Community self help group obtains commitment for kindergarten refurbishment in Marneuli Region
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Photo: UN Women
In Damia, a village in the Marneuli municipality of Kvemo Kartli, populated mainly by ethnic Armenians, a local women’s self-help group supported the refurbishment of a community house. In an unprecedented initiative, the house will serve as a meeting place for the ethnic minority population in Damia.
Ethnic minority women are among the key target communities for the UN Women project entitled Women for Equality, Peace and Development in Georgia, funded by the Government of Norway. The establishment and support of local self-help groups across Georgia is a core element of the community-level part of the project, carried out in partnership with Taso Foundation, a local NGO. Through social mobilization efforts, a total of 41 self-help groups have been formed in all target regions of the project. Via a small grants component, the groups have implemented projects to improve economic and social conditions for community members. Often, the initial project - the establishment of a library, the start-up of a small bee-keeping business or the renovation of a daycare center - serves as a stepping stone towards materializing larger visions for community development. Frequently, it is only the first in a sequence of projects the group embarks upon in collaboration with the local government.
The successful re-opening of the community house (which has already hosted its first puppet show for the children of the village) has led to greater aspirations for the self-help group in Damia. "Before, we thought we were just supposed to wait for the government to provide us with services. Now, we have realized that we can also be proactive and initiate dialogue with the government with regards to our needs", says one of the group members.
Said and done - the next project that has been agreed upon between the self-help group and the local government aims to establish a kindergarten. With the help of a small grant provided by UN Women and Taso Foundation, the group will renovate one room of a designated building and, upon completion, the local government has committed to refurbishing the rest of the facility and providing trained staff. The self-help group in Damia is one of many inspiring examples of how women’s empowerment, social mobilization and development go hand in hand.