A golden opportunity in Georgia
Published: Jan 24, 2023 Reading time: 2 minutesIrakli Kutivadze is a goldsmith in Tskaltubo, Georgia. Without financial support, Irakli’s workshop would probably never have become so successful. Thanks to support from the Local Action Group (LAG) Tskaltubo, he now employs another person and has expanded his jewellery product line.
Irakli has been a goldsmith for fifteen years. He produces many kinds of jewellery: necklaces, rings, bracelets, earrings, and more. In these changing times, it can be difficult to run a buisness and even more challenging to expand. “The conditions I used to work in are very different to now,” notes Irakli.
Local partnerships for more effective development
Irakli received financial support from the Local Action Group Tskaltubo (LAG Tskaltubo), a local initiative established by People in Need, who provided him with a small grant to develop his jewellery-making processes.
Thanks to PIN’s LAG Tskaltubo, Irakli’s small workshop employed another assistant to help with orders. He and his wife also run a small shop and gold exchange in the shopping centre in Kutaisi, where Irakli’s wife sells their products. In addition to orders from their catalogue, they receive private orders from customers throughout Georgia to create or restore jewellery. “People come to my workshop and bring gold and tell me what they want to create. If it is possible to do it by hand, we can make it,” he says proudly.
Goldsmith from Georgia
Development support in Georgia
The project "Local Action Group Tskaltubo" was supported by the European Union—through the ENPARD programme—and the Czech Development Agency. By introducing the European LEADER approach to Georgia’s Tskaltubo municipality, LAG Tskaltubo contributes to poverty reduction and promotes participatory mechanisms in local decision-making processes. Businesses and social initiatives were supported with small grants to become models for others to follow. The project aimed to bring innovation that improves the quality of life in remote areas.
