Georgian women entrepreneurs to sell handmade crafts to support Ukraine
The CENN has hosted exhibition and sale of crafts and handmade items in various regions of Georgia over the years to support both local entrepreneurs and ecosystem sustainability. Photo: CENN.
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Local women entrepreneurs in the central Georgian city of Gori will exhibit their handmade crafts and other products for sale on International Women’s Day next week, in an effort to support Ukrainian citizens amid Russia’s ongoing assault on the country.
The sale of crafts items will bring together products by 15 women to a marketplace on Merab Kostava Street in the city on March 8, with the initiative supported by the European Union and the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN).
Along with expressing solidarity with the Ukrainian people - CENN announced a part of the funds raised through the sale would be sent to the Ukrainian Support Fund - the event also aims to support local women entrepreneurs in Gori by promoting their work.
The initiative comes within the EU-funded regional project EU4Youth: Social Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Development (SEED) for Green Growth, implemented by CENN in partnership with Kakheti Regional Development Foundation (KRDF) in Georgia and Green Lane NGO in Armenia.
Both organisations and individuals from Georgia have been contributing to assistance to Ukraine since the start of the war in the country last week. Georgian citizens and businesses have been offering free overnight accommodation and other types of assistance to Ukrainians in the country through social media groups, while the Georgian National Tourism Administration launched a hotline for the purpose, reachable through the number 0 800 800 909.
The government of the country has also provided aid worth one million GEL ($315,000/€279,000) to Ukraine, with the Georgian Post also announcing it would deliver humanitarian parcels to Ukrainian citizens free of charge, additionally, with the state programme Enterprise Georgia campaign delivering products of high necessity from various companies to Ukrainian citizens in Georgia.
Russia began its military assault on Ukraine on February 24, after Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement of the recognition of the independence of the Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk on February 21.
Ukrainian citizens currently in the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi will receive services of a select group of sports centres, museum venues, theatre halls, libraries and art schools free of charge, Tbilisi City Hall announced earlier today.
The Georgian Health Ministry has opened registration for blood donors who would like to offer support to those injured during the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, with the body announcing its hotline for the purpose on Friday.
The Tbilisi International Book Festival, one of the largest book festivals in the South Caucasus, has “completely terminated” cooperation with Russian publishers due to the country’s military aggression against Ukraine.
A humanitarian aid point will be opened in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi on Friday, to serve as a collection point for entrepreneurs, organisations and individuals to donate food and other basic necessities for Ukrainian citizens affected by the war, Deputy Tbilisi Mayor Ilia Eloshvili said on Thursday.
Georgian national women’s foundation Taso has launched fundraising campaign to purchase clothing, food and other basic necessities for the Ukrainian women who have had to give birth in emergency shelters due to the ongoing war in the country.
Ukrainian citizens in Georgia will receive products of high necessity from companies that have been involved in the Emterprise Georgia campaign launched in recent years by the government to support local entrepreneurship, in the latest move helping those affected by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last week.
A Polish border volunteer has thanked Georgia for a humanitarian aid shipment for Ukrainian citizens displaced by Russia's military onslaught on the country, calling the cargo "very important" in a moving message to agenda.ge.
Georgian officials extended their congratulations on International Women’s Day to people in Ukraine as well as Ukrainian women in Georgia on Tuesday, calling the sharing of messages “emotionally exciting” on the backdrop of Russia’s continued invasion of Ukraine.
Georgia will join the sixteenth edition of the European Artistic Crafts Day (EACD), the largest crafts event in Europe, for the first time next week, with venues in the country set to host tours and exhibitions to mark the occasion.
The first offline private auction of NFT paintings illustrating the Ukraine war will be held in Georgia’s capital Tbilisi this week, with funds raised during the event to be used in support of the country under the ongoing Russian invasion.
Challenges and opportunities for youth in Georgia were discussed in a conference organised by the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network within a European Union-funded project in Tbilisi on Monday.