SEMA

More Support to Rural Communities

The overall objective of the project was to contribute to the sustainable implementation of the Millennium Development Goals through building skills of poor communities and increase of incomes by introducing sustainable agriculture, eco-sanitation and alternative energy sources.

Aiming at implementing this objective, through the cooperation between WECF and SEMA within the ELA program, the project, Support of Rural Communities in Georgian Regions in Increase of Incomes through Building Skills and Capacities in Conducting Organic Agriculture and Environmentally Safe Off-Farm Activities, was implemented in 2008.

Under the aegis of the project, there were three groups of farmers in three villages of two administrative regions of Georgia created to implement the project.
The population of Georgian regions is scarcely informed about the sustainable agriculture, eco-sanitation and alternative energy sources. Aiming at filling such information vacuum, the SEMA Association organized a training cycle for the mentioned communities concerning the basic principles of sustainable agriculture, essence and ways of applying eco-sanitation measures and options of using alternative energy sources in villages. The mentioned urgent issues rose great interest among the population.

Aiming at introducing the methods of sustainable agriculture into practice, there were three demonstration fields arranged within the project, and the farmers grew high-yielding crops with the use of ecological methods of production. Different measures to improve soil fertility were used in the farms and methods of correct management of organic waste were also applied. It should be noted that the farmers had their incomes increased by 10%.

Aiming at improving the sanitary-hygienic conditions of the village population, there were 13 U.D. toilets designed and installed. This measure first of all serves the purpose of improving the ground water quality, promoting efficient waste management and generally improving the present severe sanitary-hygienic conditions in the villages.

The benefit and frugality of the alternative energy sources is a worldly known fact. At the stage of introduction of the alternative energy sources to the villages, a 6 m3-capacity demonstrative gas digester was installed at one of the large rural households. The digester produces 0,4-0,5 m3 gas a day in winter and 1,5-1,7 m3 gas a day in warmer periods of the year saving on the firewood, which is the valuable natural resource and producing an organic fertilizer rich in different substances. In addition, there was a sanitary day organized at one of the communities. The school pupils and teachers took an active part in the action, which gave a stimulus to the whole society, who planned another action of planting trees on the village slopes in spring.

Thanks to the project implemented by WECF and SEMA within the ELA program in 2008, we have made a modest contribution to the well-being of a small part of the rural population, who lacks awareness and modern economic high-yielding technologies.