A favourite thing turned into a business: Pikria Kotorashvili’s new life
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Pikria Kotorashvili, 40, lives in the village of Matani in Akhmeta Municipality. At one time, she intended to become a lawyer, but she got married while still a student and could not continue her studies. From then on, Pikria’s daily life revolved around family affairs and taking care of her children, until two years ago when her life radically changed.
A friend of hers told her that in Akhmeta, a free tailoring course was running with the help of the Sakartvelo Regional Empowerment Foundation (SREF, formerly known as the Kakheti Regional Development Foundation), and after the end of the current session, they were intending to accept new applicants.
“At that time, I had my mother-in-law’s old sewing machine at home,” Pikria recalls. “I used to alter and remake things. I also loved both sewing and embroidery, so I immediately went to Akhmeta, applied for the course and received funding.”
She soon got to know fellow village women involved in the social mobilization component of the UN Women project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus”, with which SREF partners. Pikria joined a self-help group and started advocating for the needs of her own village, Matani. After six months, when she completed the cutting and sewing courses, Pikria submitted a grant project proposal with the help of the group’s members, obtained some funding, bought two sewing machines and started receiving orders.
SREF, with the support of UN Women, has been providing professional training for local women in Kakheti, financing entrepreneurial initiatives, activating women and engaging them in social mobilization since 2019.
The second phase of the project, during which Pikria was one of the participants, started in 2021. Since that period, 96 women have completed tailoring and cooking courses, and 118 women launched entrepreneurial activities. Among their business initiatives, the most prevalent are those in agriculture, cattle breeding, dairy-product production and guesthouses. Cutting and sewing services are also popular.
“I get a lot of orders: Kindergartens, schools and dance studios often need uniforms,” Pikria says. “I wouldn’t be able to do it without funding and machines.”
Needlework is, at the same time, a hobby for her. In the evenings, when the women of the village gather, Pikria joins them with her needlework. She is usually so busy with sewing that sometimes the sound of her sewing machine can be heard until late at night. If the product is of high quality and the customer is satisfied, she spares neither material nor time.
“I was busy with only my family routine for so many years,” Pikria reflects. “I didn’t work anywhere, and suddenly, I got an opportunity to do what I love and earn some income with it. Imagine how much happiness this chance has brought me. I have my own money, and I can spend it on whatever I want. Look, I have just bought a TV! My husband was going to buy it, but I decided to surprise him and got it instead. The more time that passes, the more encouraged I become to think of new things—and also to set an example for other women.”
Pikria has already prepared funding applications to realize her plans: She wants to take an additional six-month course, improve her sewing, buy an embroidery machine, further diversify her orders and employ other women too. Her community project is also awaiting funding: The members of the self-help group currently meet at one another’s homes, so they want to find a meeting place and buy the technical equipment they need with the money received.
The UN Women regional project “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” is implemented in partnership with the Sakartvelo Regional Empowerment Foundation, with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Austrian Development Agency (ADA).