Anneme Beyaz Elbiseler Giydireceğim - Türkiye İş Kurumu

The breakdown of the interviews were a sensitive process, and took a long time. The participants
had told us very discreet information, on the condition that we promised to keep them. Equally, we
didn’t compromise them, during the examination of the recordings. We owe our deep gratitude to
‹fiKUR during this process. We didn’t have many comments on the book as we wanted the majority to
be the words of the participants. Therefore the book is called “PPaarrttiicciippaannttss aarree ssppeeaakkiinngg:: II’’mm ggooiinngg ttoo
ddrreessss uupp mmyy mmuumm wwiitthh wwhhiittee ddrreesssseess””. The basic analysis of our examinations was founded, on the life
in an orphanage, being a girl and working life. We focused on the majority rather than on individual
situations. In the first section of the book we had to refer to “being poor, being an orphan, and being a
girl”. This is due to the participant’s emphasis on disadvantages of poverty, immaturity, growing up in
an orphanage, being a girl and the entangled issues of all kinds of social exclusions. In the second
chapter we tried to show employment in terms of its disadvantages and the girl’s needs. The third,
therefore the last section is devoted to the project’s journey.
Unfortunately, in this book, we couldn’t reflect on the results of the employment aspect of the
project. However, within the scope of the project we found out that after their training, the participants
have entered civil servant exams and applied to various positions and had fully utilised their experiences
and the things they have learned. We also couldn’t follow the working procedures of ‹fiKUR’s regional
offices, to a great degree. Nevertheless, we are certain that pursuing and examining the experiences of
regional offices and the participants would have been immensely enlightening and useful.
As a result, our aim in this book is not to create any boundaries, but to show that obstacles can be
tackled with extraordinary means. Through the eyes of the participants, we tried to present the limited
amount of people that the project has touched and the value that the project gained through its
participants. This is a very significant issue, as in some of the governmental projects, the participants
become invisible. Actually, where there is a human aspect, our contact, our means, and ways should be
examined and acknowledged so that it can shed a light to the similar studies. In this viewpoint we
wanted to ooppeenn aa ppaatthh ooff eemmppllooyymmeenntt sseerrvviiccee tthhaatt eemmbbrraacceess aallll ppeeooppllee,, wwiitthhoouutt aannyy ddiissccrriimmiinnaattiioonn. We
hope that we have made a contribution to this point, however small that may be. This book has also
shown that, the participants required more psychological work then was previously foreseen, in
addition to the value of the atmosphere and approach that was created in this project.
This book has been prepared with the cooperation of two women. Within this phase we were
supported by the people in the working group of this Project. But mostly from our participants, from
Gül Erdost that had worked with us during the interviews and from Ayflen Karakulak whom has
supported us through out the project. Our participants have understood both what we were trying to
achieve and our respectful and honest approach. And believed that what we were trying to start would
be beneficial not only to their generation but also the next. Özüm Dinçer, analysed out interview tapes
with great speed and precision, added us in our contest against time. A method was not foreseen to lift
the weight of the Project. Therefore, the ones that are the closest have witnessed this weight, meaning
firstly our families, our partners and children and our close friends. We are grateful for these people.
For reading and commenting on our written work we thank ‹. Tayfun Üstün for sharing the path the
Project had followed we would like to take this opportunity to thank Serpil Sancar and Aksu Bora.
LVI
‹lknur ÜSTÜN - S.Nazik IfiIK
December 2005, Ankara