Georgian mountainous region Khevsureti is famous for its culture. Local people there have limited access to new technologies, plus they face hard economic conditions, loosing motivation to spend their time&money on keeping our traditions. We students care about our culture, economy and with the research and training program aim to help community of this region adapt to ongoing processes, leading to cultural, social and economical development.
Topical focus:
Country:
What locality or neighborhood will your project focus on?
Several towns in Khevsureti Region
Describe the specific community with whom you will be working.
Our direct beneficiary is diverse population of Khevsureti. Due to hard economic condition and bad infrastructure they don't have chance to learn how to use modern technologies and communicate with people from different places. Moreover, they are not given any training about ongoing business processes and opportunities. So, we students unite to help this community popularize their art, acquire new skills and improve their region's prosperity.
What kinds of news, stories and other content will be created?
During the project we will collect photo and video materials of everything associated with local culture: handcrafts, songs, poetry, cuisine, blacksmith's work, local clothing, etc. We will record locals’ stories. Collected materials will be transferred in documentary movie and spread through newspapers, TV, Social networks, blogs. After teaching locals usage of modern technologies, we will create online shop, where they can sell their products.
What technologies and digital tools do you plan to use in the trainings?
Describe the connections that you or your organization have already established that will contribute to the success of the project.
The project has a great importance for our country, so we suppose many governmental and private organizations will support. Partners include: Tbilisi State university – providing places for exhibition, Ministry of Regional Development and Infrastructure – establishing connections with Municipality of Khevsureti, financing transportation costs, TVs- “GDS”, “Ertsulovneba” – spreading photo&video materials, National Geographic – Georgia – articles.
How many participants do you think will be involved in your project?
Approximately 50 participants will be selected from Khevsureti Region. People, who are interested in keeping and popularizing local culture will be given training on the use of modern technology, they will also be taught how to do marketing and sell their products online. We will support them to exhibit their work in the capital and communicate with potential customers. By creating online shop these processes will become permanent and beneficial.
Besides the microgrant funding, what other resources and support are you seeking for your project to ensure its success?
As you have access to global market, we would appreciate your help to spread the results of our project worldwide. This will increase interest in our country and bring more tourists. So, the project will benefit not only the population of Khevsureti, but indirectly to the whole country in a long-term period.
Our team hopes to obtain your support, so students can contribute to our country's economical development by popularizing unique culture.
Contact name
Rusudan Gongladze
Organization
“Students Together” (www.students.org.ge)