September 30, 2024
News
To reach the village of Zemo Alveni in eastern Georgia, you have to drive along a narrow unpaved road. Two hours from the capital Tbilisi, a remote region awaits, where the traffic is jammed with slow-moving cows and herds of sheep graze on the vast hills. Their wool, which only a few years ago was thrown away and burned, now fills the premises of the processing plant in whose yard we are standing. It is processed thanks to the support of Caritas Czech Republic.
The only wool processing plant in Georgia
The owner of the plant, fifty-one-year-old Dito, is the only one in all of Georgia who processes local wool. He inherited the business from his father, Gogi, who founded it during the Soviet era. Inside the building, there are still old Soviet-era machines on which Dito processes wool from sheep all over the area. Then he sells the processed wool across Georgia. Yet just a few years ago, this wool was going to waste.
"After shearing the wool from their sheep, farmers would throw away this valuable material without using it further. Caritas Czech Republic noticed this and decided to support the processing of Georgian wool. Thus began the story of the revival of a traditional craft," says Dito in the courtyard of his processing plant. In the building behind him, his employees sit and prepare the wool by hand, which is later put into large machines for further processing.
The whole process starts with the sheep farmers from whom Dito buys the wool. The wool is first thoroughly cleaned in hot water and soap. It is then rinsed in cold water and, after drying, processed in large machines. "In the past, our work was not at the level it is today. We used to process wool, but not in a professional way. After Caritas Czech Republic became interested in our work and supported us with a grant, we built the processing building you see behind us and acquired the necessary equipment and machinery we need to do our work," Dito continues.
Before receiving support from Caritas Czech Republic, Dito could only process 20-30 kilos of wool per day. "Today we process up to 200 kilograms a day, which is a big change," praises Dito, whose enterprise now has 12 employees who are grateful to be working in an otherwise disadvantaged region where livelihood is difficult to find. Dito sources his wool from up to 70 local farmers. Thanks to the processing plant, they too are able to earn and secure an income and, more importantly, to make use of the material they used to throw away.
From the factory straight to the artisan workshops
And who buys the wool from the Georgian entrepreneur? “It is mainly various workshops or training colleges that teach handicrafts. Or collectives that then make beautiful products out of the wool," explains Dito. We meet one such women's group in the village of Zemo Alveni. The women make and sell knitted and felted products, be it accessories, clothing or household items. And they praise the fact that, thanks to Dito's processing plant, they do not have to travel far to get wool and they use local resources.
Residents of Georgia's mountainous regions use natural sheep's wool to make warm and durable clothing, as well as shoes and carpets. The techniques of weaving, felting, knitting and embroidery have been passed down from generation to generation. Thanks to the revival of traditional wool processing, traditional handicrafts have survived in Georgia.
"I would like to thank Caritas Czech Republic very much because it has helped us to solve a huge problem and our work is much easier today. We are producing better quality wool in much larger quantities," says Dito gratefully. “It is not an easy work, but I love it," concludes the Georgian tradesman with satisfaction.
Caritas Czech Republic in Georgia
In Georgia, Caritas Czech Republic is helping to develop the disadvantaged mountain and rural areas. We support local people to open or develop their own trades and employ other people in regions plagued by low incomes and unemployment. For example, a jewellery workshop or a small family-run hotel is now operating thanks to our support.
We have also been helping to develop health services in Georgia for a long time, especially in rural areas. We are working closely with the Georgian Ministry of Health on systemic changes. For example, we have introduced an electronic medical register, which greatly simplifies doctors' daily work. We have also helped to improve and expand services to support people with autism.
We supported the wool processing plant in eastern Georgia thanks to funding from the Czech Development Agency.
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