Levan and Eka live in the village of Sori with their two children. Both are originally from the Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region, but they got married in Tbilisi and their first child – Yona was born there, too. Five years ago, the couple decided to return to their mother region and establish themselves in Levan's ancestral home. At the same time, they wanted to fulfill their main idea and establish their own winery. Everything started according to their plan – with the help of a friend, they planted a vineyard and started bottling natural wine. Currently, Levan Kervalishvili and Ekaterine Eradze’s small house with two children hosts a lot of guests.

 

 

"The first two years were very difficult for us – the house was old, closed for years after the death of my grandparents. We left home without any savings. We met many obstacles. I remember that many people thought that we would rest for a month or two and go back to the capital. They were not realizing that we really decided to live in the countryside. However, intuition dictated that everything would be fine. And all went really fine," – Levan recalls.

 

After overcoming the difficulties, Levan and Eka established viticulture – planted vines and soon pressed the first grape harvest. This is how the "Ori Gvari" (two surnames) winery was established which is currently producing pure, natural wine and has already become popular among Georgian and foreign visitors.

 

During our visit, little Isaia and Yona greeted us in the yard. Afterward, Levan and Eka hosted us with unique wine and delicious dishes. As soon as we started a conversation with them, we realized that being close to nature for this couple is not only about breathing fresh air and living in a healthy environment, but these are the people for whom taking care of the environment is simply a way of life. Eka has repeatedly mentioned that despite her love for Tbilisi, the capital city of Georgia, she wants her children to grow up close to nature because she thinks that this will help them to be free and strong in the future.

 

 

With the support of the SlovakAid, Caritas Czech Republic and Ekocentrum Sosna arranged a bio-toilet with a biofilter in the yard of Levan and Eka's house. Within the project, an old fence was also repaired which is especially important for the couple to attract new visitors.

 

"I want people to take care of the environment, not to pollute it. As there is no sewage system in this area, this bio-toilet and bio-filter will help us to ensure the mentioned. Each of us is a part of this world, this nature, and you will feel the importance of taking care of all this much better here, in the countryside. When you live in an ecological environment, you try not to harm nature and take care of the environment as much as possible," – says Eka.

 

 

The working principle of the biofilter is based on the practice of filtering wastewater using natural components, as a result of which only clean water remains. At the first stage of starting a small business and establishing themselves in Racha, this support is of particular importance for Levan and Eka as there are many challenging and exciting adventures ahead.

 

At the end of our conversation, we asked Levan what he likes most about this not-so-new stage of his life, and he answered:

"In one movie, a man living in Siberia says something like this: In Taiga, one has a sense of home that does not end once he leaves the house. That's right, this is what makes the rural environment different from the urban environment – whether you go to the forest in the countryside or visit another village, you feel at home. I call this freedom and I ask God not to create such conditions for me to have to leave this place. Never say never, they say, but we connect ourselves to and see our future in Racha. We have big plans ahead."

Within the framework of the project, wastewater cleaning systems were organized in several villages of the Oni municipality. In addition, in the spring of 2023, an assanization vehicle was handed over to Oni Municipality City Hall, which will help the municipality in running wastewater management infrastructure.