December 24-31, Georgian Crafts Association through the support of USAID Zrda Activity in Georgia organizes Christmas Fair for handmade accessories of Georgian artisans at the Shopping Center Merani.

The Christmas Fair will feature amazing Georgian traditional crafts quality production collected from different regions. In addition to the conventional sales, purchase of the unique Georgian accessories is also available on the official Facebook Page of Ethnodesign shop.

The event aims to support artisans and workshops from different regions of Georgia, promote sales in the challenging times of COVID-19 pandemic and enhance employment and economic development in regions!

For further details, please visit: www.facebook.com/ethnodesignsocielshop I www.facebook.com/heritage.craft2015

Innovation is key to the success of online technologies, and last week marked yet another success of Agronavti Application - first Agrobusiness Digital created by Georgian Farmers’ Association (GFA) through support from USAID Zrda. This super popular mobile match-making platform received a 100,000 GEL award from Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency to facilitate AI integration into the application to ensure all operating modules become accessible for both local and international markets.

Of note, this customer-focused initiative received incremental investments to help agribusinesses increase their income by 30 percent provided they leverage a well thought out business 2 plan executed by a skilled management team.

In 2017, USAID Zrda and Georgian Farmers’ Association, in partnership with the Georgian Farmers' Distribution Company (GFDC) and the Adjara Hospitality Group, established a mobile match-making platform "Agronavti” to support farmers in selling their products. It is easy and flexible electronic system, which creates opportunities for accessing new market. By downloading the application, a farmer is able to get information on weekly market prices established for agro products, research and innovations in agriculture, local weather forecast, land auctions announced by the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development production of over 60 crops, trade fairs and exhibitions etc. This mobile application charges commission to up to 5,500 of its users on all sales transactions to cover the platform's operations and maintenance costs and ensure its sustainability. GFDC currently collects and distributes a wide variety of Georgian agricultural products to Adjara Hospitality Group hotels and restaurants, including a significant amount of goods produced in the Zrda-target communities. To-date, the value of total sales generated by the company and its farmers living in the Zrda-target areas reached $4.4 million.

To accelerate the process of recovery and restoration of consumer confidence in a post pandemic era, as well as help Georgian tour operators identify and develop products that are particularly appealing to different segments of domestic and international markets, USAID Zrda supported a Familiarization (FAM) trip around Samtskhe-Javakheti region. During the trip, representatives from 13 companies visited largely unknown tourist sites and experienced new services unique from the traditional/popular touristic sites in the region. Initiatives like this aim to mitigate the socio-economic impact of the crisis and assist travel value chain players to shape the sector in line with new reality and stay competitive in the market by offering unique and interesting services/destinations.

In line with its effort to facilitate and strengthen the linkages between Samtskhe-Javakheti Destination Management Organization (DMO) and business sector, Zrda organized a meeting of the leading Georgian tour operators with the Samtskhe-Javakheti DMO. In the meeting, participants brainstormed to identify priorities, how to address major challenges, and find opportunities for further cooperation.

USAID/Zrda and Georgian National Tourism Administration (GNTA) are implementing a joint information campaign as a response to the situation caused due to COVID-19 pandemic!

The joint initiative includes volunteers’ involvement in the information campaign to deliver updated regulations to the HORECA business representatives operating in the project target regions and municipalities.

In the frames of the activity, on July 9 the selected volunteers launched the door-to-door information campaign in USAID/Zrda target regions and municipalities across the country.

USAID/Zrda supported the launch of Georgia Rediscovered campaign in Shida Kartli, historic heartland of Georgia hosted by Georgian Tourism Industry Alliance. The campaign included presentation of Shida Kartli Crafts Workshop Guidebook sponsored by USAID Zrda and Wheel-throwing masterclass at the Giorgi Tatulashvili Museum-workshop.

As a response to COVID-19 impact on tourism sector, USAID/Zrda and Georgian Tourism Industry Aliance aim to promote domestic tourism by encouraging local visitors to rediscover the gems of their own country – Georgian culture, gastronomy and crafts. The tour is supported by the US Embassy to Georgia and USAID Zrda Activity under Enhance Artisans/Crafts Makers’ Business Skills in Shida Kartli implemented by the Georgian Heritage Crafts Association.

All aspects of the tour - transportation, gastronomic master classes and outdoor activities - are arranged in accordance with the existing COVID-19 safety protocol.

These are the beautiful roses from the USAID/Zrda-supported greenhouse in Samegrelo. Zrda supports economic growth in rural communities. This greenhouse, like many businesses, is facing temporary challenges due to COVID-19.

We delivered these roses to hospitals in Zugdidi and Rukhi, where doctors and nurses are working around to clock to treat cases of COVID-19.

We thank all of Georgia's medical professionals who are working tirelessly to keep people healthy and safe during COVID-19. We're also helping Georgia prepare for life after the pandemic. Through the Zrda Activity and other programs, we're partnering with the private sector to help Georgia's economy recover from the crisis.

While the world is focused on the rapid response to COVID-19, USAID/Zrda continues to support the beneficiaries who need it the most! Even company Click Events shared a wonderful idea with Zrda and as a part of the social responsibility initiative purchased flawless yellow tulips from the project-supported Aleksi Mekantsishvili, living in the ABL Bredza village of Gori Municipality!

USAID/Zrda in cooperation with the Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC) presents the “Regional Tour Guides Short-term Training Program” results! The event aims to promote course visibility among the relevant stakeholders to ensure its sustainability and institutionalization.

Since 2019, Center for Training and Consultancy (CTC), in cooperation with Zrda, has closely worked with different stakeholders (Zugdidi State Teaching University, Kachreti VET “Aisi”, Gori VET “Gantiadi”, and Akhaltsikhe VET “Opizari”) to develop and deliver certification training courses for tour guides.

The certificate handover of the first round of trainings provides an opportunity to create market linkage opportunities among course graduates and tour operators. Furthermore, this will be an opportunity for the VET colleges to present their course results and demonstrate areas for continued collaboration and next steps with The Ministry of Education (MOE) and Georgian National Tourism Association (GNTA).

USAID/Zrda in cooperation with the National Agency for Cultural Heritage Preservation of Georgia to support the customs service and security measures improvement in Historical-Architectural Museum-Reserves in Uplistsikhe and Vardzia, Shida Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti Regions!

In the framework of the cooperation in Uplistsikhe Historical-Architectural Museum-Reserve, Zrda-supported First Aid and CPR trainings were conducted for the museum staff, outfit/uniforms were handed over as well as the First Aid fully equipped facility was arranged.

From now on Uplistsikhe Museum-Reserves staff is ready to provide emergency immediate care when a person is injured until full medical treatment is available.

December 2-7, USAID/Zrda supported 5-day intensive workshop held in Babaneuri village, Akhmeta municipality finished successfully resulting i. The workshop brought together almost all the organizations operating in the region that had never met together before, thus setting the practice of common discussion and cooperation of the touristic and community sector representatives.

Subsequently, all the participants, as well as other invited organizations and institutions, including Tusheti Protected Landscape Administration (TPLA), local self-government, NGOs, representatives of Agency of Protected Areas (APa), touristic businesses, community council, as well as Kakheti DMO, Governor’s office and Akhmeta representative in Parliament among others had chance to discuss the current important issues for Tusheti and regional development. The parties agreed to meet on regular basis to work on the Tusheti Work Plan 2020 development together and collaborate on all the problematic and highly important issues for the region in the future.

The practical workshop was conducted by internationally acclaimed experts Leo Orellana and Caroline Ferolend.

USAID/Zrda actively collaborates with the Tusheti Protected Landscape Administration. The goal of the partnership is to support institutional empowerment of the administration, increase community’s involvement and effectiveness of the projects to be implemented in Tusheti. — at ბაბანეურის მარანი • Babaneuris Marani.