On October 29th, theSwiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) project the Mercy Corps Georgia implemented Alliances Caucasus Programme (ALCP) hosted the President of the Swiss National Council Marina Carobbio Guscetti, First Vice President of the National Council Isabelle Moret, Second Vice President of the National Council Heinz Brand, Secretary General of the Federal Assembly at Swiss Parliament Philippe Schwab, Ambassador of Switzerland to Georgia Patric Franzen, Deputy Head of Embassy of Switzerland in Georgia Alvaro Borghi, and the Regional Director of the Swiss Cooperation Office in Georgia, Danielle Mewly Monteleone. The Mayor of Marneuli, MP’s of Marneuli and Rustavi and the Deputy Governor of Kvemo Kartli region were also present. The visit was part of an official visit of Swiss officials to Georgia, to open the new Swiss Embassy in Tbilisi, celebrate sixty years of UNICEF Switzerland, highlight the importance of the Swiss role in mediation and representation between Georgia and Russia and visit some of the outcomes of the significant investment through SDC in economic development in Georgia.
The delegation was introduced to the ALCP’s work in Georgia and the programme’s regional outreach in Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing equitable impact and women’s economic empowerment in the dairy and honey sector’s and the regional programme of vocational agri-journalism trainings in fourteen universities in Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. The delegation visited the Women’s Room in Marneuli municipality highlighting gender sensitive budgeting training delivered through UN Women and the projects for and started by women through funding facilitated by the Women's Room. They then visited Milkeni Cheese Factory in Rustavi where the importance of sustainable community based enterprises supplied by local farmers was emphasized, as was the growing influence of the new dairy quality assurance mark, the Georgian Milk Mark www.Georgianmilk.ge/Milkeni.
To date, the ALCP has facilitated thirty-two cheese factories, creating a regular market for 23,000 farmers, seventy percent of whom are women; the Women’s Room Municipal Service is now operating in twenty-eight municipalities of Georgia with more than 17,000 regular rural women users, facilitating to date $2.4 million USD in government, civil and private funding for women’s initiatives and projects.
A few days ago all Self-Governing cities and municipalities in the country received a recommendation from the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure to appoint an advisor on Gender Equity in each one to support implementation of the Law on Gender Equality 2010 and the action plan.
Two cases of Anthrax were identified in Tsalka Municipality during August 2013. According to the NFA representative Jemal Dekanadze, one cow died due to contracting Anthrax in Beshtasheni Village, Tsalka on August 8th. A blood test sent to Tbilisi Veterinary laboratory was confirmed positive for Anthrax. However, as reported by the Local Independent Vet from Tsalka Municipality, about 5 heads of dead cattle with clinical signs of Anthrax that were not laboratory tested were also observed in the local farms of the village.
Two cows died and a man has been infected due to contracting Anthrax in Patara Toneti Village, Tetritskaro Municipality. According to the representative of the NFA – Shota Poilarashvili the first cow died on July 17th, although the blood samples for laboratory testing were taken only by July 26th. During ten days the infected carcass had been abandoned in the ravine of the village.
Following on from the meeting with Shorena Bziava on May 21st in Kutaisi, Alliances KK met with Davit Narmania, the Minister of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia. The main purpose of the meeting was introducing the Minister with Women’s Room, a new municipal service in Dmanisi, Tetritskaro and Tsalka municipalities, facilitated by the Alliances KK programme. Mr. David was informed about the main idea of WR and the services offered there. The information about the activities, the events carried out and the number of visitors since the establishment of WRs – were also overviewed. GENDER GUIDELINS for VILLAGE REPS with flyers of Women’s Room and Newsletter were presented and discussed.
Two cows died due to contracting Anthrax in Useinkendi, Karabulakhi Community, Dmanisi municipality on 13th May 2013. As the deputy of Gamgebeli Dato Petviashvili stated, a blood sample was taken from only one dead cattle and Tbilisi Veterinary Laboratory has subsequently confirmed the animal death was caused by Anthrax. The local government put Karabulakhi under quarantine for two weeks. The NFA commenced mandatory vaccination in the village and approximately 250 heads of livestock were vaccinated.
On 21st of May a meeting was held with Shorena Bziava, Gender Equality Council secretary at Georgian Parliament in Kutaisi. Alliances KK representatives introduced the programme Gender activities - a new municipal service Women’s Room and Guidelines for the Village Reps.
