Georgian villager offers free Wi-Fi to keep youth in village

A young village man from Eastern Georgia has come up with a new, inspirational way to handle one of Georgia’s most challenging issues – youth abandoning villages and moving to bigger cities.

Ucha Kemashvili, 25, built a small square and created a free Wi-Fi zone in his native village of Chumlaki, in the Kakheti region.

Chumlaki has a population of about 4,000 people, who often complained about the lack of opportunities for local youth.

Kemashvili, a Chumlaki local, said he did not want his village abandoned so he decided to do his best to create opportunities for the village youth.

Soon the place, called Ucha Square, gained popularity throughout the village and even elderly started visiting the area regularly.

The square offers free Wi-Fi to any visitor and also serves as the village’s centre where locals gather every evening and watch movies or just rest, local media outlet Kakheti Information Centre reported.

Kemashvili established the project using his own finances.

"I used to have a job, so I was saving a portion of my salary for this,” said Kemashvili who is currently unemployed.

Besides the free internet connection, the square also has an information board, which Kemashvili updates on a regular basis and spreads the word about ongoing events in the village and in nearby locations too.

After the place became popular, Kemashvili installed a surveillance camera to ensure the area remained safe.

"I have many other plans for the village, but for that to happen I just need to be financially supported,” he said.

Latest data from 2002 revealed 164 villages in Georgia were deserted and 152 villages were barely inhabited, with ten families or less.