care/caucasus annual report 2010

Connecting Farmers to Markets

EMCI

CARE International in the Caucasus49b Chavchavadze Avenue, 3rd fl oor,

Tbilisi, 0162, GeorgiaTel: (995 32) 291941/291531/291378

Fax: (995 32) 294307

www.care-caucasus.org.ge

PATHWAYS out of Poverty

PATHWAYS OUT OF

POVERTY

The annual report was produced by PR and Communications Department of CARE International in the Caucasus.

Production Coordinator:

Salome Odisharia

Copy Editor:

Jeff Morski

Writer/Editor:

Ketevan Khachidze

Writers:

Tamara Sartania

Maia Giorbelidze

Maia Kobakhidze

Photo Credits:

Maia Giorbelidze

Gela Bedianashvili

Keta Akhobadze

Maia Kobakhidze

Sergo Tsurtsumia

Design/layout:

Evgenia Khidasheli

Print:

Ragtime Ltd

With appreciation to many members of CARE’s staff for their contributions to this publication.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect the views of the donor organisations.

STRENGTHENING WOMEN for PEACE

Annual Report 2010CARE International in the Caucasus

2 | Annual Report 2010

• Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC)• BP and its co-venturers in Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC),

South Caucasian Pipeline (SCP) and Georgian Pipeline Companies (GPC)

• The European Union (EU)• The Howard G. Buffett Foundation • The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs• Swiss Agency for Development

and Cooperation (SDC)• The United Nations High Commissioner for

Refugees (UNHCR)

Our development and post-confl ict rehabilitation projects implemented in 2010 were generously supported by:

THANK YOU to OUR

DONORS!

Swiss Agency for Developmentand Cooperation SDC

Schweizerische EidgenossenschaftConfédération suisseConfederazione SvizzeraConfederaziun svizra

4 - Opening Remarks

5 - Our Vision/Mission

6 - Adopting a Programme Approach

26 - Post-Emergency RehabilitationFor some the war is over, for others it never stopped.

CARE is helping confl ict-affected communities to speed

up recovery.

36 - Business Start Up/WomenCARE’s model of business start-up grants is unlocking the

economic potential of women to help pull them and their

communities out of poverty.

38 - Projects at a Glance

40 - Map of CARE Activities

42 - Financial Information

43 - Human Interest Stories

CONTENTS:7 Good Governance

CARE strives to improve governance mechanisms to reduce vulnerability of the rural poor and enhance their living conditions and opportunities.

13 Civil SocietyCivil society is an

essential vehicle for driving social change and reducing poverty. Learn how CARE supports the development of civil society.

17 Confl ict Prevention/

SecurityCARE is working with women in confl ict-affected regions across the South Caucasus to enable them to take a leading role in decision-making and address the needs of their communities.

29 Economic Development/

MarketsLearn how our economic interventions are trying to boost the incomes of rural poor.www.care-caucasus.org.ge


OPENING REMARKS

Today, poverty is a reality for the major-ity of people living in the South Caucasus and one which pre-cludes and prevents them from lives of self-suffi ciency and self-fulfi llment.

At CARE, we are looking into the future, a decade from now, and picturing the South Caucasus experiencing an era free of confl ict with poverty greatly reduced and rural communities experiencing newfound vibrancy and resilience. These are the aspirations of poor and marginalised communities and are too important to leave for later – we must begin to work towards this future now.

In view of this picture, CARE is asking questions. What will it take to achieve lasting change in the South Caucasus? How can we join with others who also share this vision? What roles should CARE play in the South Caucasus? Who will be strategic partners?

By answering these questions and taking action, pathways out of poverty will take shape and provide direction for poor and marginalised communities to reach their vision of a better future.

April 2011 marks the beginning of my journey with CARE International in the Caucasus region. I am delighted to be here in this fascinating, beautiful, and diverse region. I very much look forward to working with you and thank you for your contribu-tions to ending poverty and marginalisation in the South Caucasus.

Thomas ReynoldsMission DirectorCARE International in the Caucasus

CARE is proud of the achievements gained with partners and benefi ciary communities over 20 years in the South Caucasus in supporting human dignity by helping poor and marginalised people to improve their access to opportunities, basic services and rights.

Poverty threatens the entire South Caucasus region on a scale that remains truly daunting. In Georgia alone, over

one quarter of the population – 1 million people – live below the offi cial poverty line, with a similar additional number estimated to be at risk owing to their marginal existence. For these families, an illness or injury, reduced employment or a failed harvest can push them into an impoverished state from which it is then hard to recover.

CARE’s response to these challenges faced by so many men, women and children in the Caucasus remains focused on efforts to speed up post-confl ict recovery which seek to bring sustainable improvements to people’s lives.

In Karaleti, Georgia, CARE helped Maia, a woman who had been displaced by confl ict, to establish a small business in the shape of a beauty salon. Maia’s own efforts helped lift her family out of poverty and is just one example how CARE’s intervention touches the lives of many vulnerable people. CARE’s business-start-up grants have empowered hundreds of other women in recent years to overcome societal barriers and unlock their economic potential.

Our best efforts – even in close collaboration with benefi ciaries and partners – are not themselves enough to overturn totally the challenge of poverty without addressing the causes which underlie the problem. Only by also working regionally and strategically, with budget holders and decision makers to achieve changes in policies can we hope to support people to bring real and lasting improvements to their own lives.

CARE’s efforts in the Caucasus demonstrate very ably this highly successful approach and our continuing commitment to the communities with which we partner.

Gareth RichardsRegional DirectorCARE | Middle East and Eastern Europe

Opening REMARKS

Annual Report 2010 | 5

2010YEAR HIGHLIGHTS

OUR MISSION:Our mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities of the Caucasus. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and advocate for responsibility.

We seek a world of hope, tolerance and social justice, where poverty

has been overcome and people live in

dignity and security.

OUR VISION:

• CARE’s water supply and sanitation projects provided access to clean water to over 6,700 people.

• 192 families started small businesses of various profiles last year. More than 85% of them are run by women.

• Around 150 government officials participated in CARE’s initiatives in-volving capacity-building measures, cross-border visits, workshops and fairs.

• Over 43,400 people benefi ted from CARE’s social and economic infra-structure rehabilitation initiatives.

• Over 10,000 people affected by the war in August 2008 received approxi-mately 4,800 cubic meters of fire wood as part of CARE’s post-confl ict rehabilitation efforts.

• Over 8,000 farmers benefited from various agricultural services, consul-tation and farmer-to-farmer learning initiatives.


Adopting a ProgrammeApproach

The new approach was originally presented at the Istanbul Programme Approach Launch meeting in April 2008 but CARE in the Cauca-sus’s own process was delayed by the August War 2008. In the period following, however, the shift has proceeded rapidly.

In 2009In June, the Country Offi ce launched fi eldwork activities for a survey exploring the underlying causes of poverty(UCP) which focused on Georgia but also cov-ered Armenia and Azerbaijan. The UCP Study was fi nalised in October.

In 2010

• The Country Offi ce designed the basis for a programme based upon the UCP analysis.

• At a workshop in January, which involved senior project staff and SMT members, the Country Offi ce elaborated and fi nalised the programme design. A subsequent workshop in October focused upon how to operationalise the programme.

• A Programme Team was formed in the Country Offi ce in order to provide a core team of staff which will promote the pro-gramme approach within the offi ce and provide an impetus to take it forward.

• In November 2010, an Action Plan was developed (including proposals for organisational change) to ensure en-gagement and buy-in of the majority of staff, especially those of programme support, into the process. The Action Plan also envisions some shift in fundraising strategy which will focus upon looking for resources which will move the programme forward and complement the existing projects whilst increasing efforts at pri-vate sector engagement.

LOOKING FORWARD:• The Country Offi ce will consider building

an impact monitoring system for the pro-gramme based on the key ‘models’ around which it will look to build evidence and institutionalise it more broadly.

• The Country Offi ce will also move forward with an internal reorganisation which would involve the creation of three teams: one for implementing the programme, another for programme development and learning and the third for programme sup-port. This would mainly entail a reor-ganisation of the way in which different projects report and operate together.

Programme Goal: Rural Poverty, vulner-ability and social in-justice in the South Caucasus decreased and conditions for sustainable devel-opment improved, thereby contribut-ing to stability and peace in the region.

Four domains

of CARE’s intervention: governance, civic society, confl ict prevention/secu-rity and market linkage/market responsiveness.

Impact groups: Rural households with income below the poverty line and at risk of falling below, people in remote locations cut off from markets and basic ser-vices and or vulnerable to environmental risks, people affected by or vulner-able to political hazards (confl ict, closed borders), young women and men aged 18-25 on or below the poverty line and the socially marginalised poor.

CARE International in the Caucasus embarked on the path to a programme approach two years ago and the process is gaining momentum more actively lately. Whilst we stay committed to fulfi lling our projects, the programme approach implies clustering them with other initiatives to form longer-term programmatic commitments to changing the enabling environment, social positions and human conditions of marginalised groups. The rationale behind the programme approach is that compared to projects it allows a more cost-effective change for achieving greater and measurable impact of CARE’s work at scale.

ADOPTING a Approach

Programme



Good Governance is essential for the development of initiatives needed for rural poverty reduction. The improvement of governance mechanisms reduces vulnera bility of the rural poor

Geographic coverage: Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli - in Georgia, Tavush, Lori, Shirak - in Armenia.

Direct benefi ciaries: Over 150 government offi cials

Activities: Capacity-building measures, cross-border visits, workshops, fairs.

FACT SHEET

and enhances their living conditions and opportun ities.


GOOD GOVERNANCE


Governance affects everyone but weak governance hurts the poor most of all. With a failure to provide basic services to people and a disregard for their needs and concerns, weak governance may exacerbate poverty, inequality and social injustice.

Despite nearly two decades of reforms, good governance

remains elusive in all three South Caucasian states. Whilst

Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan show mixed performance

within their processes of transition, the challenges they

face are similar:

• Governance remains rather centralised leaving little

scope for local government to make independent

decisions;

• People’s participation in policy planning is minimal due

to lack of co-operation and involvement between civil

society and local government;

• Local governance bodies are institutionally weak, lack

funding and cannot provide adequate public services.

GOOD GOVERNANCE



Shoring up Local Governance

Over 150 government offi cials from the Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe Javakheti, Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions partici-pated in trainings to improve their competences, learn how to man-age resources, implement gender-sensitive policies and incorporate people’s opinion during planning process.

In Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, the trainings resulted in municipal development plans for four municipalities which will de-termine pro-poor policies in this region for the next three years.

In the Tsageri and Lentekhi mu-nicipalities, the trainings and con-sultancy helped produce diagnos-tic reports for fi ve villages which detail the available resources and priorities for their municipalities based upon people’s surveys and local NGO recommendations.

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. But will alone is not enough for knowing the right way to get the right results. The offi cials in local-self governance bodies need the knowledge, skills and capacities to develop policies which will equally benefi t the whole population.

Seeing is believing. Seeing how good governance works in practice, public offi cials are

able to replicate successful models and adopt best practices. some 50 offi cials from Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti toured the Guria, Samtskhe-Javakheti and

Kakheti regions to learn more from their experienced peers. Five offi cials from this

region were also selected to travel to Latvia in order to become more familiar with

regional development policy.

“It was all about new knowledge and new experience.

Seeing the work of our Latvian colleagues in practice showed us

the results of rural development planning based upon tested

methodologies in which people’s participation and communication

with the central government are key.” - Mamuka Letodiani, study

tour participant, Chairman of Tsageri Sakrebulo.

SHORING UP LOCAL

GOVERNANCE

GOOD GOVERNANCE


Over 40 civil society members from Georgia and Armenia had an opportunity to share their concerns and priorities for cross-border co-operation and rural livelihood issues with their government members at a joint workshop in Tbilisi as concerns the countries’ bordering regions. The workshop also featured a presentation of a comprehensive study on cross-border co-operation and respective recommendations were submitted to the central government structures, including Ministry of Economic and Sustainable Development of Georgia and Georgian-Armenian Inter-governmental Commission on Economic Co-operation.

The Racha Support Group contributes to lobbying and advocacy at the national level and provides a vehicle for promoting dialogue between various levels of government. It includes over 40 offi cials from the central government and local municipalities, businessmen and partner NGOs. Based upon one of its interventions, central government offi cials agreed to conduct landscape planning study which will prevent poor farmers from paying higher land taxes.

SPEAKING in VOICE

a SINGLERecognising that

advocacy works when groups speak

in a single voice, CARE partnered with the EU, UNICEF

and the USAID missions in Georgia to organise a conference on Poverty in Georgia: Causes,

Features and Responses.The workshop was the fi rst-ever

event which brought together all the major stakeholders – senior

government offi cials, donor organisations and civil society

members – to discuss and analyse the issue of poverty

in Georgia.


Identifying what has worked

and what has not, exchanging

experiences and knowledge with

policy-makers is important in

making a difference for the people

we work for.

In Shida Kartli CARE conducts regular information-sharing

meetings with the local government to better identify and

respond to the needs of the displaced population.

“It is useful to learn from an NGO having vast experience

in development work to see what it does to help the

displaced population. Working together towards a

shared goal for making life better will have benefi ts for

the whole region.” - Lado Vardzelashvili, then Shida

Kartli Governor.

Following a visit by high-ranking government offi cials to Racha, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure of Georgia will support social economic development plans and set up a Regional Council at the Governor’s Offi ce. The council will have a consultative function and be composed of the members of local self-government, ministries and civil society.

“With this initiative, the Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure, in fact, applied the model of municipal planning developed under the CARE International project for implementation at the regional level.” - Davit Melua, Chairman of the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG).

By the recommendation of CARE’s partner, the National Association of Local Authorities of Georgia (NALAG), the Ambrolauri municipality will commit GEL 27,000 from its 2011 budget to create a digital version of a natural resources plan for the town of Ambrolauri. The plan which comprises detailed information on forestry, water and soil quality, amongst others, provides potential investors with valuable information with which to make informed decisions about projects in the region.

Working TOGETHER

GOOD GOVERNANCE



WorkinToge

Joint efforts of local government and civil society in Kvemo Svaneti produced the commitment of EUR 5,500 from the local budgets in the Tsageri and Lentekhi municipalities to co-fund three community poverty reduction projects which included rebuilding roads in two remote villages in the area and building a medical laboratory

which will benefi t more than 2,400 people. The region is separated from the rest of Georgia by mountainous roads which are diffi cult to traverse in winter. Repaired roads can increase market access for the local farmers and the recently built outpatient facility will help save lives during times of emergency.

“Life is easier, now, with the new road. Before, it took hours to get to where you were going and there was always the danger of landslides and falling stones. Less time. Less worry. Less troubles. The government listened to our problems.” - Papuna, from the village of Okureshi, Tsageri Municipality.

Working Together

Nino, 13, from the village of Tsereteli, Marneuli region, never thought that her actions could have an impact upon an entire community. For several weeks during the summer, she carried buckets of water to help with a construction project which turned an unoffi cial garbage dump in her village into a garden. Children even younger than her helped to collect stones, plant trees and paint bright-green benches. By working together, the people of Marneuli created a new public space which has become a favourite of the children of diverse ethnic backgrounds and neighbouring villages.

In the region of Kvemo Kartli, working

collaboratively with the local government

resulted in co-funding from the Marneuli municipality for the construction of a

playground and a town square which supports civil

integration within this ethnically diverse community

and the establishment of multi-level socio-economic

interaction links in the region.

CONFLICT PREVENTION/SECURITY

WER Many

To have their voice reach the government and

become more active agents in the deci-sions which affect their welfare, people need to work together. The pathway to a vibrant civil society is long but an active civil society is an essential vehi-

cle for driving social change and

reducing poverty. Civil society can connect a wider network of people and interests into a participatory democracy, help groups of individuals pool or manage resources so that they are used more effectively, provide services together with a network for information dissemination.

Civil SocietyPower of Many

FACT SHEETGeographic coverage: Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti, Kvemo Kartli, Shida Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti - in Georgia; Tavush, Lori, Shirak - in Armenia.

Direct benefi ciaries: 79 Civil Society organisations.

Activities: Advocacy, coalition building and networking, capacity-building measures, small grants.


TEAMING UP AND BRANCHING OUT

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) can play a vital role in advocating for pro-poor policies or general social goals but signifi cant and long-term efforts are required before they can infl uence policies.

Promoting and creating an environment for networking and coalition helps civil society organisations identify priority issues. CARE and its partners conducted trainings and workshops in advocacy which pinpointed waste management, green-ing Armenia, livestock vaccination and awareness-raising on border-crossing pro-cedures as the top advocacy issues for 2011. In parallel, a study visit and a joint trade fair were organised for CBOs in the Georgian and Armenian border regions to strengthen links and explore opportunities for future mutual co-operation. Collabo-rative interaction through regular meetings with local self-governance bodies and CSOs in Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti, Georgia, and Tavush-Lori and Shirak, Armenia, works to ensure that local development projects have the required munici-pal funds for their implementation.

More and more people in rural communities in the South Caucasus are joining community-based organisations. Despite the trend, civil society – especially in the rural areas – remains in a fl edgling state. Within an environment of low participation and low trust, civil society organisations have found it extremely diffi cult to organise or maintain themselves, particularly outside of the capitals.

• Local Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and NGOs have little institutional capacity to act as advocacy groups;

• They have a lack of information and understanding about their own potential as well as existing opportunities;

• Citizens in the regions lack confi dence that their voice will be heard.



Through proposal writing and business management trainings and mentoring, CARE works at forging an evolution of CBOs into social enterprises which will enable their sustainability well after the project lifetime. 41 members from 14 CBOs attended train-ings which produced the development of ten project proposals including the provision of minibus services, agricultural groups

and the setting up of cow farms.

In Kotelia, Samtskhe-Javakheti region, 15 families are able to cultivate 42 hectares of swamp land and 14 more are saved from fl ooding following the repair of a drainage system implemented by a local CBO.

In the disaster-prone region of Racha, CARE is helping a local civil society organisation to try and build

environmental awareness amongst the youth. Two trainings for teachers and NGOs in the region have already resulted in the establishment of eco-clubs at the local schools. To build a culture of prevention amongst peo-ple and encourage participatory, community-based methods for

disaster preparedness, our partner NGOs provided training for teachers and staff of local NGOs. Subsequently, pilots were already implemented in the communities of Chrebalo and Sadmeli in Racha.

MANAGING LOCAL RESOURCES and Providing SERVICESCivil society has the ability to provide services which make for concrete results. In Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti, local CBOs mobilised resources to recon-struct six irrigation channels, two potable water pipelines, two cattle troughs and a

road which will benefi t 3,853 families.

Eka, 34, of the village of Kotishi, Kvemo Kartli region, was always fearful of the sound of run-

ning water. An irrigation channel, running along the side of her house, was in a state of serious

disrepair which meant that her basement fl ooded whenever the neighbours watered their land plots.

Inside the house, mould started to grow on the walls which caused serious health problems for her and her family. Things improved, however, in the summer. A CBO in her village wrote a project pro-posal and received funding to repair the channel.

CIVIL SOCIETY


CARE empowered six different NGOs in Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli to become agents of change for local and IDP communities. From football matches to fi lm screenings, from debates about peace to youth forums, from educational trips to exhibitions and from computer trainings to sewing classes, the efforts of these NGOs were amazingly diverse in nature and full of creativity. All of these people came together to heal the wounds affected by the war whilst encouraging the local

community to embrace its new members. Over 800 young people were directly involved in the activities. Another 23 NGOs in the same region were trained in proposal writing with hundreds more people being able to reap the benefi ts from the work of NGOs in 2011.

“It lasted for only seven months, but I acquired a lifetime of knowledge. The resource centre taught me so many things I did not know before like how to make pres-entations, basic computer skills and other learning exercises which made taking our math tests at school so much easier. Enter-ing the place meant to leave all your prob-lems behind.”- Nino, age 15, participant of Association Biliki’s resource centre in Gori, Shida Kartli.

Making Them STRONGER

• CARE’s partners trained ten CSOs in gender main-streaming to ensure that they understand the Georgian legislation from a gender perspective, promote gender equality within their organisations and see that their activities create opportunities for women and men alike. As a result, each organisa-tion adopted a gender equality policy paper.

• CARE established a resource centre in Tsageri which provides free internet access for CBOs and trains their members on how to handle fi nances, write project proposals, attract funding and liaise with

donors so that they remain functional well after the

project lifetime.

• A total of 79 NGOs underwent various trainings in pro-ject management, business management, organisational capacity and/or proposal writing in 2010.



FACT SHEETGeographic coverage: The Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Samegrelo and Imereti regions in Georgia and 16 other communities across the South Caucasus.Benefi ciaries: Approximately 30,000 people.Activities: Capacity-building of partner NGOs, trainings and medical/legal consultations for confl ict-affected women and their communi-ties, economic interventions targeting IDPs and returnees, social and economic infrastruc-ture rehabilitation.



The military activities in the South Caucasus have come to an end but the underlying po-litical issues behind them remain unresolved. The result is a protracted state of no war - no peace in which violence is only sporadic but the people pay the price of war everyday. Many live in settlements for the displaced, having lost not only their homes but also their livelihoods and social support networks. Others reside close to ceasefi re lines and con-stantly feel the threat of physical insecurity.

• The entire South Caucasus suffered more than the rest of the region: general post-Soviet collapse here was combined with war;

• All suffer from the barriers to their countries’ development which have been thrown up by destroyed relations with neighbours and closed borders;

• A lingering sense of insecurity debilitates growth and poverty alleviation.

As in other parts of the world, women in the South Caucasus have found themselves on the margins of the offi cial confl ict resolution process. At the same time, they have taken a leading role in pulling their communities through the diffi cult struggles in restoring soci-ety as best they could following the end of the confl ict. These women continue to bear much of the brunt of the ongoing situation.


Women Women fomen omen Women for PeacemenmenmenmmenmCARE is working with women in confl ict-affected regions across the South Caucasus (Armenia, undisputed

Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, undisputed Georgia and Abkhazia) to enable them to take a leading role

in decision-making and address the needs of their communities. CARE is trying to build the skills and

confi dence of women from confl ict-affected regions fostering their active participation in public and

political life, increasing the visibility of their activism and their successes and advocating for gender-

sensitive policy-making and planning. It achieves this by working with national NGOs to reinforce the skills

of women in marginalised and confl ict-affected communities which would empower them to fi ght for their

rights and seek solutions to local problems at an appropriate level.

• 63% of respondents (53% of men and 71% of women) think there is a problem of gen-der inequality in political representation in their respective country;

• 67% of respondents (53% of men and 77% of women) are in favour of enacting laws to increase women’s participation in politics;

• 30% of people said that they would very much like to vote for a woman politician.*

*Source: A survey conducted by CARE International in the Caucasus together with NGO partners in October 2010.

Representation of women in the parliaments of the South Caucasus

• Average percentage of women in parliament

worldwide 19.2%;• Average percentage of women in parliament

in post-Soviet countries15.7%;• Highest percentage of women in any parlia-

ment in the South Caucasus 12%.*

*Source: Women in National Parliaments – www.ipu.org

But people want to change it:

for Peafor Peacefor Pefor Pefofofofofofo CONFLICT PREVENTION/SECURITY

• Together with its partners, CARE reached more

than 500 women through trainings on issues

such as human rights, women’s rights, leadership,

advocacy and community mobilisation in 2010. As

a result, the women have gained the knowledge and

skills to tackle the everyday problems of their com-

munities and to stand up for their rights.

• By providing expert consultations, such as those of

lawyers, doctors and psychologists, CARE strives to

create better conditions for women’s self-realisation

and confidence-building. Expert advice and their

increasing skills and self-reliance help these people

meet some of the most urgent of their daily needs.

• 18 legal consultations assisting more than 100

people in taking appropriate administrative or legal

actions were offered to further empower women and

help them speak out in order to protect their rights.

CARE’s partners provided 25 medical consultations across the South Caucasus dealing with the enquiries of more than 300 persons predominantly from displaced persons’ settlements. Medicines and doctors are provided for those uninsured and underinsured and who have not been able to get professional medical help for years.

Additionally, the target communities were involved in organising 15 events

across the region which mobilised local communities or brought together

citizens and a range of community actors (including representatives of

local and central government) to discuss local problems and their possible

solutions.

Strengthening Women for Peace



OUR partners SAY:

“There were people who showed a rather sceptical atti-tude. They thought there was no sense in active participa-tion since no one is interested in their problems and it is impossible to achieve anything in any case. After these trainings, people changed their minds as the discussions saw other participants bring up positive examples of how they solved local problems through active participation.” - Liana Beria, Project Co-ordinator, IDP Women Associa-tion Consent, Georgia.

“Women have become more confident in their own power and want to go beyond the traditional roles of mother and wife and become active members in the communities. Moreover, men have become more tolerant to the women’s increased activeness and show more support for their initiatives.” - Natalya Martirosyan, Deputy Chairman of Helsinki Citizens’ Assembly Armenian Committee, Armenia.

“The neighbouring settlement of Ianeti, which is home to repatriated Meskhetians, was without a stable supply of electricity. The people were ready to pay for the service but transmission cables were broken and the company in charge was not willing to do the repairs. The men in Ianeti were upset but apathetic. When I went there to call on the people to act together to try and solve this problem, one middle-aged man said to me: ‘What kind of nonsense are you saying? How do you think a woman is going to fi x this?’ Ianeti became an issue of principles and pride for me. Straight away, I went to the electricity company and insisted on a meeting with the managers. I told them that people had the right to have electricity, the company was responsible to provide it and people were ready to ask for accountability. I also told them that the local people would also help and that they would work with their hands to replace the cables. The determination worked. And the company said yes. The people in Ianeti were so happy, they started working on the repairs and within a week’s time, everyone had light. When I went there again, the same man who had spoken to me before was there. He came up to me and said: ‘I would like to apologise that I did not believe in you.’ That was the moment of victory for me. It showed that self-esteem and confidence can take us a long way.” - Leila, 42, from a collective IDP settle-ment in Tskaltubo, West Georgia.

of

CONFLICT PREVENTION/SECURITYCONFLICT PREVENTION/SECURITY

DISPLACED by the WAR

Lia, 35, was still pregnant with her baby girl when she fled the village of Tamarisi for safe shel-ter during the 2008 August War. The baby was born a few days later but instead of beginning her life in a cosy home, her first days were inside a crowded tem-porary shelter and then in an IDP settlement in Karaleti. Leaving behind the family’s home, their belongings, jobs, Lia started a new life full of diffi cult struggles to survive in the face of hunger and despair.


An influx of an additional 25,000 people who were displaced during the 2008 war put Georgia in the top ten countries of the world in terms of IDP concentration. More than a quarter-million or 6% of its population is displaced.

A baseline study conducted by CARE in

the IDP communities found that

• Average income of the IDPs is GEL 78 and that of non-IDPs – GEL 182;

• Only 8% of IDPs and

12% of non-IDPs have formal employment;

• 24% of unemployed IDPs had formal jobs before the war;

• Only 41% of the families are involved in agricultural activity as compared to 71% in the neighbouring communities.




CARE works with 10,000 “new” IDPs residing in the Shida Kartli

and Kvemo Kartli settlements, their neighbouring rural communities

and members of the local govern-ment by combining social and eco-nomic measures to help the people

find a way out of poverty.

“We started to run away when

the fi rst of the bombs were

fl ying over our heads. We did

not even pack our clothes but

left everything behind. The

government gave us this land,

a quarter-hectare for each

family. If we had an irriga-

tion channel to water the plot,

it would make our life a bit

easier. We could grow pota-

toes, maize and cabbage and

have some food for our family.

But how can we do this here?

Just look at the soil and the

barren space! And nature is so

cruel, sometimes. There is no

rain! No rain at all!” - Grigol

Mamatsashvili, 70, Akhalsopeli

settlement.

DISPLACED BYTHE WAR

Whilst most of the new IDP settlements were built in rural areas, earnings from agricultural activity are vital for survival in the post-crisis period. During their fi rst

year of life on a new land, most of the IDPs were unable to cultivate it properly and yield harvests.

Last year CARE granted a set of agricultural ma-chinery worth USD 40,000 to each of the six service

groups in these settlements. Whilst they served farmers in displaced community at preferential terms

(charging only for a fuel cost), these groups also helped the host communities at commercial rates. By processing 2,000 hectares of land the groups earned

GEL 56,900 in total, serving over 4,300 households in Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli regions.

In order to spur economic development in low-income communities, four grants of USD 10,000 each were

disbursed to already operating enterprises to help them expand and create new jobs. As a result, 16 IDPs were

employed and were able to secure a stable source of income for their families.

CARE repaired two irrigation channels to help IDP com-munities increase harvests and improve their liveli-

hoods. 10,323 people benefi ted from the rehabilitation of economic infrastructure – repaired roads and drain-

age systems – in total.

28 women-run businesses were funded

which have generated more than GEL 80,000 in

total income from the day they opened their doors. These businesses employ

54 people, 18.5% of which are men. Around 50 more

business ideas will be funded in 2011.

CARE believes in the power and potential of women. It has started issuing grants for women to create opportu-nities and develop businesses which provide income and employ others.




Around 3,000 students at-tended life-skills and training-

of-trainers in 15 target schools in the Shida Kartli and Kvemo

Kartli regions. Over 2,000 students participated in sports and cultural events and almost 4,600 local and IDP children benefi ted from the school infra-structure rehabilitation projects

in six schools in the area.

Through trainings and consultations to IDPs and

their host communities, CARE is helping children

to overcome alienation and

increase communication and interaction so that

these children can build their own future

together.

The sudden influx of large numbers of IDP children and adolescents into lo-cal schools, many of whom suffered traumatic experiences, provided a set-ting for marginalisation and extrem-ism between the local populations and the IDPs. Teachers were untrained and lacked the equipment and facilities to address such issues.

7,256 people benefi ted from social infrastruc-

ture rehabilitation initiatives – including

repaired cultural houses and children’s play-

grounds and squares which will foster integra-

tion of the displaced population with the host

communities.

POST-EMERGENCY REHABILITATION

The guns fell silent two years ago but life in the villages bordering the confl ict zones is far from being back to normal. As a result of the August War 2008, household incomes fell sharply and continued restrictions on access to markets, land and irrigation water combined with ongoing security incidents is destabilising the area and forcing people to consider leaving.

• People here own small plots of land, have little machinery and are iso-lated from advice and information on how to increase their livelihoods;

• Unemployment in the rural areas is very high and business investment is practically non-existent;

• 50% of the households in the Adjacent Area survive on GEL 167 (less than USD 100) a month.

For some the WAR IS OVER,

for OTHERS IT never

STOPPED Rebuilding lives is more than providing a quick fi x. It also means rebuilding the sense of opportunity and hope that people can genuinely change their lives. Employment and self-employment opportunities are critical parts of this process.

CARE encouraged the creation of small businesses in the area by providing start-up grants to people who were able to tap into immediate emerging opportuni-ties. The outcome was 31 new businesses of various profiles such as shops, bakeries, service stations, greenhouses, carpentry shops and sewing workshops, amongst others, which created 90 new jobs in the area and generate an average monthly income total of around USD 3,700.




On the surface, it is a faucet with fresh running water which meets the basic consumption and hygiene needs of the villages. Alongside, however, there is another meaning. The lack of ready supplies of fresh water has the potential to spark tensions at many different levels amongst communities.

The inadequate water facilities not only created a health hazard for the local population but has also resulted in some tensions between the IDP and host communities and posed obstacles towards IDP integration.

• Although Georgia has a natural abundance of water resources, hundreds of villages throughout the country do not have access to drinking water;

• According to UN standards, a minimum of 20–40 litres of fresh water is required per person per day to meet minimum drinking and sanitation needs;

• Collecting drinking water is an arduous task which is most often assigned to women and girls;

• Poor families are often obliged to accept low quality wa-ter which threatens the health of thousands of children.

CARE repaired drinking water supply systems to provide access to safe water for over 4,000 people in the Shida Kartli region.

Supporting agricultural activity pro-vides much needed food and a source of income in the difficult times for the new returnees. Through the pro-ject, CARE encouraged the formation of farmer groups and granted them agricultural equipment to increase farming produce.

The villages in the area suffered from looting and ma-chinery theft during the war. Apart from small tractors and motorblocks, the local farmers did not have equip-ment for the cultivation of their land plots. Moreover, the land plots here are fragmented which increases the cost of cultivation and reduces field efficiency.

Initially, ten farmers groups were set up which pro-vided agricultural services to over 500 farmers and generated a total net income of USD 4,400 during the summer period of 2010. Later, fi ve more groups were funded as the project drew to a close which will con-tinue serving their communities over the next years. On-the-field consultations were also provided to over 500 farmers in the area about innovations in fruit and vegetable farming in order to encourage the uptake of

new technologies and increase agricultural produce.

WATER for ALL


• CARE has restored an irrigation channel which will

water 110 hectares of land in Pkhvenisi and Kvemo

Khviti and serve 120 households in the area.

• The harvests of apple, peach, plum and cherry trees

may not bring wealth but they do provide a long-term

and renewable source of food for the displaced com-

munities. Moreover, the trees can also provide a source

of strength and protection for the people starting life

anew. Around 6,000 tree saplings were distributed to

954 households in five IDP settlements.

Imagine a winter of fami-lies shivering from the cold in houses which were barely rebuilt or hastily constructed after the war.

CARE has continued the distri-bution of fi rewood to keep this grim picture from becoming

a reality. Over 10,000

people affected by the war received approximately 4,800 cubic meters of firewood in 2010.

POSTEMERGENCY

REHABILITATION

Other highlights from post-confl ict RECOVERY efforts


ECONOMIC Development/MARKET Linkage

Geographic coverage: The Shida Kartli, Kvemo Kartli, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Racha-Leckhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions of Georgia.

Activities: Agricultural consultation/extension services, provision of agricul-tural machinery, farmer-to-farmer cross visits and demonstration plots/farms, value chain intervention, grants for jobs and business start-up grants, rural infra-structure rehabilitation.

FACT SHEET

www.care-caucasus.org.ge Annual Report 2010 | 29


Low agricultural productivity is one of the root causes of poverty in Georgia.

• Only 40% of rural households generate any cash income whatsoever through crop cultivation and only 30% generate cash income through selling livestock products;

• Farmers are utilising 70% of land on average and only 46% of this land is irrigated. It means that their capacity of “cash crop” production is also quite limited;

• Georgian agriculture is ineffi cient: the proportion of labour employed in agriculture is one of the highest (55%) whilst its contribution to GDP is one of the smallest (9%).*

AgricultureAgricultureAgriculture is an important source of liveli-hood for the population of all three South Caucasian states. It provides employment to an average 45% of the people in the re-gion. Each of the countries has seen a con-siderable growth in its agriculture sector in recent years and has helped to improve the situation of the poor – and particularly, the extremely poor – overall.

At the same time as the countries have seen a growth in the percentage of the population engaged in agriculture, how-ever, the role of the sector in the national economy is on the decline.

* Source: The Underlying Causes of Poverty Survey by CARE International in the Caucasus (2009); Statistical Yearbook of Georgia by Department of Statistics(2009).

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT/MARKET LINKAGE

e

BEEFING Up Farmers with Machinery

A combination of tiny land plots, the constant threat of disease and drought and the unavailability of afford-able credit combine to make effi cient production fraught with diffi culty. Within these circumstances, farmers lack the money and incentives to purchase inputs such as agri-cultural machinery, fertiliser or veterinary services which push them further into an insecure cycle of subsistence farming.

Vepkhia, in the village of Ghebi, in Racha, used to mow grass with a scythe. Step and swing. Swing and step. It was hard work but enjoyable, at the same time, as he worked his way down the fi eld. Working with hands, however, meant leaving hectares of hayfi elds untouched. Mravaldzali 2010, a local farmer’s association uniting him and seven other farmers, own 470 hectares of land in total but only 80 hectares was cultivated the previous year owing to a lack of proper machinery.

Meagre crops have a direct effect upon house-hold incomes. Racha is the region with the high-est level of poverty whilst as much as 40% of its population receives state benefi ts.

A lack of agricultural machinery is not only a matter of concern for farmers in Racha. A vast majority of farmers in Georgia interviewed by CARE for its poverty research in 2009 said they do not have access to agricultural machinery at all. Some only have bits and pieces of agricultur-al equipment, usually left over from government or NGO supported projects.

In Racha, CARE provided agricultural machinery with value of USD 171,000 as co-investment funding to newly established farmer groups for hay production in six communities. As a result, 237 tons of hay were produced and sold at the local market bringing approximately GEL 37,000 in total earnings. With a focus upon increased hay production in the region, greater feed sup-plies are helping to reverse the dwindling num-ber of livestock and increase people’s incomes.

A total of 27 farmer groups received ma-chinery valued at GEL 1,070,000 in

2010. Around 6,800 farmers in the Shida and Kvemo Kartli and Racha-Lechkhumi regions

benefi ted from access to machinery and have increased their farming output.


• Business people and farmers need basic training in the use of computers and then access to the internet for information on prices of commodities and inputs. CARE provided co-vestment funding for the establishment of a computer training and telecentre in the town of Ambrolauri, Racha. 34 participants graduated from the computer training which resulted in their better access to information.

• In terms of knowledge and expertise, there are no sources upon which farmers regularly depend for advice on how to treat diseased crops or sick animals. CARE is responding to this need by co-funding pharmacies, agriculture input shops, advisory centres and individual consultations. Around 3,900 farmers benefi ted from veterinary consultations and services and 4,500 received trainings and extension services on crop cultivation and poultry/cattle farming.

• Farmers lack fi nancial resources which would allow them to expand their farms and increase earnings. Even if they are eligible for a bank loan, the interest rates are extremely high and can undermine the viability of most agricultural projects. CARE worked with a partner micro-fi nance organisation to develop a subsidised loan scheme for farmers. It matched fi nancial support with the trainings to help the emerging entrepreneurs develop business skills and form viable businesses. USD 163,000 was disbursed to 92 individual farmers and service groups through this scheme. These loans work as engines for new business relations whilst trying to making the new businesses viable.

• The majority of Georgian-farmers rely upon rain-fed agriculture which reduces productivity and increases the risk of crop failure. A study shows only 46% of the land in Georgia is irrigated. CARE’s effort to repair irrigation channels is an attempt to address this issue. In 2010 alone, a total of nine irrigation channels were repaired across Georgia which will help 5,244 families bring in better harvests and improve their well-being.

Farmers in Racha have now access to artifi cial insemination services as a result of joint initiatives involving local veterinarians, rural advisory services and a private company importing necessary materials. These services, coupled with increased hay production, are expected to reverse the decline of livestock cattle numbers in Racha and increase incomes for vulnerable families.

Helping Farmers Help THEMSELVES




Last year, over 110 on-farm demons-tration plots were organised as a showcase of the use of new technology, new seed varieties and new animal and chicken breeds. These fami-lies are now reporting an average 25% increase in revenues and net assets.

Moreover, over 1,000 farmers partici-pated in cross-visits to these demonstration plots which help farmers exchange knowledge and experiences. Hundreds more benefi ted from both on-farm consultations on agricultural and veterinary issues as well as receiving services from consultation centres.

CARE is shouldering the risk to test new ideas in agriculture and to encourage the uptake of new technologies and methods to improve farming productivity by continuing to arrange demonstration plots which show best practices and create a ripple effect for communities.

Farmers in Georgia lack access to information about modern agricul-tural techniques and new crop varieties. This leads to an unwillingness to depart from tried and tested methods, even if they are ineffi cient, inse-cure and do not produce marketable goods.

Demonstration PLOTS Show it All

34 | Annual Report 201034 | Annual Report 2010

“We don’t have an op-portunity to sell our produce to direct cus-tomers as all the coun-ters in Tbilisi markets are occupied by hawkers. I earned GEL 150 today whilst I would be paid only GEL 50 by second-hand vendors in the fi eld in Kesalo.” - Kamalia Allahverdieva, the Shida Kartli region.


CARE facilitated creation of consolidation centres which link farmers to private in-vestors and serve to bridge the gap in the value chain by taking the farming produce to consumer markets.

Remote communities in the mountainous regions of Georgia face huge diffi cul-ties in bringing their goods to markets. Throughout, Georgian farmers lack market knowledge and often fail to provide the exact type of crop or ensure the quality of the product or the reliability of supply. All this leads to low prices for goods and makes it more diffi cult for farmers to bring themselves out of poverty.

CARE is trying to increase the access of farmers to markets through strengthening agriculture value chains in southern Georgia, orginis-ing regional agriculture trade shows, providing farmers with contact information for major suppliers and buyers in the agriculture sec-tor and providing trainings and technical assistance for farmers to develop their marketing skills.



A total of USD 170,000 was disbursed to form new consolida-tion centres last year: a dairy in Marneuli, two fodder facto-ries in Tsnisi and Lomtagora and a chicken incubator and small fodder mill in Tetritskaro. 663 farmers sold farming produce to the six consolidation centres in total and increased their

households incomes. Over 800 farmers are

expected to benefi t in 2011 as the newly-created enterprises will increase production overtime.

• Two trade shows were held in Tbilisi and in Am-brolauri to assist farmers in selling their products to direct customers without the help of a middle-man. 107 farmers participated in the fair in Tbilisi and sold 44.5 tons of agri-culture produce which generated an income of GEL 52,000.

• CARE enabled beekeepers from Racha to partici-pate in an international trade fair in Istanbul, Turkey. The event helped the Georgian farmers engage with Turkish trad-ers in negotiations about honey exports and reveal potential market opportunities.

• A Business and Market Development Offi ce was established in the Governor’s Offi ce in Ambrolauri, Racha which pro-vided more than 200 consultancies to local business people (potential investors), community-based groups (potential community-based enterprises) and farmers. The Offi ce has also developed a web-site promoting business in Racha.

• Moreover, in 2010 CARE helped connect 444 farmers from Samtskhe-Javakheti and Kvemo Kartli to wholesalers and sell over 253,000 kg of agriculture produce (potatoes, meat, cheese, honey) which brought GEL 609,000 in revenue.

Minister of Economic and Sustainable Development of Georgia, Vera Kobalia, visited a fodder factory and a dairy in Tsnisi, Samtskhe-Javakheti region. The fodder factory was established with the support of CARE and is intended to support local farmers and stimulate grain cultivation in the region. CARE strives to share best models of rural development with the government in order to achieve their broader applicability and broader impact for rural citizens in the region.

ECONOMIC Development/MARKET Linkage


Poverty is a common threat but it disproportionally affects men and women. Despite bearing an unfair burden of poverty, women also have the great potential to reduce it if gender norms and stereotypes do not come in the way.

BUSINESS Start Up/Women

• Achieving a career is more diffi cult for women than men;

• Both men and women agree (87.6%) that husbands should have more income than their wives;

• Only 1% supports the idea that women have more rights to have a job when there are limited employment opportunities. 43% of respondents, however, agree that both sexes have equal rights for employment;

• 79.8% of men and 64% of women think that it is better for everyone if the husband works and the wife looks after the family.*

* Source: The Underlying Causes of Poverty Survey by CARE International in the Caucasus(2009).



BUSINE Start

Women

Maka, in the village of Likheti, Racha, saw an advertise-ment about CARE’s business start-up grants in a bus trav-elling to her home village. She was already nine months pregnant and desperately seeking new sources of income. “My husband and his parents are hardworking people. We have a plot of land and love farming but we don’t even produce enough food for ourselves. Certainly, we did not have anything to sell and get some cash. You cannot go to a maternity hospital with a sack of beans to pay for the delivery. Earlier, I started baking potato pies for school children but not many could afford to buy them. We were considering leaving the village. When I saw the advertisement, I went to CARE and asked for a grant to buy four more cows in addition to the one I already had. We started to make and sell cheese and even earned enough to buy a new refrigerator. Now, I know that it makes sense to live in the village.”

CARE’s model of business

start-up grants is

unlocking the economic

potential of women to

help pull them and their

communities out of poverty.

CARE continues its investment in women based upon the previous year’s record of success. With proper business training and follow-up advice, 90% of the businesses launched by women with a USD 1,000 investment grant remain functional and continue to generate increased household incomes.

192 families started small businesses of various profi les last year. More than 85 % out of them are run by women.



PROJECT NAME: Enhancing Access to Potable Water for IDPs’ Host Communities in Georgia (EAPW)

DONOR: The Howard G. Buffett Foundation (HGBF)

BUDGET: USD 249,869

DURATION: October 2009 - March 2010

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Shida Kartli region of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: 4070 people residing in the four villages of the Shida Kartli region

GOAL: IDPs’ host communities in Shida Kartli region have adequate access to communal services (potable water).

PROJECT NAME: Community Development Initiative (CDI 3)

DONOR: BP and its co-venturers (SCP, BTC, GPC)

BUDGET: USD 1,865,081

DURATION: May 2010 - January 2012

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: 77 communities living across the BTC/SCP pipeline

GOAL:To enhance positive relations between BP and communities along the BTC/SCP pipeline route by investing in communities that demonstrate a commitment to become models for sustainable community development.

PROJECT NAME: Farmers to Markets (FtM)

DONOR: BP and its co-venturers (SCP, BTC, GPC)

BUDGET: USD 519,288

DURATION: March 2008 - June 2011

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: Over 600 farmers from the BTC/SCP pipeline communitiesGOAL: Improved livelihood security in pipeline communities through agricultural services and better access to markets.

PROJECT NAME: Strengthening Women’s Capacity for Peace-building in the South Caucasus

DONOR: The European Union (EU) with co-financing from Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC)

BUDGET: EUR 1,319,988

DURATION: February 2010 - January 2013

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: Armenia, undisputed Azerbaijan, Nagorno Karabakh, undisputed Georgia, Abkhazia

BENEFICIARIES: 5 local partner NGOs and 1500-2000 marginalised women from conflict-affected communities

IMPLEMENTING PARTNERS:

CARE Österreich and CARE International in the Caucasus along with the partner organisations: The IDP women association Consent, Association of Women of Abkhazia, Armenian Committee of Helsinki Civil Assembly (HCA-Armenia), Women Problems Research Union (Azerbaijan), Centre for Civilian Initiatives (CCI)(Nagorno-Karabakh)

GOAL: To support partner NGOs from across the South Caucasus to create an enabling environment where marginalised women from confl ict-affected communities can protect their rights and take active part in decision-making.

PROJECT NAME: Enhancing Rural Livelihoods in the Adjacent Area (ERLA)

DONOR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

BUDGET: GEL 494,558

DURATION: January 2010 - December 2010

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Shida Kartli region of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: 734 people living in 20 villages in the Adjacent Area IMPLEMENTING

PARTNERS:CARE International in the Caucasus with the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC) and Agrotechno

GOAL: To increase level of self-reliance and improve livelihoods of people living in the Adjacent Area.

PROJECT NAME: Rural Development of the Region of Racha-Lechkhumi, Georgia (RDRL)

DONOR: Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

BUDGET: CHF 3,000,000

DURATION: November 2008 - November 2011

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: 18,000 households GOAL: Improved local market economies and governance processes have benefited the poor.

Projects at a Glance


PROJECT NAME: Job Creation through Enhancing Small-Sized Enterprise Development in Shida Kartli (JCED)

DONOR: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)

BUDGET: GEL 362 688,40

DURATION:

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE:

BENEFICIARIES: 160 direct benefi ciaries along the 300,000 residents of Shida KartliIMPLEMENTING

PARTNERS:CARE International in the Caucasus along with the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC)

GOAL:To improve the local business environment, increase income generation and raise the employment level within Shida Kartli.

PROJECT NAME: Integrated Natural Resources Management in Watersheds of Georgia (INRMW) Program

DONOR: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID)


DURATION: March 2011* – September 2014

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Rioni (Western Georgia) and Alazani-Iori (Eastern Georgia) river basins

BENEFICIARIES: 40 communities living in the Rioni and Alazani-Iori river basinsIMPLEMENTING

PARTNERS:Florida International University along with CARE International in the Caucasus, Winrock International, Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education

GOAL: To improve the current and future lives of people in Georgia by utilising and managing natural resources more sustainably, including water, soil, vegetation, and the ecosystems that encompass them.

PROJECT NAME: Stabilisation and Integration of IDPs into Mainstream Georgian Society (SIIMS)

DONOR: The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs


DURATION: July 2009 - July 2012 (3 years)

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli regions of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: 10,000 “new” IDPs residing in Shida Kartli and Kvemo Kartli settlements


CARE Norway and CARE International in the Caucasus along with the partner organisations: Civil Development Agency (CiDA), IDP Women’s Association Consent and the Centre for Training and Consultancy (CTC)

GOAL:IDPs and local impacted communities integrate to their new environment, using socio-economic opportunities to reduce poverty and conflict, which are aligned with local government services and structures.

PROJECT NAME:Poverty Reduction and Confidence Building in Bordering Areas of Georgia and Armenia by Strengthening Civil Societies in Sustainable Rural Development (STAGE II)

DONOR: Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) (for more information please visit: www.mfa.at/adc, www.ada.gv.at)

BUDGET: EUR 463,980

DURATION: May 1, 2009 - October 31, 2011

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe-Javakheti regions of Georgia; The Lori, Tavush and Shirak regions of Armenia

BENEFICIARIES: 10 Civil Society Orginisations; Local Government of target regions and 450,000 residents of target regions


CARE Österreich and CARE International in the Caucasus, along with the partner organisations: Civil Development Agency (CiDA) in Georgia and the Centre for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD) in Armenia

GOAL:To contribute to poverty reduction and confidence-building in border areas of Georgia and Armenia by strengthening participatory/ empowerment approaches in sustainable rural development.

PROJECT NAME:Strengthen community-based initiatives for poverty reduction in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti Region of Georgia (COMBI)

DONOR: The European Union (EU) with co-financing from Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC)

BUDGET: EUR 499,831,77

DURATION: March 2009 - August 2011

GEOGRAPHIC SCOPE: The Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti region of Georgia

BENEFICIARIES: 4,000 farming family members from 5 marginalised communitiesIMPLEMENTING

PARTNERS:CARE International in the Caucasus along with the local partner organisation Abkhazintercont (AIC)

GOAL:Sustainable poverty reduction amongst marginalised communities in Georgia, through strengthened civil society and local governance processes.

Upcoming Project

Upcoming Project

Annual Report 2010 | 39 * Overall the Program started in October 2010

The Shida Kartli region of Georgia

January 2011 - August 2011

Samtskhe-Javakheti - Building capacity of civil-society organisations and local self-governance

- Agricultural consultation - Rural infrastructure rehabilitation - Cross-border advocacy and networking - Pro-poor economic interventions

Samtskhe-Javakheti

Turkey

Black Sea

Abkhazia

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti

Imereti

Samegrelo

G e o r

Abkhazia

Samegrelo and Imereti regions of Georgia and 18 other communities across the South Caucasus

- Strengthening local partner NGOs - Training women from confl ict-affected communities - Providing legal/medical consultation for confl ict-affected communities - Advocating for gender equality and women’s participation in peace-building processes


Map of Our Activities:

Kvemo Kartli - Building capacity of civil-society organisations and local self-governance bodies

- Agricultural consultation/extension services - Rural infrastructure rehabilitation - Cross-border advocacy and networking - Pro-poor economic interventions - Social and economic infrastructure development - Strengthening civil society organisations - Psycho-social support focused on children and youth - Economic interventions targeting IDPs and local communities

Shida Kartli - Social and economic infrastructure development - Water sanitation - Strengthening civil society organisations - Psycho-social support centred on children and youth - Economic interventions targeting IDPs and local communities - Humanatarian Assistance/Winterisation efforts

Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti - Building capacity of civil-society organisations and local self-governance bodies

- Improving local market economies - Disaster-risk management - Agricultural consultation/extension services - Pro-poor economic interventions/improving local market economies

Shirak, Lori, Tavush Regions of Armenia

- Building capacity of civil-society organisations and local self-governance bodies

- Strengthening local partner NGOs - Fostering cross-border co-operation - Cross-border advocacy and networking

Kvemo Kartli

Armenia

Azer

baija

n

Shida Kartli

g i a


SIIMS (Norway MOFA) , 1,025,986.00 ,

22%

PPA3 (C-UK) , 10,707.00 ,

0.01%1325-Women (EC/ADA) ,

356,584.00 ,

7% HGBF (HGBF), 178,580.00 ,

4%

CDI (BP), 860,147.00 ,

17%

FtM (BP), 251,501.00 ,

5%RDRL (SDC), 955,706.00 ,

19%

ERLA/Firewood (UNHCR) , 608,297.00 ,

12%

Unrestricted 252,180.00

5%

COMBI (EC/ADC) , 266,665.00 ,

5%

STAGE II (ADC) , 188,356.00 ,

4%

Project DonorActual Expense

in CY 2010CDI BP $ 860,147.00 FtM BP $ 251,501.00 Unrestricted HQ CARE USA $ 252,180.00

RDRL SDC $ 955,706.00 COMBI EC/ADC $ 266,665.00 STAGE II ADC $ 188,356.00 Women 1325 EC/ADC $ 356,584.00 SIIMS Norway MOFA $ 1,025,986.00 EAPW HGBF $ 178,580.00 ERLA/Firewood UNHCR $ 608,297.00 PPA3 C-UK $ 10,707.00 Total: $ 4,954,709.00

Financial reportTotal Funds in 2010*

* Rough Estimations

40%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Shida Kartli Kvemo Kartli Samtskhe-

JavakhetiRacha-Lechkhumi

and Kvemo SvanetiImereti Samegrelo

Total Expenditure by Regions of Georgia*

* The fi nancial data provided on this page corresponds to the calendar year 2010.



EMCI

CARE International in the Caucasus49b Chavchavadze Avenue, 3rd fl oor,

Tbilisi, 0162, GeorgiaTel: (995 32) 291941/291531/291378

Fax: (995 32) 294307


PATHWAYS out of Poverty

PATHWAYS OUT OF

POVERTY

The annual report was produced by PR and Communications Department of CARE International in the Caucasus.

Production Coordinator:

Salome Odisharia

Copy Editor:

Jeff Morski

Writer/Editor:

Ketevan Khachidze

Writers:

Tamara Sartania

Maia Giorbelidze

Maia Kobakhidze

Photo Credits:

Maia Giorbelidze

Gela Bedianashvili

Keta Akhobadze

Maia Kobakhidze

Sergo Tsurtsumia

Design/layout:

Evgenia Khidasheli

Print:

Ragtime Ltd

With appreciation to many members of CARE’s staff for their contributions to this publication.

The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily refl ect the views of the donor organisations.

STRENGTHENING WOMEN for PEACE

Annual Report 2010CARE International in the Caucasus

CARE International in the Caucasus49b Chavchavadze Avenue, 3rd floor,Tbilisi, 0162, GeorgiaTel: (995 32) 29 19 41/29 15 31/29 13 78Fax:(995 32) 29 43 07


care/caucasus annual report 2010

Documents

south caucasus

rural communities

development of civil

caucasus2 annual report

povertythe annual report

peaceannual report

era free of confl

economic potential of