'This forum is the first steps where women economic empowerment starts from. The Ajara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) is ready to support women entrepreneurs and startups. Through the Women’s Room of ACCI we will help them in preparing Business Plans, liaising new business contacts and follow up their way of achieving success in businesses’ - Tamaz Shavadze, Chairman of ACCI.
The National Women Business Forum for 300 participants including 180 women entrepreneurs from all regions of Georgia as well as public, private and civil sector organizations concerned with women’s entrepreneurship was held in Batumi on International Women’s Day, March 8, 2018.
Participants were enthused and galvanized by the stories of successful women entrepreneurs from all walks of life who made up the first part of the forum. Stalls of banks, input supply companies, private sector business support companies and civil societies were set up in the lobby.
'I have never met so many women entrepreneurs and I would like to use this opportunity for exchanging information and experience' – Nino Giorgadze, Entrepreneur from Shida Kartli Region.
The event built on the success of the Ajara Business Women’s Forum held of the previous year, brainchild of the Ajara Chamber of Commerce and it’s Ajara Business Women’s Association and the Ajara network of Women’s Rooms. This year’s event saw the Georgian Chamber of Commerce and numerous NGOs join the events support network. This year’s event showcased successful women entrepreneurs from all over Georgia, discussed challenges, introduced opportunities and market matched funds to needs improve communication between entrepreneurs and those with funds to invest in them. EBRD, Bank of Georgia, TBC Bank and Credo Bank were all represented at the forum as were numerous private sector with a stake in seeing successful development of women’s business.
‘I am from Racha, Oni municipality. I run a small guesthouse in my village and arrived here with a hope to find out resources for developing my business’ – Ekaterine Tsikhiseli, from Racha Region.
The dream of many pop brands is to ‘make it in America’. Tsalka producer Tsezari Cheese Company, has started to do just that. Sun Breath Corps a Georgian distribution company based in New York contacted Tsezari through contacts related to the programme to export the cheese. Beginning in June1,200 kgs of Smoked Sulguni has so far been exported to New York, US. Tsezari who is HACCP certified and has been a main supplier of Sulguni cheese to the Carrefour chain in Georgia for over two years, can guarantee quality and a regular supply which is vital for successful export.
Batumi Boulevard is still buzzing from this summer’s sweetest festival, Honey Festival 2016. Organized for the second time by the Ajara Beekeepers Business Association on 13th of August. Last year’s debut festival was so impressive that this year’s festival had the support of governmental bodies Agroservice Center and the Cultural Heritage Preservation Agency of Ajara, who wanted to contribute to the festival and promote local honey production. Thus the festival was larger in scale this time, with activities taking place over two days, starting in Batumi Boulevard and closing in Gonio Fortress on 16th of August.
Informational leaflets on Animal Identification-Registration were distributed to the farmers of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Ajara regions by NFA representatives. These leaflets will serve to increase awareness of the compulsory EU regulation for preventing animal diseases, ensuring the health of animals and traceability that contributes to safe selling of meat, protecting consumers` rights and Georgia’s image as a country of high export potential. The NFA has also been providing vaccination for Foot and Mouth and blood tests for Brucellosis on the site. According to the latest data, 1 939 674 livestock and 140 466 small ruminants have been identified, and in total 994 058 animals have been registered.
The promotion of Ajara as a world class ecological hotspot and eco-tourism destination is soon set for a massive boost. Filming on the ALCP facilitated Eco Films production ‘Jara’, a 52 minutes, a half-wildlife, half-human story observational documentary about mountains of one specific region of Republic of Georgia – Ajara, is nearly complete and the production to bring together the material is now ongoing. The film has brought together various conservation stakeholders World Wildlife Fund Georgia, Caucasus Nature Fund, Eco Tours Georgia, Environmental Association Psovi, to produce what will be a stunning showcase of the beauty, nature and unique livelihoods of the rural inhabitants of Ajara.
The programme has already worked with EcoTours Ltd on developing Ajara as a destination for rural tourism based on nature and people. View their promotional video here and visit their website where they offer tailor-made tours to help you unlock the beauty of the region.
Source of Photos: Jara Documentary Film
Finally after years of waiting punctuated by the protests of desperate rural inhabitants who have at times blocked it to highlight their plight, the Batumi-Akhaltsikhe central road, which from the top of the Goderdzi pass to Khulo is little more than a dangerous track, is to be constructed into a proper road. The Kuwait Economic Fund has signed MoU with the Government of Georgia to help with rehabilitation of the road. The funding for the project (which is estimated at 100 million GEL) has been received as a state loan to be approved by the Parliament of Georgia soon.
Rehabilitating The road, which can be justly claimed one of the most beautiful in Georgia, will immediately enhance the lives of rural inhabitants not just in quality of life but in as a boost to livelihoods as even in its current condition the road is a vital trading link between Ajara, Samtskhe -Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli as illustrated by the fact sheets.
Map: red one is Batumi-Akhaltsikhe Road and others are the longer routes.
