Watermelons, pencils and Goodbye

Although yesterday BUDD said goodbye to Sulukule, I went back as I had aranged a football game with the kids! But i also bought some things to give to the kids as a last and final goodbye from BUDD!

So I met Gokce in Sulukule for one last time. While she helped a little girl with her homework Murat (Natalia's friend) and a friend took me for a walk. On the walk found some place which sold watermelons... so I told Murat he had to remind me where it was cuase I wanted one (Natalia and I have been obsessing bout watermelons).

So after my walk we played some football untill the men came to play their scheduled game, which turned out to be the best time to go buy the watermelon. So off I went with Murat, his friend, Bilal, Ali and a few others whos names i cant remember.

I got a whole watermelon, half for me and the kids and the rest to take home. So the kids took me to a park to eat it, and while we were eating an old lady sat with us and started talking to the kids (Looking at the untouched half a watermelon on the table). Eventually she asked if she could have some, and the kids said I should give a piece... she had piece and then called over another kids and handed her the half a watermelon... right... so me and the kids look at each other in amusement (Bilal in particular found it hillarious and said I should get it back) but then the lady explained she had many kids and had to feed them, so I let her have it...

So off we go back to the cafe ( and on the way buy another watermelon for BUDD) and there it was time to say goodbye... and this time it was for real... so I gave the pressies to the kids which they loved (amazing how much a pencil could mean to a kid) and then the sad part came. When Gokce told them I was not going to be there tommorrow... they did not like the news, Bilal's face went from a smile to a frown... he then came over to me and gave me a hug and said goodbye... (I was sooooo close to balling my eyes out, but I didnt want to cry in front of them) Murat then said he didn't want to talk to me cause I was leaving... (tears almost coming again)... but he then went with me to the bus stop

So I took my backpack and watermelon and slowly walked away from Sulukule... this "place" which gave me sooooooo much and taught me there is sooooo much more to life than money and all else...

So here I leave a goodbye to SULUKULE and leave a thank you for all they have done!!!

I sincerely hope I will come back to visit you all!!!

Tony

20th Day-Thanking Sulukule

Today we went to Sulukule to give back photos and a thank you poster (a few alternate images of sulukule). Though not many adults participated in the workshops, the kids did, and in the last three weeks they have become our friends, guides, bodyguards, teachers...They have been inspiring and I hope we were for them as well. One thing is clear, it's a long process. We have made a dent.

It took us some time to earn their trust as a class, we worked with them for three weeks. We never photographed initally without their permission and only did for our mapping excersises. As they felt more comfortable, we photographed more. Don't get me wrong...some loved to be photographed, but we had to be aware, since we were expected to bring the pics the next time we visited.

Our work is based on a participatory process, we want to plan with the community and have them make decisions for their place. So the whole us and them thing has to turn into a we for a bit. Once their organized, it's their work. The process varies from place to place- I'm still figuring it out. Though in text it may seem like a simple, straightforward process, it's not. It's kind of nonlinear and varies. You may think you know what it is, but does take time to understand it fully-I've been studying it quite intensely for six months now. I think one must be wary of preaching it, especially if they have never practiced or experienced it.

It may be that since we are foreigners, Sulukule was more welcoming towards us. The area has been the focus of some media hype where many people are curious to see how they live- take photos of them, write a bit about what they saw, publish their work and feel merry. They are treated like objects and I believe they should be offended at times. How can you trust these people? Why should you let them in your community? Sometimes people take advantage of the trust you have earned. How do we know when to trust? Trust, though a simple concept, is different story in practice- kind of like the participatory approach.-Meghna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1PrrtxC1Sw&mode=related&search=

19th Day-Lantana-bday, reflection, and therapy

coming soon...

17th Day- Natalia-preparation

coming soon....

16th Day-Exploring businesses in the area and desing 'Curu Cinor' street

10:00 meeting for discussion. Feedback from the previous day activities.

14:00 visit at Sulukule: Ioannins & Meghna -field work:

Exploring businesses in the area and interviewing people.

Designing the road ‘Kuru Cinor’ that will comprise the proposal for a pilot project related to housing.

16:00 vistit at the café. Discussion with people for their jobs, their special interest for the music, the history of the area and their expectations.

Drawing with children.

19:00 meeting for discussion. Preparing the final presentation.

ioannis

15th Day in Istanbul
14th of May, 2007

After yesterday's tour, we all took a nap to regain energy to get back to our individual projects. We had a quick meeting to help Tony to organise the last details of the workshop. Yoannis helped him with the cards (he drew some cute cards representing some topics we would like to approach during the workshop.E.g.: where do the Sulukule residents think that should have a football field or a 'creche', or a school...etc). Natalia, Meghna and me helped him to finish the model (Iyad came to rescue us later). The model was divided in 4 parts: 3 were done using Lego (:D) and the last one was done using styrofoam. We finished at 5 in the morning!!! We tried to clean up the boys' living room because there were pieces of styrofoam and paper everywhere.
So, we went to bed when the birds were already singing; we slept three hours and got ready for the meeting with the professors at 9:30. We discussed each project and were given positive and cnstructive feedback. Shame we didn't have much time to work on them during the day because we all had to leave the hotel at 1:30 to go to Sulukule. Tony, Meghna. Lantana, Iyad and Mi were working with the workshop at the cafe. They were expecting more residents to join us but few of them did. It wasn't a problem at all because the ones that participated were very interested and gave us some nice inputs.
Once again, people from Sulukule were extremelly warm and friendly to us! The kids were the best, full of energy!!

Around 3, 3:30 I went with Natalia and Yoannis to the streets together with a very nice Turkish girl. Yoannis had prepared a nice poster with pictures of the area and the objective was to walk around stopping to talk to random residents. We, actuallyYoannis asked most of the questions and took notes of everyhting!! Natalia and I were listening and trying to make communication with Murat, this Roma boy that loves Natalia, and other people that joined us. There were mainly children and women. People told us they like the way they live in Sulukule: they trust and help each other; the like busy streets where they can socialise, wash carpets, children can play, cars can park, etc. They don't like apartments! They prefer to live in houses the way they live now, but of course, in better conditions. The first person we spoke to was a 16 years old boy that lived in a house of 2 floors together with 8 people. They had a kitchen, bathroom and 2 more rooms. Another guy we met wasn't Romani but he told us he's been living there for many years and always inpeace with the Romani community. He also said he doesn't understand why the municipality wants to remove them from the area.
It was all very interesting!! I could write non-stop....
Assun, the community leader spoke, to us for a very long time.

At night, back at the hotel, we had a quick meeting and everybody was exhausted!!
So we went to bed early to have some good sleep and prepare for next days' meeting and projects' development......
Meetings, meetings, meetings........discussions, discussions, discussions.....
What are we going to do??? is it still a physical intervention?? Do we have enough time for everything?? What are we going to do after the final presentation?? Stay in istanbul or go to capadocia (to sleep because we are so tired)??
Help!!Help!! Can someone give us a light, please??


Renata

!3th May, 2007

13th of May, 2007

Sulukule's Candy Boy was supposed to write on the blog about today's events, but he felt sick.....(actually 4 of us felt sick!).
We went on a tour of Istanbul to learn about the changes the city has gone through. We went to a site outside the city where gecekondus were transformed into these mass housing schemes; we took a ferry to get to the Asian side of Istanbul; and more
Tony will talk about it on more details soon or later. ;)