To activate youth and address local needs in Khelvachauri
Municipality, the campaign "Civic Initiative in Khelvachauri" was
implemented with my involvement as Program Coordinator. This initiative
was carried out within the framework of the Bread for the World (BftW) funded
project "Establishing Strong Links Between Local Development Actors."
As part of the campaign, young people from the villages of Sarpi and Akhalsheni
formed initiative groups and launched an advocacy process to achieve specific
goals: installing outdoor fitness equipment in Sarpi and creating a youth
room at the Akhalsheni cultural center.
The process began in December 2022 with an educational
meeting titled "Change Starts with You," where young people heard
about successful experiences from local activists. Subsequently, in January
2023, updated action plans were developed during working meetings with the
initiative groups. These plans aimed at active participation in the
development and discussion of the Khelvachauri Municipality's 2023 budget draft.
Under my coordination, members of the initiative groups met with the Deputy
Mayor of Khelvachauri Municipality and other representatives, presented their
initiatives, and discussed the importance of their implementation. Notably, the
municipality expressed readiness to support the Sarpi initiative, while the
discussion of the Akhalsheni issue will resume after the completion of
renovations at the cultural center, taking into account the recommendations of
the initiative group.
The youth initiatives were also presented to the Khelvachauri
Municipality Mayor's Civic Advisory Council, where they gained the support of
local community representatives. Within the campaign, the youth also planned to
prepare video explainers about the importance of civic activism and their
activities. At the summary meeting in March 2023, where campaign participants
received certificates and symbolic gifts, it was noted that the project
involved 18 new young people in civic activities from Sarpi and Akhalsheni,
and a total of 90 participants attended the 6 meetings held. According
to participant evaluations (93% of respondents), the campaign process
was positive, and the experience gained would be useful in their future
activities.