Menemen Festival at Evka-4 Community Garden

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki continues to meet with women producing at the Community Garden project, which has received widespread interest. Attending a Menemen Festival prepared with the women producers’ harvest from the Evka-4 Community Garden, Mayor Eşki said they were delighted to revitalize previously unused areas through the Community Garden project and bring them into production.

Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki met with women producers at the Evka-4 Community Garden, which covers an area of 12,000 square meters and consists of 247 plots. The breakfast gathering, featuring Menemen prepared with produce harvested from the Community Garden, brought together district chairs and administrators of political parties, members of the municipal council, and women producers benefiting from the garden.

Mayor Eşki: “We Are Bringing Unused Areas into Production”

Speaking at the event, Bornova Mayor Ömer Eşki expressed his happiness at revitalizing unused areas in Bornova through the Community Garden project and bringing them into production, saying:

“Today is a beautiful day for us. When you enjoy what you do, it brings great happiness. When I first came to this neighborhood 22 years ago, we were faced with an unused area covered in dust and dirt that was a source of concern for local residents. This became one of the areas we wanted to transform as part of the Community Gardens project. We have seen that the dusty, barren area has become lush green and filled with produce grown through your efforts, and that these products have ultimately made their way to our tables thanks to your hard work. This truly brings us great happiness.”

The Greatest Power in the World Is the Power to Produce

Stating that the greatest power in the world is the power to produce, Mayor Eşki said:

“You are as valuable as what you produce in this world. And this is true not only in the world at large, but also within your own homes. This is a project where homemakers contribute to their household economies, socialize with one another outside the home, and bring beauty into life. We will increase the number of Community Gardens. We will try to reach as many households and people as possible. Because seeing a smile on your faces makes us incredibly happy. Those smiles also give me great motivation. I thank you all once again for your support, for your warm smiles, and for bringing abundance wherever you go.”

A Project Everyone Supports Unanimously

Emphasizing that the Community Garden project is one where everyone comes together with happiness and smiles, Mayor Eşki said:

“Today, we have not only council members from the New Party here. We also have council members from the People’s Alliance. The district chair of the Nationalist Movement Party is here as well. We are together at an event where everyone agrees, everyone has given their unanimous support, and everyone is here with happiness and a smile. I hope we will continue to come together for many good things. By joining hands, I hope we will continue to produce work that benefits our country, our society, and our people.”

Community Gardens: A Green and Social Transformation in the City

One of Bornova Municipality’s flagship projects, the Community Gardens initiative aims to support sustainable agriculture and production as an alternative to urban concrete development. In seven Community Gardens across the district, residents cultivate the plots allocated to them using natural and local seeds, while also helping revive neighborhood culture. The project provides women, particularly homemakers, with both an economic contribution and a social space, making it one of the finest examples of solidarity within the city.