Vet Sevim Kızıltepe’s strong stance inspires every woman in village
Sevim Kızıltepe lives on the outskirts of Karacadağ and her strong stance inspires every woman in her village. Sevim, who is called “veterinarian” by the villagers, told us that she cannot live without her animals.
MEDİNE MAMEDOĞLU
Amed – 50-year-old Sevim Kızıltepe lives in the Ovabağ (Kurdish: Guliya) village of Karacadağ region located in the triangle of Mardin, Diyarbakır and Urfa. She built a house in the village to look after her sheep. She is both a kocher (nomad) and veterinarian in the village even if she never studies at veterinary school. Her strong stance inspires every woman in the village.
“I spend all day working”
Sevim wakes up early in the morning to look after her animals. “My sheep are everything for me. I have been living in the highlands for 30 years. Here, we have our house and stables. We have been living on the outskirts of Karacadağ for years. Now, I am an old woman but I still do my own works to look after my animals. I wake up early in the morning to milk the sheep. I then take the milk home and clean the stables. If there is a problem with our tent, I fix them. After giving straws to sheep and goats, I feed turkeys. I spend all day working.”
“I make cheese and butter”
Sevim makes a living by making cheese and butter after milking the sheep, “We have made a living by making cheese and butter. I don’t sell milk but make cheese and butter. My animals are everything for me. I always tell my family members, ‘If I die, don’t bury me far away.' I love my sheep; I spend all day with them. I don’t have a daughter or daughter-in-law. I do all my works by myself.”
“She is a veterinarian for all animals in the village”
Sevim, who is known as “veterinarian” by all villagers, protects the health and well-being of both her animals and all animals in the village. Sevim also operates lambs and baby goats, “I just don’t feed them. When my sheep or goats get sick, I also treat them. I recently performed surgery on a baby goat. We don’t have opportunities to take them to the city so we do everything. When they are sick or injured, I take care of them day and night. I wrap their feet, I give them medicine. I bandage their feet, I give them medicine. They fear everyone but when they see me, they come to me. We are settled kochers. In the spring, we go to the highlands but not far away. We have our own highlands on the outskirts of Karacadağ. For this reason, we built a house in the village and we live here.”