograph with her "What do you like about her the most?" She said. She is one of us. I am also from Tunceli. We love her so much, she is dear to us. 

Our last stop was in a Culture House in the Ertuğrul village. Here the women met Kılıçdaroğlu with the poems and songs that they have written. 

One woman calls Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu, "You are welcome, dear" and she replies "Hello, dear."

 There is no bureaucracy, no armies of security guards, all take place are intimate meetings. 

I talk to another woman and ask why they like Kılıçcaroğlu. 

She turns out to be the chairperson of the city council, Binnur Dinç. 

She knows the region very well. She says, "We have many problems here and the women have even more problems. I came with a group of ten people here in order to see Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu. We really love her. Her kitchen is like our kitchen, she is natural. We like it that she is like us. She is one of us."

While we are about to leave a house in Ertuğrulköy where there are old furniture and clothes, a woman stops me. Her name is Aynur Arda. She is wearing traditional clothes. 

We used to see Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu before also. We know her. She is like one of us. She is humble. I saw her again here and she is the same. I hope that Kılıçdaroğlu will win the elections."

The program in Kırklareli also ends. I thank Selvi Kılıçdaroğlu and her team and leave them. The poems that women wearing traditional clothes remain in my mind. 

"I am a woman of the Republic

I have the right to vote and to be elected

I will not stop until I have the last word..."

(EMK/PE)