The Happy House
The hazelnut harvest in Turkey is extremely labour intensive. Numerous harvest helpers travel each year from other parts of the country to work in the hazelnut region. These migrant workers usually live with their families in provisional tent camps during the harvest. Child labour and a lack of hygienic standards are common problems.
To address this situation, we built the Happy House in 2014, which has an integrated summer school for the children. It accommodates around 60 people during the harvest time. A five-person management team, consisting of volunteer farmers from Paşalar, takes care of the house. In the off-season, the facilities are used to teach children from the village in their free time or to celebrate village festivals or marriages.
It is important for our Happy Hazelnut partners to provide clean and tidy accommodations in which the workers feel comfortable. To do this, the Happy House is improved and renovated every year. The highlight of our 2019 renovations was an outdoor kitchen with traditional outdoor ovens.
To address this situation, we built the Happy House in 2014, which has an integrated summer school for the children. It accommodates around 60 people during the harvest time. A five-person management team, consisting of volunteer farmers from Paşalar, takes care of the house. In the off-season, the facilities are used to teach children from the village in their free time or to celebrate village festivals or marriages.
It is important for our Happy Hazelnut partners to provide clean and tidy accommodations in which the workers feel comfortable. To do this, the Happy House is improved and renovated every year. The highlight of our 2019 renovations was an outdoor kitchen with traditional outdoor ovens.
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“This is my second time in the Happy House. We like to come to Paşalar because the people of this village are very nice to us”.
Cansel Gangir, Harvest Helper |
Summer school in the Happy House
During their parents’ working hours, our team takes care of the children in the Happy House. A professional teacher is responsible for the preparation of an engaging curriculum. In addition to providing regular meals, we also make sure the children have access to hands-on activities, singing, playing and dancing. Children who live with their parents in farmer accommodations surrounding the villages are transported to the Happy House every day.
