Kurdish farmer donates food to needy in southeast Turkey

ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – Farmer Seda Janpolat has dedicated herself to providing for the region’s poor, giving out her produce to the needy. 

Janpolat, 27, who lives in the village of Gaptapa, in Turkey's southeast  Dersim (Tunceli) province has used five acres of her family's farmland to plant melon, watermelon, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. 

 She gives her producer to the poor in her village and surrounding villages in the Mazgirt vicinity using her tractor.

She says the decision stemmed from a campaign in November 2019, distributing gifts and schooling supplies to local children through which she came to know many destitute families.

"In November last year, I announced a campaign on social media platforms calling on my friends to join me to tour villages and distribute gifts to children and their families," Janpolat told Rudaw on Saturday. 

"Some of my friends responded to the announcement and joined me. In the campaign, we managed to distribute clothing to 80 children as well as food to their families."

She says after she learnt there were many needy families, she decided to grow everything on her own to continue to help destitute villagers in her area.

"This campaign made me know the needy families and I continue to assist them," she added.

Her mother says she is "proud" of the humanitarian work that her daughter has pursued.  

"I am proud to have raised her to serve society," said Muqadar Janpolat. "We need to raise more children like her who can benefit their surroundings."

Her mother says her daughter has dedicated all of her life taking care of the farmland and her products to grow and harvest them herself in the best possible way.

"I do not see my daughter as she always tends to her farmland," the mother said. "Sometimes I sit alone by myself and start to cry, missing my daughter. She never joins us during meals."