Behind the Scenes of Caritas Czech Republic: Meet Giorgi Murvanidze from Georgia
February 22, 2023 News

Behind the Scenes of Caritas Czech Republic: Meet Giorgi Murvanidze from Georgia

Would you like to know more about the Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation department at Caritas Czech Republic Country Office in Georgia? We launched a series of interviews with our colleagues who will tell you more about our work in Georgia. This time we interviewed Giorgi Murvanidze, project manager of Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia.

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Caritas Czech Republic has been working in the direction of rural development for many years. What is the vision of our organization and the results we have achieved so far?

Caritas Czech Republic actively works on projects necessary for rural development in Georgia. Our vision is as follows – a strong village means a strong country. A strong village also means the opportunity of creating jobs and reduce migration to urban areas. In addition, we believe that women and youth have the greatest role in rural development of the country.

ENPARD Khulo was one of the most important project that we have carried out. Its total budget was two million euros, one million of which was spent on the project’s grant component. In particular, as part of the grant competition, 68 grants totaling of 953,975 euros were awarded, and as a result, 300 jobs were created. Noteworthy, 35 of the winners were startups. In addition, we have provided the equipment worth of 81,120 euros for the local government to implement small infrastructure projects.

Within the framework of the project, we have participated in the creation of the strategy of Zemo Adjara and promoted the development of youth skills living in rural areas. We offered various types of educational services so that they could discover new opportunities, develop their competencies and find relevant jobs.

In order to maintain the business management skills of the project participants and the sustainability of their products, thirteen trainings for 220 beneficiaries were conducted. Trainings were held on the following topics: pasture management, sustainable forest management, disaster risk reduction, agrotourism, and ecotourism. In total, 18 trainings were conducted for 273 beneficiaries. In order to increase the tourism potential of Khulo Municipality, Khulo Fest was held in 2018 and 2019. Also, in 2020, we organized two visits for tour operators from Tbilisi and Batumi.

Currently, with the financial support of the Czech Development Agency, we are working on a project to develop cattle breeding in three mountainous regions of Georgia. The project aims at increasing the income of beef farmers from Mountainous Georgia by ensuring efficient production resources and inputs, the necessary knowledge, market access, and value-added opportunities. Within the framework of the project, we have already retrained farmers and veterinarians and identified demonstration plots for introducing the practice of rotational grazing. Further, we are planning to distribute grants for purchasing the necessary equipment for cattle farming.

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What are the best way for rural areas to develop and what are the main sectors in which our organization works?

It is very important that the development of rural areas is balanced and complex, I would say. A holistic approach is essential. As for the sectors, their development depends on the specifics of a particular region. In some regions, tourism may be the leading sector, in others – agriculture, etc. What we do first, is to study the specifics, opportunities, and challenges of a particular rural area and only after that we set priorities and start practical activities.

It should be noted that today there are not many challenges at the legislative level, and lots of benefits have been established for farmers. In the last ten years, the state's attitude towards the development of agriculture has changed. Many projects are even implemented by the state itself, such as, for example, "Plan the future", "Enterprise Georgia" and others. Also, the European Union and USAID allocate a large budget for rural development in Georgia.

From my perspective, the challenge is more in the approach of the population and their business orientation – they lack experience, self-confidence, and knowledge of modern agricultural practices. You know that modern practice itself is related to investments, which, in many cases, are not available for agriculture. The more investment is made, the more output there will be in the form of products.

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Tell us more about our current project – what stage is it at now and how do you see the best outcome of the project?

Our project is aimed at the development of animal husbandry. The project targets three mountainous areas – Khulo Municipality, Pshav-Khevsureti, and Tusheti areas. One direction of the project envisages capacity-building of local farmers through relevant trainings, and the other is a grant component. It will be aimed at issuing grants for the implementation of small-scale projects, which include the development of cattle breeding, be it the improvement of the feed base, procurement of small equipment that will reduce the cost of the feeding of cattle and etc.

Within the framework of the project, Caritas Czech Republic and LAND O LAKES partnered in the direction of improving the quality of pastures. As a result, three demonstration plots will be created on three target territories, which will contribute to the establishment of the practice of improving the quality of pastures in the highlands. As part of the mentioned partnership, our organization has provided additional investment to highland municipalities.

The involvement of youth in such types of projects is very much important in order to make them economically stronger and independent, which is an important prerequisite for life in rural areas. The project actively engages female farmers in various activities in order to support the female farmer as a phenomenon and also ensure women's economic empowerment.

By 2023, within the framework of the project, we will especially work to introduce and popularize the practice of artificial insemination in mountainous areas. It is planned to purchase appropriate equipment and conduct training and practical procedures.

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What type of assistance do rural areas need for development, what is your personal vision?

The agricultural sector in Georgia is not competitive enough at this stage to develop independently. Therefore, in the conditions of Georgia's small land area, the maximum and correct involvement of the state, donor organizations, and private investors is needed.

As for Caritas Czech Republic, we will actively cooperate with donors in the future, and we will present our vision and projects to receive appropriate funding for the development of rural areas and agriculture in the upcoming years.