MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU

 Çewlîg (Bingöl)- The forests in Çewlîg (Bingöl) have been destroyed by military operations. Despite this destruction, nature keeps healing itself with herbs and plants that grow everywhere. Sumac is one of the plants growing on the mountainsides of the city. Sumac has become a source of living for women living in villages.

 In villages, women collect sumac every year from August to September. Waking up early in the morning, women collect sumac until evening. After collecting sumac, they dry them in the sun, ground the berries of sumac flowers and then put them in bags to sell.

‘You have to make great efforts’

Remziye Kaya, who lives in the village of İkizgöl, is one of the women earning a living by collecting sumac on the mountainsides. Speaking about the processing of sumac, she said, “You cannot find sumac on the mountainsides after September. Sumac can be used in cooking. We use it whenever we cook. After collecting sumac, we dry them in the sun and then ground the berries of sumac flowers.”

Remziye Kaya sells sumac to earn a living. “After putting sumac in small bags, we sell them in the surrounding cities. All women in the village earn a living from sumac. We collect sumac every year. We feel good when we work and earn a living.”