January-February 2013
IN THIS ISSUE:
Interest-free loans were issued to 53 additional beneficiaries In January and February 2013, 53 benefici-
Meeting between CHCA representatives and the Mayor of Poti City
aries were issued interest-free loans amounting to 50.760 GEL in the framework of the pro-
The Governor of Shida Kartli Mr. Andro Barnovi paid a visit to CHCA Gori office
ject “Income Generation and Business Support Initiative”. In the scope of this loan cycle 96
IDP youth against unemployment
loan applications were received in total and out of them 81 beneficiaries were selected to
CHCA has been implementing a new project since January
attend business trainings foreseen within the framework of the project. During the training, participants were familiarized with topics such as: business management, effective management of loan, preparing business proposals, etc. At the end of the training each participant presented a business plan and the authors of
IDPs were delivered a training on the topic of “legal aspects for establishing Homeowners’/Tenants’ Associations” Maintenance teams are successfully carrying out the maintenance of the common property EVS Coordinators paid a visit to CHCA Tbilisi and Zugdidi offices
the most viable business proposals – 53 beneficiaries in total – were issued interest-free
CHCA is hosting a new EVS volunteer
loans after the decision of the Loan Committee.
CHCA at the working meeting organized by the Small Group Homes Association
At present loan recipients are already successfully running their business activities and they earn stable income.
CHCA participated in the meeting for charity organizations in Batumi Ms. Roza has already had a colony of bees for
sion Director, Mr. Roy Plucknett, and other
four years and she proceeded with the repro-
USAID representatives observed the implemen-
duction of the bee families seasonally. When
tation process of the projects being conducted
she heard about the CHCA’s project “Income
within the framework of the USAID NEO pro-
Ms. Roza Abdelani is from Sokhumi and
Generation and Business Support Initiative”
gram on spot. The event consisted in visiting
lives today in Kutaisi together with her hus-
Ms. Roza decided to apply to the organization
the beneficiaries of the CHCA’s “Income Gen-
band and 3 children. The family decided to
with the aim of receiving an interest-free loan.
eration and Business Support Initiative” project
start their own business activity of honey pro-
After attending the business training, Ms. Roza
in Karaleti IDP Settlement. USAID representa-
duction as nobody was employed in the family.
was issued an interest-free loan of the amount
tives visited the beneficiaries being issued in-
of 1800 GEL after the decision of the Loan
terest-free loans under this project, observed
Committee. With this financial help, she pur-
their income generation activities and were in-
chased new colonies of bees and expanded her
troduced to the problems they encountered
business activity which is the only income of
while running the business activities as well as
the family.
their achievements.
CHCA continues to support income generation activities among IDPs and other vulnerable populations
USAID representatives visited CHCA’s Income Generation project loan recipients On February the 27th the USAID Deputy Mis-
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Meeting between CHCA representatives and the Mayor of Poti City On February the 27 th CHCA representatives met with the Mayor of Poti City, Mr. David Sarsania. The meeting aimed at exchanging information and discussing the possibilities for future collaboration. CHCA thanked the Mayor for his active involvement in the ongoing project “Youth Civic Partnership Initiative” and introduced him to the organization’s interests regarding the new IDP settlement in Poti. Mr. David Sarsania in turn introduced CHCA representatives to the Poti City Hall’s future plans towards the
With the aim of solving the mentioned problem the project’s working group members delivered training sessions on career planning to the pupils of Poti public schools #4, #6 and #11. The training familiarized the participants with topics such as: CV writing, presentation skills and communication. Great interest was expressed towards this activity by the adolescents that resulted in the extension of this element throughout other schools as well. The event was attended by the guests from Tbilisi: The Project Manager and CHCA EVS volunteer. At the end of the training, all the participants were awarded with certificates .
youth development as well as the infrastructural development of the new settlement. In their conclusions, the participants emphasized the importance and the necessity of future cooperation and
CHCA has been implementing a new project since January
agreed to hold these kinds of meetings permanently.
The Governor of Shida Kartli Mr. Andro Barnovi paid a visit to CHCA Gori office On February the 14 th the Governor of Shida Kartli, Mr. Andro Barnovi, paid a visit to CHCA Gori office. CHCA Acting Executive Director and CHCA Gori office Manager introduced the Governor to CHCA’s mission, main activities
Since January 2013 CHCA is implementing the project “Developing and Maintaining Homeowners’ and Tenants’ Associations for Internally Displaced Persons” in the framework of the USAID NEO program which is the continuation of the last year’s project of the same name. This year the project covers an even wider geographical area: Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Imereti and Samegrelo. The main aim of the project is to establish Homeowners’ (HOA) and Tenants’ Associations (TA) and the maintenance teams for ensuring the proper maintenance of the common property.
and its ongoing projects. Mr. Andro Barnovi in turn presented his
Throughout the implementation of the project 28 HOAs
own vision for the region's development and spoke about the im-
will be established in IDP collective centers and 9 TAs in
portance and the necessity of implementation of long-term pro-
IDP cottage type settlements; in total 1800 IDPs will be in-
jects.
volved in that HOA/TAs. The members of the associations will be trained in sustainable housing and infrastructure
IDP youth against unemployment
maintenance in order to provide them with the required skills and knowledge. In the scope of the project, trainings
On February the 27 th CHCA project beneficiaries gave presenta-
will also be delivered to 20 government officials in housing
tions on the topic of unemployment and the ways for supporting
services. By the end of the project, HOA/TAs will prepare
employment processes in the new IDP settlement in Poti City. The
business proposals with the help of CHCA with the aim of
research carried out by them revealed that 80% of IDPs and local
acquiring further financing and developing their own in-
populations are unemployed and the main reason for this is the
come generation activities.
lack of jobs. The absence of appropriate skills and information among job-seekers was also revealed to be one of the main reasons preventing employment.
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IDPs were delivered a training on the topic of “legal aspects for establishing Homeowners’/Tenants’ Associations” Since February CHCA began to deliver trainings to the target IDP communities on the topic of “legal aspects for establishing
Homeowners’/
Tenants’ Associations” in the framework of the project “Developing and Maintaining Homeowners’ and Tenants’ Associations”. Until today 16 train-
in Rustavi collective centre on Tbilisi str. #28 has built
a rain
cover in front of the building protecting it from the rain water after
receiving
profes-
sional toolkits. They have also installed water and gas heaters. One of the main
problems
of
the
mentioned collective centre was the lack of individual water meters. The chairman of the association applied to the Rustavi Municipality to solve this problem.
ings were organized in Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Imereti
The feedback was positive and individual meters were in-
and Samegrelo IDP collective centers and settlements and were
stalled for each family. One other problem of the association is
attended by 419 participants in total. The participants are intro-
the basement of the building, which is full of water and re-
duced with the important issues such as: the essence and pur-
quires cleaning up and a drainage installation. For this specific
pose of the association, its advantages and the legal aspects for
purpose the association will collect a certain amount of money
its establishment and operation.
from the residents of the building and the chairman of the asso-
As a result of the training, IDPs will be provided with all the necessary skills for establishing the HOA/TAs ensuring the proper maintenance of the common property afterwards. It should also be emphasized that during the training, participants revealed the problematic issues on which the associations will
ciation will also apply to the Rustavi Municipality for further financial assistance. The maintenance team is also actively negotiating with one of the construction companies to employ it on one of the construction sites. 10% of the income gained will go into the associations’ reserve fund.
work in the future. In total 60 trainings will be organized in the framework of the project.
EVS Coordinators paid a visit to CHCA Tbilisi and Zugdidi offices On February the 22 nd and 23 rd a group of EVS coordinators
Maintenance teams are successfully carrying out the maintenance of the common property
paid a visit to CHCA Zugdidi and Tbilisi offices as part of a study visit called “EVS Argonauts” organized by SALTO EECA Resource Centre for EVS coordinators to Armenia and Georgia.
The maintenance teams established within the framework of the project – “Developing and Maintaining Homeowners’ and Tenants’ Associations for Internally Displaced Persons” – are successfully carrying out the maintenance of the common property and the results of their work is already evident. The Homeowners
Association “Hope for the Future” established
The visitors were introduced to CHCA’s ongoing activities and the working environment of the EVS volunteer; got interested in the organization’s current and already implemented projects and discussed the ways for future cooperation and the possibilities of implementing joint projects.
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presented at the meeting, and were discussed afterwards by
CHCA is hosting a new EVS volunteer
the participants. On January the 5 th a new
EVS
Anita
volunteer, van
den
Brandhof, arrived in
The representatives of the service providers, international organizations, the Social Agency of the Ministry of Labour Health and Social Affairs of Georgia and psychologists
at-
tended the meeting .
Georgia. She will be working
at
CHCA
Tbilisi office and will stay in Georgia until
CHCA participated in the meeting for charity organizations in Batumi
June. On February the 14 th, the meeting for charity organizations Anita is from the
organized by the Civil Society Institute and the East-West
Netherlands and after
Management Institute was held in Batumi at the Democratic
graduating from the
Engagement Center. CHCA actively participated in it.
University of Amsterdam she has chosen to come to Georgia to gain professional experience and get familiairized with the
The meeting aimed at discussing the legislative gaps that
Georgian culture and traditions. Anita is already actively
prevent the functioning of the charity organizations and that
involved in the organization's activities. While working on
in general prevent charity development in Georgia. These
fundraising and reporting issues, Anita is also actively
types of meetings will be held in the future as well for the
participating in field visits observing the projects’ ongoing
joint discussion on the mentioned problematic issues and for
activities on the spot. Anita is especially interested in the
finding the best solutions .
socio-economic living conditions of IDPs and hopes to make a useful contribution to the work of CHCA.
CHCA at the working meeting organized by the Small Group Homes Association CHCA participated in a working meeting organized by the “Small Group Homes Association” at the Ambassador Hotel. The results of the research carried out in Small Group Homes to identify the existing needs and requirements were
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