“Everybody has grown assured that women can bring important changes,” noted Tamar Shubitidze, manager at the Sviri Village Youth Center and Library.

When Taso Foundation began working in Sviri village in the Akhalkalaki municipality in 2019, only a few women showed any interest. Among them was Tamar Shubitidze, who was later elected as a community worker by the members of a self-help group.

“Initially, we did not believe that everything being initiated by the project would actually be carried out,” the 39-year-old mother of three recalls. “Local residents looked at us suspiciously at first, but as time went by the results we reaped ignited interest in others as well. Everybody saw that we, as women, are capable of positive change, and more women expressed their desire to join us.”

Now acting as a community worker in two villages, Sviri and Boga, and leading three self-help groups, Tamar’s work has helped local women collaborate with the local government.

After specific training, these women carried out local needs assessments and presented their findings to the municipal assembly. The results are already plain to see – today Sviri and Boga have new bus stops, crucial in a region with a harsh climate and scarce transport infrastructure. In addition, the central highway has been repaired, and a youth center, a kindergarten and a library have all been built.

Tamar additionally manages the youth center and library. As a community leader, she has already collaborated with several non-governmental organizations. She actively disseminates information about the services available to victims of domestic violence and other critical issues, and now she acts as a role model and motivates many other women.

“This project helped me develop. I am more daring now. I love to be this active and live a full life,” Tamar adds. “I have this urge to stand side by side with other women and to empower them.”

The Social Mobilization Initiative is a part of the UN Women “Women’s Economic Empowerment in the South Caucasus” project, carried out by Taso Foundation, the Kakheti Regional Development Foundation and CARE Caucasus, with financial support from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC) and the Government of Slovakia.