Goals

Problem statement:

People with disabilities face many challenges in Georgia, especially in the regions, which have inadequate or nonexistent resources for managing day-to-day life. In September 2015, Helping Hand initiated the project “Support People with Disabilities through Volunteerism“ in Marneuli with the financial support of the McLain Association for Children. Marneuli has a large Internally Displaced Person (IDP) community as well as a large Azeri population, both of which are largely isolated and have little communication with the general community. Cultural divides fracture the community, and that coupled with nonexistent resources and negative stereotypes made the situation for disabled community members untenable.
The Marneuli project aimed to engage youth in community-building activities to support people with disabilities, to which end Helping Hand trained twenty youth and one coordinator in leadership, project design and management, fundraising, and more. As a result, the youth established a regional volunteer incubator and mobilized youth as a volunteers, developed volunteer programs to integrate PWDs, their parents and local community in the understanding of this issue, and created an action plan that involves founding a printing workshop to train and employ youth and PWD together at a local school. They are working hard to raise support and funds for the renovation and outfitting of the workshop, but have yet to raise sufficient seed money to for the implementation of the project. Helping Hand looks to support youth in becoming more active, developing community-based solutions, and creating a positive, inclusive environment for action. One joint activity they have identified is baking desserts together as an integration activity for PWDs and to raise funds by selling the resulting treats, and with Orbeliani support, we hope to support Marneuli youth in the implementation of this activity.

Proposed Solution:

The Marneuli youth volunteers have engaged in awareness and charity events, but support from the Orbeliani organization will provide the seed capital necessary to continue fundraising activities for the establishment of the printing workshop. A small grant will serve to buy small equipment, design and order packages and ingredients for local youth to make desserts to sell in their community to raise funds and awareness for people with disabilities.
We will work together with Peace Corps volunteer, who willing to teach youth and PWDs dessert recipes, and the youth will complete a simple business plan and cost analyses together with guidance from Helping Hand trainers. The desserts can be made on a daily basis or through online orders, providing youth with opportunities to raise money, work together and raise awareness. With successful implementation, the money raised through the sales of desserts will fund the opening of the print workshop.
The baking activities in the Civic Engagement Center or Youth Marneuli Centre will serve various purposes including:
(1) Teach youth and PWD new skills in business development and baking.
(2) Decrease stigmatization and stereotyping of PWD
(3) Increased business skills among youth
(4) Increased volunteer opportunities for youth and PWD
(5) Integrated minorities, majorities of youth and PWD towards common goals
(6) Increased income generating opportunities for the sustainability of projects in Marneuli

Sustainability:

The equipment and packages will be used to make desserts for sale in Marneuli, and the youth group will set up an online order system so that customers can continue to order desserts for weekly pick-up. They will be trained to make high-quality desserts and will follow their action plans to ensure quality service and products for their customers, who will increase through recommendations and promotion led by youth. The youth group has shown its resilience and commitment to pursuing activities to support and integrate PWD in their communities during the past six months, and they will embrace the chance to increase their effectiveness and impact. Completion of cost analyses and correct pricing will ensure that the group has sufficient funds to continue to buy ingredients and to save for the opening of the printing workshop. The business skills learned in the workshop and in the practice of selling desserts will serve the volunteers well in the establishment of the printing workshop, and if it maintains popularity, the baking group will be able to maintain the business with pick-up and sales at the newly established printing workshop