Tag Archives: Georgia

Piglets Help Georgian Family Begin Small Farm

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Georgia Piglets

The Tsatsanahvili family of Eniseli village received two piglets from Heifer to begin a small farm. Photo by Maka Kapanadze, Project Assistant, Heifer Georgia

Famous for its unique grape species, the fertile village of Eniseli, Georgia, provides juicy and delicious grapes. But despite the potential of being one of the region’s top brandy producers, most people in Eniseli live in poverty. Most villagers are unemployed, and younger generations have left the community in search of work in the capital city of Tbilisi.

To combat these obstacles, Heifer International implemented the Assistance to Charity House Network in East Georgia project in 2010. The local organization working with Heifer to implement the project operates a network of charity houses and free canteens in the region. Heifer’s support has also allowed the organization to renovate its small hog farm. The animals supply daily food rations to the canteens, are sold to procure staple food items for the canteens, or are passed on to other project participants.

Vazha Tsatsanahvili lives in Eniseli with his wife Leila, three children and five grandchildren. Seasonal work in the vineyards cause the entire family to rely on Vazha’s daughter-in-law, who is a part-time laundress with a monthly income of about $35. Vazha and Leila often dream of running a small animal farm, but they would have to save for years before they could afford their first animal.

When the family received two piglets from Heifer, which are now big sows with offspring, their dream became a reality. Leila said thanks to Heifer, her family is enthusiastic about their future.

Rabbits Ensure a Better Life for Beso’s Large Family

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Story and Photos by: Marina Kazaryan, Project Assistant, Heifer Georgia

Kumisi is an average village in Georgia not far from Tbilisi. People here live, hope, labor and wish for a bright future, though circumstances are not always so favorable and they have to struggle. After establishing a Farmer Association, villagers discussed and eventually agreed to start rabbit farming with support from Heifer International. “When Heifer started the project in Kumisi, not everyone was convinced of its sustainability and usefulness,” said 31-year-old Beso Kakhelashvili. “However today, seeing how our households have expanded and how we keep developing, more and more people get involved.”

Beso received his rabbit family in a Passing on the Gift® (POG) ceremony from his neighbor Nodar. “Nodar’s family lives right next door to us. I could see how rapidly his farm grew and what benefits it brought to the family,” Beso said. “So, when the time came for the first POG in the village, I decided to join.” Ten four-month-old rabbits, two males and eight females, were the gifts that started what today is a successfully developing farm. 

Rabbit farming is not common in this region, so Beso and his fellow villagers had a lot to learn. Beso participated in trainings conducted by Heifer Georgia staff, featuring experts on Heifer’s 12 Cornerstones for Just and Sustainable Development, rabbit keeping, forage production, and other topics. Today, Beso happily shares the valuable knowledge he received to help others.

Beso’s large family includes his grandparents, parents, brother and sister-in-law, and their young children. Before Heifer, the family owned one cow and a few beehives, but this would hardly suffice for such a large family, especially with his grandparents’ pension as their only stable source of income. Their situation has changed considerably since then.

At the beginning of the project, the family’s diet was enriched with rabbit meat. As their rabbit population increased, they started selling the meat. The additional income allowed them to invest in home renovations to make it more comfortable for the large family. Now they stay toasty warm, even in winter, which is notoriously snowy in Georgia. They also are able to buy new clothes, medicine for Beso’s grandparents, and additional nutrition and vitamin supplements.

The Kakhelashvilis added cattle, turkeys and sheep to their farm, where Beso works with his parents. The day before our visit, the sheep gave birth to three lambs. The weather wasn’t particularly warm, so, to the delight of the children, Beso and his neighbor arranged for the lambs to stay inside. Next time we have young ones, I’ll get the shed appropriately prepared and arranged for any weather condition,” Beso said. “My income from the rabbit farm will give me the possibility to purchase all the necessary equipment.”

“The concept of ‘Passing on the Gift’ is very important,” Beso said. “Neighbors help each other, share with and take care of each other, and that creates a special bond. This is vital in the village’s life.” Beso has already continued this tradition, and in 2011 gave away 10 rabbits to another family. He says he’ll gladly do it again.

 

Cow Helps Georgia Family Heal after Armed Conflict

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Story and Photos by: Marina Kazaryan, Project Assistant, Heifer Georgia

Laura with her daughter Anano.

Laura with her daughter Anano.

Do you remember
The days of Karaleti,
The blue arch of mountains –
Unknown paradises?
~Galaktion Tabidze, Georgian poet

The village of Tkviavi is only 40 km away from Karaleti, so poetically described by Galaktion Tabidze, a famous Georgian poet. When Heifer Georgia first entered the region, the sky over the mountains was not so blue, but rather grey, both literally and figuratively. The armed Russia-Georgia conflict of August 2008 swept over the region and left the villages devastated.

“We had to hide in the fields for several days,” says Laura Kareli. “There was no one to take care of the cattle, and they just wandered away. We knew this was happening, but there was nothing we could do to stop them without endangering our lives.”

Like most families in the area, before the conflict, the Karelis were engaged in animal husbandry. When conditions changed, they had to adjust to the new environment. The family took up horticulture, requiring investments of fertilizer and equipment, which the family couldn’t afford. The harvest was poor and scarcely enough to provide a living for the family of seven.

When Laura’s husband Tamaz learned about Heifer’s project, he thought it was worth trying. The newly created association considered his case, and soon the Karelis had a new family member – a beautiful black cow. This was a turning point for the family. Their daily diet became enriched with milk and dairy products. With proper treatment, the cow started providing more milk, which the family sold to receive additional income. Their monthly income used to equal GEL (Georgian Lari) 150, or approximately $90. Today that amount has nearly tripled.

The Karelis improved their living conditions and paid for a connection to the central gas pipeline. Now, instead of a wood oven, they cook with a gas stove. Due to soggy firewood, which is expensive to begin with, and very little fuel, Laura used to spend a whole day cooking porridge for her children. “It was my dream to have gas to cook delicious food fast for my family. I have another dream – to have better heating in the house, since we have

Tsitsino takes care of the calf.

Tsitsino takes care of the calf.

very severe winters here, and there is not enough firewood to heat the entire house. We will try to save money from the sale of cheese and install gas heating also. Thank you for giving us a chance for a new and better life,” Laura said.

The Karelis’ cow delivered a calf, who lives with its mother in a shed. Both animals receive special care from Tamaz’s father Shota and mother Tsitsino. They look after the calf with great care and, in two years, will pass it on to another indigent family affected by the conflict.

Tamaz became an active member of the Farmers’ Association, and today he serves as its deputy chairman. Laura takes care of the household and their three children: sons Shota, 20, and Giga, 19, and daughter Anano, 4. Named after his grandfather, Shota Jr. is enlisted in the army. Both brothers want to continue their education. Anano attends kindergarten. She says the milk the cow produces is the best.

Wild Birds Improve Georgian Households

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Story and photos by Marina Kazaryan, project assistant, Heifer Georgia.

Pheasants.
As the legend has it, in the 5th centuryA.D. King Vakhtang I Gorgasali was hunting in the woods, when his falcon caughta pheasant. Fighting in the air, both birds fell into a spring nearby and diedbecause the water was boiling hot. Astonished by such unusual naturalphenomenon, King Vakhtang ordered to build a town around the hot springs. Thisis how Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, came to life. Ever since, pheasants wereconsidered almost as a symbol. However today they are not as easily found inthe natural habitat. So much more curious it is to learn that in a village ofTeleti several kilometers away from Tbilisi there is a farm breeding the wildbirds.

The Laliashvilis family.
The Laliashvilis are a family of six: Tengiz (40),his wife Ekaterine (37), daughters Teona (18) and Nino (3), son Giorgi (5) andhis mother Zhenia (68). Today they are owners of a developing pheasant farm,being a part of Heifer project. The beginning wasn’t easy though.

Since early youth Tengiz prepared himself for amilitary career. He completed the obligatory military service at 18, and eversince has been in the army serving all around the country. “We wouldn’t see himfor years sometimes”, says his wife Ekaterine. In the last military conflict severalyears ago Tengiz was wounded in the region of heart and was released fromservice. It was then that he decided to start a pheasant farm.

Pheasant breeding is quite an innovative branch ofagriculture in Georgia, Tengiz had to study the habits of the birds, experimentwith food and propagation. But several species that he owned were not enoughfor full-fledged farming. Family’s scarce income which was received fromselling incubators of his own construction could not cover costs for forage andveterinary needs.

Pheasants in the volary.
When Tengiz learned about Heifer International’sactivities in Georgia, he immediately decided to join. Here, as in everythingelse, his wife whom he has known since school days stood by his side. WithHeifer’s assistance Tengiz established a Farmers’ Association. Five originalfamilies got 15 “families” of pheasants, each consisting of one male and threefemales, as well as forage and additional training. “In a short period of timeI became quite a celebrity”, says Tengiz laughing. “People would hear about apheasant farm and come to see it, first from the neighboring villages and thenfrom more distant regions”. Some came as tourists but many got interested inthis new field.

Tengiz near the incubator.
This year Tengiz has already started the firststage of giving away nestlings in the Pass on Gift tradition of Heifer, andmeanwhile he is already preparing the second generation of receiving families,provides them with training in pheasant breeding and helps building incubators.“It’s a new area and people are eager to get involved because it opens up newopportunities”, explains Tengiz. When correctly treated, pheasants grow quitelarge, have tasty meat and are profitable for sale. Tengiz already has severaloffers for purchase of pheasants. He also wants to prepare a certain part ofbirds for wild nature and release them into their natural environment to restoretheir traditionally large but today considerably decreased population.

Laliashvili’s elder daughter Teona became a studentof pharmaceutics last year, and their son Giorgi will go to school in theautumn. Their living standards have considerably improved, today they can allowthemselves heating and better products. The family has purchased a computerwhich is used for children’s education and for collecting more information onpheasants breeding and treatment. Tengiz built a complex of open-air cageswhere pheasant families can breed. In spring he plans to lay out a gardenaround the cages.

Tengiz with his children, taking care of the birds.
And it is not only economical conditions that haveimproved with the beginning of the project. “When I returned home after theinjury, poor income and unemployment were torturing me”, remembers Tengiz. “Istarted having serious psychological problems. Today I simply have no time for depression”.Everyone in the family have their part in the farm’s everyday life, from theyounger kids to the elderly granny who is very fond of their new inhabitants.Pheasant breeding consumes enough labour, keeping the entire family occupied.Birds must be fed, cages cleaned, eggs collected and you always have to keep aneye on new families to make sure the breeding goes the right way and does notspoil the pedigree.

“After all the difficulties we’ve been through,this farm returned Tengiz to the family”, says Ekaterine. “We will always be gratefulto Heifer International for giving us this opportunity to develop ourinitiative and making us even more united”.

Turkey Time

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Happy Thanksgiving! Sure, it’s the most American of holidays, but the United States doesn’t have the corner on turkeys. In fact, Israelis eat the most turkey per person, usually spit-roasted from a shawarma stand or in schnitzel form. The United States comes in second, followed by Canada. Turkey consumption is ramping up in Brazil and Mexico, and it’s a traditional Christmas dish in El Salvador and other Central American countries.

Turkeys are native to North America, but Heifer International provides these plucky birds to families throughout Eastern Europe and Central America. Heifer turkeys are currently scratching around family farms in Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia and Mexico. And turkeys are incorporated into a large project in the Cahabon River Basin in Guatemala, where indigenous Q’eqchi families living in the cloud forest are raising turkeys, rabbits, worms and fruit trees.

One more fun thing about turkeys: If you see a pack of them, you could be boring and call it a “flock,” but we prefer the more colorful “gobble.”

Have a great holiday!

Visiting Families at the Highest Peaks of the Caucasus

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Steve Denne, Heifer International Chief Operating Officer, and Pietro Turilli, Vice President of Central and Eastern European programs, are visiting Heifer projects in Georgia. This post chronicles one day of travels in Georgia’s Svaneti region. 


by Medea Tsitskishvili, Heifer Georgia
Denne and  Turilli with Ana Elizbarashvili’s family, Svaneti, Georgia
Steve and Pietro visited the town of Mestia, Svaneti region—the highest inhabited area in the Europe—which is surrounded by 9,000-15,000-foot peaks. This highland region is one of the most beautiful in Georgia, but it is poor, remote and economic opportunities are limited. Heifer Georgia has recently started implementation of an ecotourism project there. 

The project provides horses and trainings for small-scale farmers to provide trekking services to local and international tourists. This is an important means for alternative income generation, as most families in Svaneti do not have regular salaries or dependable income. This creates a particular problem for families who traditionally depend on agriculture, as there are long periods in the year when they have no income. Relying on the land for income is further complicated by the fact that, until recently, Mestia was regularly isolated from the rest of the country by winter snows.

In the course of their visit, Steve and Pietro met with Zaur Chartolani, the project holder, as well as a number of project participants, who expressed their gratitude for Heifer’s work. Project participants explained that they are now able to earn between $400-$1,200 per season. The tourist season starts in May and ends in October. For most participants, this is their only cash income for the entire year.

For example, Levan Argvliani, 25, lives with his mother, who is a village’s school teacher, and his two younger brothers. He explained that he was very satisfied with the horse provided by Heifer’s project and expected to earn about $400 this season from others renting his horse and also through his alpine guide services. He intends to use a portion of this money to learn English, thereby improving his ability to interact with foreign tourists.

Ana Elizbarashvili, a mother of four children, explained that she hoped to earn more than $600 for this entire season from rental of her horse. Some of this money will be used to refurbish several rooms in her home that she then hopes to rent out to tourists. 

Steve and Pietro also met with George Tsavani in the village of Becho, who is also satisfied with the income from his Heifer provided horse, which he estimates at $400 for this season. Now he is able to save some money, which makes it possible for him to consider marriage as he has steady income. 

At the end of this long and interesting day the local community hosted the Heifer team for a traditional Svanetian feast. Needless to say, the food, company and folk singing were fantastic. We were honored to have this opportunity to share meal with the wonderful people of Mestia.

Heifer Georgia: Meet Our Team

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Steve Denne, Heifer International Chief Operating Officer, and Pietro Turilli, Vice President of Central and Eastern European programs, are visiting Heifer projects in Georgia. In the coming days we will share more about their visit, but we first want to introduce to our Georgian team. 


by Medea Tsitskishvili, Heifer Georgia


Heifer International has been working in Georgia since 1999, and has an independent office in the country since 2007. This is the fourth year of Heifer Georgia’s activities undertaken by a rather small but energetic and innovative team of five highly-dedicated, professional staff members.


George Murvanidze, Country Director
George Murvanidze has more than 20 years of experience in working with international organizations including  Save the Children, UNDP, CARE International, and USAID. He holds a Ph.D. in biology from Moscow State University and has taken various international training courses in agriculture production and marketing, project monitoring and evaluation, and community mobilization. Under his leadership, Heifer Georgia has made much progress in country program development. George is a member of Georgian National Animal Health Program Steering Committee, which is financially supported by USDA. The committee is lobbying animal health issues and livestock supporting programs.


Natalia Gambarashvili, Finance Administrator
Natalia Gambarashvili is responsible for the office and projects related to financial issues and reporting. This includes accounting, providing financial training and support to the project holders — monitoring their financial reports every three months, preparing tax and financial reports and at times assisting project holders in questions relating to their own tax reports. Natalia holds a university degree in English language and literature and has undergone various training courses in accounting to Georgian tax legislation, public management and project monitoring. Natalia joined Heifer Georgia in 2008, and previously worked in international organizations such as Mercy Corps and Save the Children.


Medea Tsitskishvili, Program Manager
Medea Tsitskishvili is responsible for ensuring smooth implementation of Heifer Georgia’s ongoing projects, project progress reporting and new project design and development. She is involved in communications with Heifer Georgia’s local and international partner organizations, field staff, and Heifer’s main headquarters. Medea holds a university degree in liberal arts and has undergone various international training programs in principles of international bookkeeping and tax law, agriculture development and management, and business English. Medea joined Heifer Georgia in 2007, but she has been involved in Heifer activities in Georgia since 2003.


Ramaz Giorgobiani, Project Coordinator/Trainer
Ramaz Giorgobiani coordinates projects and training operations in Heifer Georgia. He holds a Ph.D. in agronomy and is a qualified agricultural specialist. Ramaz joined Heifer Georgia in January 2008 and previously worked in other international organizations including Save the Children. He has undertaken various trainings in community mobilization, seed production, animal feeding, veterinary, general management, business planning and advocacy.


Kakha Kebuladze, Heifer Georgia Field Assistant/Monitor
Kakhaber Kebuladze is responsible for program monitoring procedures and all logistics. Kakhaber holds a University degree in Economics and as a retired Financial Lieutenant Colonel is in charge of security issues. Kakhaber joined Heifer Georgia in January 2008. Prior to joining the Heifer Georgia team, he worked as an office manager in other international organizations such as CARE International. 

Heifer Georgia: Creating Hope Through Market Access

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Steve Denne, Heifer International Chief Operating Officer, and Pietro Turilli, Vice President of Central and Eastern European programs, are visiting Heifer projects in Georgia. In the coming days we will share more about their visit, but first we want to share this overview of our work there.  


by Medea Tsitskishvili, Heifer Georgia

At present Heifer Georgia is implementing 18 projects in seven regions of Georgia and is assisting smallholder farmers in attaining improved nutrition and an increased and sustainable income by pursuing value-added activities and scaling up their operations. This assistance comes in various forms through providing high-quality plants and animals (heifers, horses, goats, sows, rabbits, poultry, and bee-hives) to improve production levels, providing trainings and equipment for micro-enterprises, promoting community development and sustainable agricultural techniques.

During its short lifespan, Heifer Georgia has developed a diversified project portfolio and established valuable partnerships with both local and international development organisations, such as GRM International, HEKS EPER, The Embassy of Japan, Polish Aid, Care International, Agro-Service Georgia.

Heifer Georgia was the first organisation that introduced industrial broiler hybrid breeds of turkeys and geese in Georgian agriculture and supported establishment of women-led poultry enterprises, thereby providing a unique opportunity to women to create a profitable business with access to good markets for geese and turkeys in the area. Heifer Georgia also started a project aimed at rebuilding the rabbit breeding industry in East Georgia through the establishment of three commercial rabbit breeding centers, encouraging sustainable small-scale rabbit farming for local people with the end result being profit generation.

Since July 2011, Heifer Georgia has employed “Market for Poor” (M4P) methodology and has focused on value-added market chain development projects, introducing functional linkage between suppliers, producers and final markets, supporting poor primary producers to enter markets.