People from Ninotsminda and Akhalkalaki villages prompted their community to solve a local problem when they participated in an environmental talk show on Radio NOR, a USAID-supported regional media outlet. They told listeners about how the garbage from a local waste facility blows onto their pastures, damaging the health of their cattle and crops.

The radio program caught the attention of the local community, and the people responded. Representatives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the staff of Akhalkalaki and Ninotsminda municipalities gathered on Saturday, May 14, 2016 for a clean-up action. The representatives also developed a system for the area to be cleaned each week, and the Ministry agreed to provide special containers to the Ninotsminda waste facility before 2018.

Radio NOR is one of 15 regional media outlets supported by USAID’s Media for Transparent and Accountable Governance (M-TAG) initiative, which is implemented by the International Research and Exchanges Board (IREX). Through M-TAG, USAID supports Georgia’s media sector by building the capacity of journalists to demonstrate accurate and ethical reporting on public interest issues, and by supporting regional media outlets to improve financial viability and transparency. 

For the full report, see here: http://nor.ge/?p=40337  http://nor.ge/?p=41552