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Meral Tuncer

    

Meral Tuncer – Izmit, Turkey
My name is Meral Tuncer and I am 45 years old. I have lived in Izmit, Turkey since 1974. Before moving to Izmit, I lived in the village of my birth, Pamukova near Sakarya. I enjoy living in Izmit because of the four seasons and the streets of the city because they are straight. I love living in Turkey because I love living in my own culture and am inspired by the environment. There are so many colors here. People are warm, relationships are warm, and Turkish people are very hospitable. Turkey has a very rich culture… the Bosphorus is beautiful and so is the geography of Turkey.

I taught myself how to make jewelry two and a half years ago when I wanted to help support my son while he was in the army. One day a week I go to Istanbul and buy materials for the jewelry I make if I earn enough money from the bazaars.

At the bazaar, I have my own table where I display my goods. I want to stop selling at the bazaars because people do not appreciate quality things. I spend a lot of time setting up my table and am there all day. It is my dream to open my own store where I sell beads and my own jewelry. The Nest loan will help me to create more variety of jewelry with more materials, better sales because I won’t only be displaying my jewelry at bazaars, and create a start towards achieving my dreams.

In five years, I want to be free of debt! And on a long vacation! I want to be able to do the things I have not been able to do, and within ten years, I would like to make a pilgrimage to Mecca. (15/September, 2006)