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U.S. Ambassador and Minister of Health, Labor, and Social Affairs Open Specialized Family-Type Service for Children with Disabilities in Kutaisi and Visit the Home of a Foster Family

Language: English | Georgian
Monday, April 3, 2017 - 8:15am

Farkoni, owned by Mamuka Alpaidze, is a collector and processor of wild berries, bay leaves, and medical herbs.  With USAID support, through its Restoring Efficiency to Agricultural Production (REAP) activity, Farkoni introduced seasonings, dried fruit and phyto tea processing as well as a packaging line that will provide a wide variety of high quality products for sale to local and international markets.  USAID/REAP is also providing assistance with ISO 22000 certification, which will improve Farkoni’s operational efficiency and enable the firm to export their products to the EU.  In January 2017, Farkoni sent its first trial shipment of 80,000 packages of seasonings to the US, which will be sold in  supermarkets in California.

By introducing these new products and utilizing modern technologies for processing, Farkoni is increasing its collection and sale of dried and processed herbs, fruits, and berries from local farmers.  To date, Farkoni has created 46 new rural jobs and collected raw materials from more than 400 farmers; providing an income of more than 1.5 million GEL.

Ambassador Kelly Gives Remarks at USAID's TB Prevention Project Close-Out Event
Tuesday, June 7, 2016 - 11:00am

On June 7, 2016, U.S. Ambassador Ian Kelly and Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Davit Sergeenko attended an event to mark the successful completion of USAID’s TB Prevention Project.

Exhibition and Awards Ceremony at Ezo
Friday, June 3, 2016 - 5:00pm

Officials from USAID, representatives from the Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), and co-owners of Ezo restaurant gathered for the public opening of a photo exhibition in honor of World Environment Day. The exhibition will be shown at Ezo through Sunday, June 5.

USAID Assistant Administrator Thomas Melia meeting Georgian farmers
Thursday, April 14, 2016 - 2:45am

U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia (E&E) Thomas O. Melia and USAID Mission Director Douglas Ball traveled to Gori to meet with beneficiaries of U.S. Government development assistance at the AgroKartli farm services center.

Thomas Melia visits USAID-supported educational program in Georgia
Thursday, April 14, 2016 - 2:15am

USAID Assistant Administrator for Europe and Eurasia Thomas Melia, USAID Mission Director Douglas Ball, and the Minister of Education and Science of Georgia Tamar Sanikidze visited USAID’s Georgian Primary Education (G-PriEd) project.

Thursday, March 19, 2015 - 2:30am

On March 19, Minister of Justice Tea Tsulukiani, Minister of Foreign Affairs Tamar Beruchashvili, U.S. Ambassador to Georgia Richard Norland, and USAID/Caucasus Deputy Mission Director, Thomas Morris will open the exhibition “Women Members of Constituent Assembly 1919-21.”

Statement by USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah on the Georgian Presidential Inauguration of Giorgi Margvelashvili
Monday, November 18, 2013 - 5:15am

On November 17, 2013, USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah led a U.S. delegation, including USAID Assistant Administrator Paige Alexander and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Thomas Melia, attending Georgia's Presidential Inauguration of Giorgi Marvelashvili. Marvelashvili was elected in a peaceful election on October 28, 2013. Administrator Shah's official statement is below.

Monday, November 4, 2013 - 2:15am

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) has awarded CNFA a contract, valued at $19.5 million, to implement the Restoring Efficiency to Agriculture Production (REAP) in Georgia from September 2013 through September 2018.  The REAP project will increase employment and income in rural areas by delivering firm-level investment and technical assistance to expand the operation of existing smallholder farmers and rural enterprises.  The project will facilitate the entry of new agribusinesses and input suppliers, including machinery service providers, storage facilities, sort

Youth Political Debate Participants Recognized
Wednesday, September 18, 2013 - 7:30am

Participants in a series of debates among youth wings of political parties were recognized at an event on Wednesday, September 18 in Tbilisi.  U.S. Ambassador Richard Norland presented certificates to the winning teams as well as certificates to all participants.

USAID Georgia Inaugurates First Renovated Apartment Building for Internall Displaced Peoples
Tuesday, September 17, 2013 - 7:15am

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Acting Mission Director Roy Plucknett was joined by Minister of Refugees Davit Darakhvelidze, Minister of Infrastructure David Narmania, Municipal Development Fund Executive Director Elguja Khorkrishvili, representatives from the Tskhaltubo local government and Internally Displaced People (IDP) families to open the first apartment building renovated under USAID’s Municipal Infrastructure and IDP Housing Rehabilitation Project on Tuesday, September 17 in Tskhaltubo. 

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Kutaisi, March 29, 2017, - U.S. Ambassador Ian Kelly, Minister of Health, Labor, and Social Affairs, David Sergeenko, and USAID Mission Director Douglas Ball, travelled to Kutaisi to open the Kutaisi Specialized Family-Type Service for Children with Severe Disabilities.  

Kutaisi’s Specialized Family-Type Service for Children with Severe Disabilities is the first unit in Georgia with transitional community-based care for children with severe disabilities.  In this Service, children transferred from a large orphanage now receive 24-hour nursing care, physical rehabilitation, and community integration services. Georgia’s Ministry of Health, Labor, and Social Affairs now has a challenging task ahead to establish at least four more similar Family-Type Services, to transfer orphans with disabilities living in large-scale orphanages, to a family-type environment; and eventually to families and foster families.    

The Specialized Family-Type Service has been established with the support of USAID’s $1 million, 5-year Protection of Children with Disabilities project, implemented by UNICEF.  The goal of the project is to ensure that infants and young children grow up in an environment conducive to child development.  A local NGO, Breath Foundation, donated the building for the Family-Type Service in Kutaisi and will manage it with the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Social Affairs’ (MoLSHA) funding.  USAID equipped the building; developed standards of care; trained professionals, nurses, and social workers; and linked the Family-Type Service with health care clinics and the Social Service Agency in Kutaisi. 

U.S. Ambassador Ian Kelly and USAID Mission Director Douglas Ball also visited a foster family in Kutaisi that takes care of three children with disabilities.  Foster care is essential in order to phase-out state orphanages and institutional care in Georgia. USAID’s current activity with UNICEF, the Protection of Children with Disabilities project, continues expanding and strengthening the network of foster families.