Hisar Anatolian Support Society (Hisar Anadolu Destek Derneği, often shortened to HADD) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing vocational training to low-income girls and women in Van. Currently HADD has two projects on the go. The first is teaching the traditional art of dying wool and kilim weaving – the girls make kilims in traditional styles, but are also encouraged to create their own patterns. The second project is focused on bee-keeping, an enterprise funded in part by the New World Project – a partnership between the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the Coca-Cola Foundation whose aim is to empower women and generate job opportunities.

HADD also teaches literacy, math and business skills that will allow these girls and women to manage their own futures, survive economically, grow artistically and flourish socially. For instance, the HADD workshop buildings provide a safe haven for the women to meet freely outside of their homes, build friendships and learn from each other. You can follow the organisation’s activities on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The programmes are funded by donations and income from kilim sales. The HADD office in Nişantaşı has a showroom selling its Kilimworks that is open during business hours. HADD kilims can also be purchased at Ark of Crafts, located on the top floor of the Adahan Hotel.