Emine Erdoğan Inaugurated the TİKA Project in Angola

Emine Erdoğan, the wife of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, inaugurated the Rangel Women's Vocational Education Center, which is a Support Project of the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) in Luanda, Angola.

Expressing that she is pleased to be in Angola and brings the greetings of the Turkish people, Erdoğan stated that Angola, like many African countries, has gone through tough times and has taken its place in the international community as a democratic country after a long period of civil war and independence struggle.

By saying that "Angola's rapid growth has made it a rising value of Africa. We appreciate the work carried out by the Angolan people in unity. I want to express that we are always in solidarity with you.”, Erdoğan also stated that Africa has a special place in Turkey's multidimensional, entrepreneurial, and humanitarian foreign policies, and that this is not only about the government policies.

Erdoğan continued as follows: "Our approach to Africa is based on our conception of civilization. We consider humanity to be one big single family. We shape our policies with the awareness of the responsibilities we feel towards this family. Turkey's increasing presence in Africa has strengthened our relations with continental countries. Each of our trips has improved our fellowship. With a population of over 1 billion, Africa holds the world's greatest potentials. I believe that, despite all the difficulties of the past, the future will be illuminated by the shining light of Africa."
 

"TİKA carries Turkey's good intentions to the whole world"

Expressing that the Rangel Women's Vocational Training Center has made an "enormous contribution" to women's lives, Erdoğan said that the development of countries is possible with the support of women's participation in social and economic life, and that strong societies can only be established with the empowerment of women.

Erdoğan stated that since 2014, the vocational training given to 6,000 women in many fields such as hairdressing, tailoring, cooking, pastry, information technologies, recycling, art and care services has transformed women's lives. She also said:
 "We also support the empowerment of women in our country and their participation in decision-making and leadership positions. We are removing all obstacles standing in the way of women in the field of education and employment. I sincerely believe that the future will be built thanks to the power of women. Therefore, supporting women all over the world is the most important contribution to this bright future. There's one thing I've always emphasized. Women are raising future generations. The quality of a population is directly related to how equipped women are. African women will shape the future of Africa."

Pointing out that TİKA carries Turkey's goodwill to the whole world, Erdoğan thanked the institution and its employees, who equipped the independent building consisting of two classrooms and opened a music room and information technology classroom.

"The African Handicraft Market and the House of Culture reflect our solidarity"

Noting that one of the most important elements in women's empowerment is to support the female entrepreneurial ecosystem, Emine Erdoğan said that entrepreneurship is a channel where people can reveal their original potential and make their dreams come true, and that life will be enriched with the emergence of this spirit.

Pointing out that there are exceptional practices that support women's entrepreneurship in both the public and private sectors in Turkey, Erdoğan said, "The DA MAMA project reflects our support for women entrepreneurs in Angola. In this context, we supported the establishment of 15 mobile sales points where Angolan women can prepare and sell traditional dishes. I am also very pleased to hand over these points to our Angolan women entrepreneurs."

Erdoğan said that during her visits to Ethiopia in 2015, she visited a workshop established to help AIDS patients, where she learned that women's handicrafts were bought for 1 US dollar and sold at high prices in expensive boutiques in Europe.
Expressing that the income earned from here does not return to the owners of the labor, Erdoğan stated that they decided to establish a fair market for African women in Ankara and opened the African Handicrafts Market and Culture House.

Erdoğan referred to Nelson Mandela's statement, "Human rights will not be fully achieved as long as women are condemned to poverty and viewed with humiliation" and she added, "I wholeheartedly believe in the message of this quote".

Emine Erdoğan emphasized that the book "My Travels to Africa", which she wrote based on her previous travels to Africa, symbolizes of the love and fellowship she has grown in her heart.