Alumni-led Projects

HasNa strongly emphasizes follow-up activities led by past program participants. These pilot projects reinforce the skills and experiences gained by participants of HasNa programs and create a ripple effect that reaches a wider audience of community stakeholders.

Alumni projects seek to achieve one or more of the following goals:

  • Support continuous learning and professional skills development.
  • Improve economic opportunities for communities in southeastern and eastern Turkey.
  • Help HasNa program alumni remain in contact with one another to continue sharing experiences and support one another in their work. Nox App Player
  • Assist past participants in using their conflict resolution skills at work and in the community.
  • Identify new projects that are relevant to HasNa’s mission.

Sanliurfa Alumni Coordination Project

In support of HasNa’s program graduates, HasNa awarded a small grant to Servet Yazar in 2006 to assess the ongoing needs of past HasNa training participants currently working in the Sanliurfa province. Mr. Yazar, who participated in HasNa’s water resource management training in 2000, interviewed twenty-six people, all of whom worked as managers of the Irrigation Associations in the province, about what problems and concerns they have faced since attending a HasNa training session.  Learn More…

Project to Promote Plum Trees as Alternative Crop

In 2006, HasNa awarded a small grant to Servet Abrak, a participant in HasNa’s water resource management training in 2002, to demonstrate for other farmers in his village how to grow plums. Fruit grows particularly well in the Sanliurfa province, yet many farmers are still wary of straying from traditional crops such as wheat, barley, cotton and corn even in spite of their low yield and low profit. Learn More…

Encouraging Fava Bean and Pea Cultivation during the Winter

In 2006 HasNa awarded a small grant to Servet Yazar, a graduate of HasNa’ water resource management training in 2000, to carry out a two-year project to promote drip irrigation systems for pistachio trees in Sanliurfa, Turkey. The purpose of Mr. Yazar’s project was to introduce a modern irrigation system to fellow farmers to demonstrate how they could increase the yield of their pistachio trees from every other year to every year and how they could improve the quality of the pistachio fruits. Learn More…

Strawberry Cultivation as an Alternative Crop in the GAP Region

In 2005, HasNa awarded a small grant to Cetin Sen, a graduate of HasNa’ water resource management training in 2003, to start a program in Sanliurfa, Turkey teaching local small land farmers about strawberry production. Recent developments in irrigation had made it possible for farmers in the region to grow cotton, yet due to the large cost of cultivation, small land farmers were not able to make enough money from their crop to earn a living. Mr. Sen’s goal for the strawberry cultivation program was to teach these farmers how to grow and market an alternative crop – strawberries – so that they would be able to earn a greater profit off their land. Local farmers received hands-on training from the planting process all the way through harvesting and marketing.  Learn More…

The Harran Su Newspaper

In 2004, HasNa awarded a small grant to Servet Yazar to create Harran Su, a newspaper which provides those in the agricultural sector information on new farming techniques, irrigation and water use innovations, and the resources available to the farming community. Mr. Yazar, who participated in HasNa’s water resource management training in 2000, sought to familiarize farmers in southeastern Turkey with the latest farming developments and to develop a network of individuals who will be able to share farming skills with one another. Mr. Yazar also saw Harran Su as an opportunity to work with and connect farmers from Turkey’s diverse cultural groups. Learn More…

Program to Strengthening Relations in the Harran Plain 

Agriculture is the main source of income in southeastern Turkey and therefore, maintaining a positive relationship between farmers and water engineers is important to the development of the region. In 2004, HasNa awarded a small grant to Fatih Yildiz, a participant of HasNa’s water resource management training program in 2000, to conduct interviews and informational sessions with farmers and water engineers of the Harran Plain in southeastern Turkey regarding their often tense relationship with each other.  Learn More…