April 22, 2022
News
Manana Metreveli lives in the village of Utsera in the Georgian region of Racha. For many years, she has been making compost to reduce household waste. Thanks to Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia, Manana improved her composting practices and received a wooden compost box, which is also used by her neighbours. Manana's village has become a role model for developing good composting practices.
Sharing knowledge with all generations
In Georgia’s rural regions, up to 60% of the waste in landfills is organic waste, which decomposes and releases carbon dioxide and methane. This contributes to climate change and is also harmful to human health. Composting is one of the simplest and most cost-effective methods of preventing environmental pollution. That is why Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia promotes composting through various activities.
Manana Metreveli joined one of our training sessions on how to make compost properly and received a wooden compost box, along with necessary equipment for compost making. Although Manana has been making compost for years, she found out some information that she did not know before attending our training sessions. “I didn’t know that some household waste, such as cheese, could spoil the compost,” she says.
As Manana Metreveli lives alone, she decided to share her compost box with other residents and invited all the villagers to make compost together in her yard. “I am especially happy when children are actively involved in such activities – they see what we are doing and repeat it, and they feel responsible. Raising awareness on this topic is of great importance, and in this regard, the guidelines distributed by Caritas Czech Republic and the practical training sessions conducted on the spot played a great role,” Manana says.
An environmentally conscious step
Composting is a great way to reduce household waste and manage it sustainably. Recycling food and other organic waste into compost provides a range of environmental benefits, including improving soil fertility, reducing soil erosion and greenhouse gas emissions, recycling nutrients, and mitigating the impact of droughts. Compost is rich fertiliser for organic farming.
What we do together to protect the environment in Georgia
We have been working in the environmental sector in Georgia since 2019 and focus on projects that aim to develop responsible waste management practices. Environmental pollution remains one of the major challenges of the modern world. We want to raise awareness about waste separation, recycling and composting practices, via infrastructural development and technical assistance, through consulting and expert support.
Caritas Czech Republic provided 56 subsistence farms and 15 schools in Racha-Lechkhumi and Kvemo Svaneti regions with all the necessary equipment for making compost.
Interested in more stories like this? Read more:
- Caritas Czech Republic Supports Rural Doctors in Alpine Zone
- 6 ways Caritas Czech Republic invests in our planet
- Why caring about the environment concerns us all?
