What is BACIM, and where did it come from?
BACIM exists so that every woman finding her way in Berlin has a "bacı", a sister, by her side.
When we came to Berlin, we found the answers to our questions less on official websites and more in the experiences of women who had walked the same road. But in the communities where women supported each other, the same questions were asked again every week, and the good answers got lost over time. That's why we started BACIM: a knowledge base checked against official sources and growing with women's experiences, and a woman-to-woman support network. Today the site is run by a small team of volunteers alongside their jobs.
"Bacım" is a Turkish way of addressing someone that comes not from blood ties but from walking the same road together. It's said with the same warmth in the neighbourhood, around the table with friends and in lubunya (Turkish queer) friendships. We chose the name for exactly this inclusiveness, and we're here to make this closeness grow.