USAID/Zrda, JSC Partnership Fund/Start-up Georgia Program cooperated and facilitated the investment in the target communities located along the Administrative Boundary Lines (ABLs) including “Kombucha Brewers Georgia” facility in ABL Karapila village!

“Kombucha Brewers Georgia” groundbreaking took place in summer of 2020 and today US Ambassador to Georgia Kelly Degnan together with Executive Director of the JSC Partnership Fund David Saganelidze, Director of Start-up Georgia Giorgi Lomidze and USAID/Zrda Activity Chief of Party Ketevan Tchumburidze officially open the facility.

Raw materials for the organic and healthy, naturally fizzy “Kombucha” will be sourced locally, and major sales market will be Georgia, however beneficiaries also target to reach export markets in future as the project expands.

Overall, during 2019-2021, in the framework of the partnership, JSC Partnership Fund Start-up Georgia Program and USAID Zrda Activity financed five projects with the total investment amount of over GEL 1, 500, 000.

USAID/Zrda supports building resilience of the communities living along Administrative Boundary Line!

To this end the USAID/Zrda donated various much interesting and useful books to the tiny library located in the ABL Khurcha village, Zugdidi Municipality, Samegrelo region, that is a good gesture and nice present for the local population to benefit from it.

In the very beginning, the USAID/Zrda handed over the books to the Anaklia Education Hub, an educational facility that provided numerous trainings for all interested persons living in Samegrelo region during 2019-2020. After closing the abovementioned hub USAID/Zrda made every effort to find new home for all the books and donated them to Khurcha library.

“I’d like to express immense gratitude towards USAID/Zrda for giving us an opportunity to enrich our library with much valuable collection of books,” says Leila Esatia, Khurcha Library Head.

On July 31, at Tbilisi National Park, the Agency of Protected Areas organized World Ranger Day. The event is celebrated worldwide to recognize the work the rangers do to protect the world’s natural and cultural heritage as well as to commemorate the rangers killed or injured in the line of duty.

USAID/Zrda partners with the Agency of Protected Areas and actively supports the development of the protected areas system across Georgia. To this end USAID/Zrda handed over professional equipment and uniforms to the rangers, which provide them with the additional comfort during fulfilling their much responsible duties.

On July 25, Georgian Cheese Fest took place in Mtatsmina Park, Tbilisi!

The festival featured Georgia cheese, honey, tea verities from all over Georgia including USAID/Zrda target municipalities.

On the central square of Mtatsminda Park, much experienced cheese makers, honey makers and other interesting entrepreneurs producing eco products hosted the visitors offering them delicious production!

The Cheese festival was organized through USAID/Zrda support by Georgian Cheese Makers Union and its founder Ana Mikadze.

After culinary cookbooks - Meskhuri Tabla, Kolkhuri Tabla, Tushuri Tabla and Kisturi Tabla, new Ethno Tabla will come on spotlight through USAID/Zrda effort, soon!

On June 30, Master class of noodle soup and making of the traditional Kvemo Kartli regional dishes from the new culinary cookbook Ethno Tabla, took place in Deutsche Mühle Hotel and Restaurant in Bolnisi involving USAID/Georgia Deputy Mission Director David Hoffman, Deputy Governor of Shida Kartli Kakha Koberidze and USAID/Zrda COP Katy Tchumburidze, guided by the Bocuse d'Or Georgia participant and winner chefs.

The Ethno Tabla Cookbook Activity is the new tourism product development initiative from USAID/Zrda implemented through partnership with Georgian Gastronomic Association.

Ethno Tabla culinary cookbook is a collection of old recipes of the ethnic minority communities (Armenians, Azeri, Germans, Greeks, Asirians) used to live in Kvemo Kartli region as well as are easy to follow and feature accessible ingredients.

The cookbooks are designed to promote the local food, raise awareness of the regions among domestic and international travelers, and be used as a gift for tourists.

Through June 9-12 USAID/Zrda in cooperation with Samegrelo DMO organized an Information Tour in Samegrelo for 14 leading tourism agencies to introduce and promote  new tourism destinations, products and services. The Familiarization Tour covered yet unexplored and less popular touristic attractions of Martvili, Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Khobi and Poti Municipalities, including Wine Cellar "Oda", Martvili Ethnographic Museum, Tea production, Dadiani Summer Residence in Salkhino, Nokalakevi Castle, Dedamoka Gorge, Wine Cellar "New Martvili", Khobi Monastery, Folklore House of Beso Chitanava, Intsra Gorge, Hours Riding Tour,  Rope landing from Intsra waterfall (Canyoning), Guesting Prince Miurat in village Chkadua, Ceramic Studio "Orkol", ethno village "Sisa Tura" in Chkoria and Poti lighthouse.

Through supporting tourism development, USAID/Zrda aimes to encaurage and promote new tourism product develomnet, increase revenuews of MSME businesses and sustainable economic development of the region.

Tsitsagiaantkari village, Gori Municipality, Shida Kartli, Georgia - Monday, June 14, 2021, at 13:00 p.m – 14:00 p.m, Kelly C. Degnan, US Ambassador to Georgia joined OSCE Secretary General, Helga Maria Schmid, Minister ofthe Reconciliation and Civil Equality Tea Akhvlediani, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia, Mzia Giorgobiani, Shida Kartli Governor, Valerian Mchedlidze and Gori Mayor, Konstantine Tavzarashvili to open the newly rehabilitated potable water supply system in the ABL Tsitsagiaantkari village, the activity designed to showcase continuous support the US is providing to improve the livelihoods of highly vulnerable communities along the ABL.

Today marked the conclusion of yet another USAID/Zrda, OSCE and Gori Municipality-led initiative to improve community infrastructure and enhance livelihoods in the community along the Administrative Boundary Line with the occupied territory of South Ossetia (Samachablo). 

Since 2017, Zrda has been working with 17 target municipalities of six regions of Georgia as well as with the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia to support economic infrastructure and disaster mitigation activities by developing infrastructure design packages for selected priority municipal projects, while the municipalities have committed to implementing the full scope of infrastructure rehabilitation works. In addition, Zrda partners with other donor organizations to improve community infrastructure and enhance livelihoods in the communities across Administrative Boundary Lines (ABL). Zrda developed and handed over 27 full project design packages to the municipalities including 10 in Shida Kartli region. In particular, Zrda and local government partnered with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to jointly implement two infrastructure rehabilitation projects in Shida Kartli - the rehabilitation of the kindergarten in the ABL Kveshi village, and the installation of the potable water supply system in the ABL Tsitsagiaantkari village leveraging over EUR 120,000 for both projects. Back in November 2018 USAID/Zrda and Gori Municipality signed MoU to develop the full project design package for the potable water supply system (with capacity of 50 tons) rehabilitation in the ABL Tsitsagiaantkari village. Zrda partnered with the design company “Adjarkampmsheni”, which prepared the full project design package for further implementation by May 2019. The cost of the project design package totaled GEL 16, 539, 98. USAID/Zrda and local government partnered with the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and jointly implement the potable water supply system installation in the ABL Tsitsagiaantkari village leveraging over EUR 90, 074 grant from the Republic of Italy. As for the Gori Municipality contribution, GEL 24, 000 was spent for the project finalization. The installation of the potable water supply system in the ABL Tsitsagiaantkari village launched in September 2020, finished in May 2021 and the overall amount for the full project implementation totaled GEL 358, 844. From now on through this assistance, 144 households will have access to clean drinking water in Tsitsagiaantkari, as a result of which the life quality, the social and health conditions of the locals, as well as other visitors will improve and cease an active migration process from the village.  

Overall, Zrda developed and handed over 27 full project design packages to the municipalities. To-date, through support from Zrda, fifteen infrastructure projects have been completed and have benefited over 3,610 households with a municipal contribution of approximately USD 2,5 million invested in the full scope of infrastructure rehabilitation works.

USAID/Georgia Mission Director Peter Wiebler joined Katy Tchumburidze, USAID Zrda Chief of Party and Ekaterine Dgebuadze, the First Deputy Minister of Education and Science to handover the equipment and commodities to four regional VET colleges - Zugdidi, Akhaltsikhe, Gori and Kachreti for establishing the Regional Tour Guide Program. As well as to attend Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony between USAID Zrda and two VET colleges – “Modusi” in Marneuli and Kaspi collage to introduce the same Regional Tour Guide Program and provide necessary equipment to get authorization and facilitate its implementation. That in long run will build the capacity of tourism workforce and create job opportunities within the tourism sector.

From April 26 – May 1 Georgian Crafts Association invites you to the annual Easter Fair supported by USAID/Zrdal!

The Easter Fair is held at the City Mall Saburtalo (1 Petre Kavtaradze St, Tbilisi) to offer amazing handmade Easter crafts including unique works of USAID/Zrda beneficiaries from different regions of Georgia!

Keep the distance, wear masks and purchase wonderful Georgian handmade decorations for your beloved ones!

Shop online: www.ethnodesign.b2c.ge

Let's support the Georgian artisans together!