Carwashes, ATVs, cows and greenhouses changed the lives of Georgian returnees

Dream of a promising football career

Iuri left Georgia for France with his family because of the economy. However, he also wanted to create an opportunity for his talented 17-year-old son , who plays football.

From the beginning, the family was unable to find sufficient accommodation. They lived in hotels and cars for two months until they were provided with a flat. It was difficult to find a job in France; Iuri was working as a volunteer. But for his son, this was a very successful time:

When the family found out that they had to leave France, it was not easy, especially for the children. They all learned French and settled down in their new country. 

Iuri has been working on cars since he was 13 years old. Therefore, we supported his newly established car wash so that he could buy some new equipment and become an entrepreneur. This brought a big change to his professional life.

However, Iuri mentions that his son still dreams about France. 

Cows brought happiness to the mountains

Tsira's entire life is connected with a small village in Adjara, where she was born, grew up and where she still lives. The place is well known for cow-breeding, which is the main source of income for local people. Tsira's family was not an exception. Her grandmother took care of more than 20 cows and Tsira would help her to milk them.

When Tsira grew up, she took over the tradition and would breed the cows. However, one day, her son got into a conflict and was severely injured. 

Everything Tsira wanted was to come back to her life in the village in the middle of the Georgian mountains. But starting from anew with no cows and limited resources was a big challenge. We helped Tsira to get back into livestock farming. We gave her four cows, which ensured an income for her family. 

In the future, Tsira would like to expand. She likes what she is doing and is happy that she can move forward thanks to these cows.

Making magic in the garden

Like Tsira, Vakhtang also had to sell his cows and pigs before leaving for France. Because of his wife’s medical needs, they had to seek treatment for her abroad. They spent four years in France, but they did not plan to settle down there; their goal was always to come back to Georgia.

When the family came back, Vakhtang bought a greenhouse where he grows fruits and vegetables, including cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes and chillies. He likes his work, especially when he has a helper which is his little grandson. To support him, we provided financial support so that he could make repairs to the greenhouse.

Vakhtang already has big plans on how to improve his 1.5 ha big garden. 

Tourists, ATVs and trucks ensure a solid income 

Giorgi left for France because of family reasons. At first, he found a job as a driver, but after some time, providing for the family had become difficult. Although he liked France, external factors forced the family to come back to Georgia.

Restarting in Georgia was difficult. But since Giorgi comes from a place which attracts tourists thanks to some natural and historic heritage, he came up with a business plan which we gladly supported. Giorgi decided to rent All-terrain vehicles (ATVs), which tourists can rent to visit the nearby waterfalls which are difficult to reach by foot.

This business, together with his current job as a truck driver, gives Giorgi sufficient income to provide for his family.

OFII, Helping Georgians return home

We can support Georgians who came back from France to their former home thanks to the French Office for Immigration and Integration. As an organization, we work with government authorities not only in order to support individuals but also to enable more participatory, inclusive democratic processes.