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Project Title: Coordinated Social “Gün” Gathering

Background:

“Gün” is a long-standing tradition in Turkey where friends, neighbors, and relatives come together to socialize, share food, and create lasting bonds.

A “Gün” often involves a circular economy, where participants contribute a sum of money or gold to the host, essentially creating a rotating savings system. Each time a “Gün” event is held, the other participants pay the host the agreed-upon amount, referred to as “Gün Money.”

For example, in a group of 10 participants, if each person contributes 1 gram of gold per “Gün,” you will visit the homes of the other 9 participants and give them a total of 9 grams of gold over the course of the cycle. When it’s your turn to host, you receive 9 grams of gold from the others. While it may seem like everyone is giving and receiving the same amount, the key is that you gather a lump sum instantly when hosting, but you pay it back gradually over time. In this way, it serves as a method of saving.

Before each “Gün” cycle starts, all participants agree on the contribution amount. Multiple bonds—both social and financial—help keep the group cohesive.

In a “Gün,” there is typically a large table overflowing with a variety of foods, pastries, cookies, snacks, and more. The table is often so full that additional tables are needed for food and serving. By the end of the event, everyone is so full that they can hardly breathe.

When it comes to preparing the food, there are different options that the participants decide on at the start of the cycle. One option is for the host to prepare all the food. Another option is for the host to prepare the main dishes while the guests bring additional foods. The choice depends on the dynamics of the “Gün” group.

Also, this often is one of the sole socialisation opportunities for the elderly to meet with people outside of their families. Some old people don’t wanna get out of their homes but in this “gün” event, they have to socialize and see other people. This project aims to structure and enhance the organisation of these events, making them more efficient and inclusive with support from different “Gün” groups.

Objective:
The goal is to create an organised system and/or product for planning “Gün” events, managing food responsibilities, and facilitating easy financial contributions (cash, gold, etc.) for the “Gün” component. Additionally, the project will explore the possibility of cross-support between different “Gün” groups to increase participation and engagement.

Key Elements:

1. Location Management:
   • Set specific rotation schedules for each participant’s home, ensuring a fair distribution of hosting duties.
   • Integration of a location-based system where participants can confirm their availability and address logistics in advance.
2. Meal Planning and Preparation:
   • A detailed scheduling system will be developed, assigning specific meals or snacks (börek, cake, etc.) to each participant based on dietary preferences and cultural recipes.
   • A shared documentation solution will track who is responsible for which dish to avoid repetition and ensure variety.
3. Financial Contribution System:
   • Introducing a seamless method for participants to contribute cash during each “Gün.”
   • The platform will automate reminders for each participant when it’s their turn to receive the pooled contributions.
   • Transparent tracking will allow participants to view contributions and ensure fairness.
4. Different “Gün” Group Support:
   • Some participants may have different “gün” groups and they may trying to manage different groups.
   • They are collaborating with other “Gün” groups to create a support network that allows participants to attend or contribute to events in different groups.
   • This system will increase the potential for larger gatherings, creating more robust social bonds across multiple communities.

Target Audience:

• Women aged 30-65, particularly those involved in traditional social groups (“Gün” groups), and those open to modernising the process through the use of digital tools for financial transactions.
• Keep in mind that as people get older, they tend to prefer physical solutions rather than digital systems/apps. Try to create a physical component that is more elderly-friendly (and therefore inclusive).

Your solution may include:

• A scheduling system for hosting and meal preparation.
• A secure, transparent, and user-friendly solution for handling/keeping track of financial transactions (cash, gold, etc.).
• Outreach and engagement plan to connect different “Gün” groups.
• A solution in case the Gün attendees have trouble finding the host houses, etc. 
• Increased participation and collaboration between different “Gün” groups, fostering stronger community ties.
• Preventing confusion about who is hosting that “Gün”, where is their home, etc.

Additional Info – Some foods from “Gün”

• Soup
• Pastries
  • Mozaik cake
  • Pogaca (with different fillings)
  • Boreks
• Main food
• Salads
  • Potato Salads
  • Semizotu Salads
  • Makarna Salatası
• Appetizers
  • Kısır
  • Yaprak Sarma
  • Mercimek köftesi
  • İçli Köfte
  • Sigara Boreği (Spring Rolls)
• Beverages
  • Çay
  • Turkish Coffee
• Cookies
  • Un kurabiyesi
  • Kakoulu Islak Kurabiye
  • Elmalı kurabiye
• Desserts
  • Trileçe
  • Baklava

Extra: Also there is a powerful impact of “gün” in people’s mental. This is a joke but sometimes all of us want a “gün tabağı”( a plate full of gün foods).