Adjara

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View map of programs in Adjara

Democracy and Governance

Applied Civic Education and Teacher Training (ACETT)
Timeline: July 2010 – July 2013
ACETT improves the quality and scope of school-based civic education to influence positively the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of youth, empowering them to be active participants in building a democratic society. ACETT is implemented nationwide in Georgia. It enhances civic education materials and approaches, establishes accredited courses for civic teachers, introduces practical application of classroom lessons, provides small grants in support of applied learning, maintains an interactive website, and promotes social networking for teachers and students. ACETT activities in Adjara include civic education activities in schools in Batumi, Keda, Kobuleti, Shuakhevi, Khelvachauri, and Khulo.

Good Governance in Georgia (G3)
Timeline: Feb 2011 – March 2014
G3 addresses the diverse challenges and shortcomings in governance at the national and local levels. The program improves transparency and institutional efficiency at all levels of government in providing better services to citizens, as well as improving communication channels between government institutions, stakeholders, civil society and citizens. At the national level, the program promotes improved public administration, advancing public sector reform in target institutions using human and institutional capacity development approaches. At the municipal level the program promotes more responsive, professional, and engaged local governance in Batumi. In addition, a Center for Civic Engagement (CCE) in Batumi provides a public gathering space dedicated to civic discourse.

Policy, Advocacy, and Civil Society Development in Georgia (G-PAC)
Timeline: Oct 2010 – Oct 2014
G-PAC helps institutionalize more balanced and effective public oversight of and engagement with the government by strengthening Georgia’s civil society sector. It does this by implementing two interlinked and mutually supportive objectives to accelerate the development of civic leaders and organizations that will: (a) become effective advocates for an empowered citizenry, and (b) provide viable policy options to government reflecting citizens’ needs. G-PAC is active in Adjara through a number of sub-grantees addressing issues such as competition legislation, economic reform, protection of rights of people with autism, school violence prevention, improvements to the state policy on eco-migration, and the social integration of children with hearing problems.

Judicial Independence and Legal Empowerment Project (JILEP)
Timeline: Oct 2010 – Oct 2014
JILEP supports and strengthens the judiciary as an independent yet equal branch of government, and improves Georgia’s commercial law system. Activities aim to improve the process by which judges are appointed, trained and disciplined to increase their independence and professionalism. The project also further strengthens the state free legal aid system and the legal NGO community, and increases public understanding of the role of the judiciary. It contributes to improvement of legal education both for legal students and for practicing attorneys in Georgia. Finally, the project streamlines procedures for handling commercial cases and enforcing commercial judgments. JILEP supports legal aid and court monitoring in Batumi and free legal aid and consultation in Keda.

Georgian Media Enhance Democracy, Informed citizenry and Accountability (G-MEDIA)
Timeline: Oct 2010 – Oct 2014
This project improves the public’s access to a range of news sources and information by developing a more politically balanced, editorially independent, and professional media able to deliver news, information, and analysis to audiences throughout the country. G-MEDIA is providing grants to improve the public’s access to a wider range of higher quality media content, and is reaching the public through emerging channels, including social media, internet-based, and wireless delivery systems, It provides practical, hands-on education of journalists at the university level, and targeted skills training in investigative and specific issue reporting; strengthens journalists’ capacity to monitor and respond to infringements on their rights; and works with individual media outlets to build their financial sustainability and to address barriers to attracting advertisers. G-MEDIA supports training in media law for media representatives in Batumi, and assistance for print, broadcast and television media in Adjara.

In addition to the projects above, national Democracy and Governance projects including Political Party Strengthening, Increased Trust in Electoral Processes, Advancing National Integration, and G-Media serve the region.

Economic Growth

Economic Prosperity Initiative (EPI)
Timeline: Sept 2010 – Sept 2014
This program will improve Georgia’s overall economic competitiveness through assistance designed to: 1) expand and deepen the country’s economic governance capacity; 2) improve agriculture sector productivity; and 3) strengthen targeted non-agricultural value chains that have the highest growth potential. EPI supports agriculture trainings for more than 540 mandarin farmers. In partnership with the Ministry of Agriculture of Adjara, EPI has engaged in extensive leasing promotion to more than 30 large farmers and agricultural processors covering grain, fruit, vegetable, nut, citrus and wine production sectors. Additional targeted trainings on leasing and crop insurance, and other available lending products will be conducted to 150 farmers in Batumi and Kobuleti. EPI is also linking more than 200 small and medium sized enterprises and agricultural producers in the region with financial institutions and EPI financial advisors through matchmaking activities in Batumi. EPI also supports meetings, incentives, conferencing, and exhibition tourism initiatives, including training in customer service to 50 hospitality staff from 20 Adjara-based hotels and restaurants to improve the level of service available to tourists.

In addition to the projects above, national Economic Growth projects, including loan guarantees through the Development Credit Authority serve the region.

Energy and Environment

Hydropower Investment Promotion Program (HIPP)
Timeline: March 2010 - March 2013
HIPP collaborates with the Government of Georgia and hydropower investors to attract investments into Georgian hydropower development. HIPP is expected to help attract local and foreign investment to Georgia’s energy sector to add 400 megawatts of clean, green renewable power to the Georgian grid. This new energy will help move Georgia closer to energy independence and serve as a profitable export to rapidly increasing yet underserved energy markets in Turkey and Eastern Europe with a view toward regional economic growth. This program will support a number of hydropower projects throughout the Adjara region.

Strengthening Local Capacity and Developing Structured Dialogue for Climate Change Adaptation, Natural Disaster Risk Reduction and Post-Conflict Environmental Rehabilitation in Georgia
Timeline: Sep. 2009 – Sept. 2012
This project develops flexible and resilient societies in the rural areas of Georgia to be capable of coping with the impacts of current climate variability and future climate change. Specifically, the project works to reduce the susceptibility of local communities in select rural areas of Georgia to the negative climate impacts through post-conflict environmental rehabilitation, natural disaster risk reduction, and climate change adaptation. The project supports activities in the Khelvachauri and Keda districts.

Support for National Parks Reform
Timeline: Sept. 1999 – Sept. 2014
In partnership with the U.S. Department of the Interior, USAID assists Georgia to enhance the institutional capacity of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources Protection of Georgia to manage and commercialize national parks and promote tourism opportunities. Technical assistance and training is provided to Ministry officials, as well as the employees of protected areas throughout Georgia. In Adjara, the project supports technical assistance to Mtirala National Park and Machakhela Planned Protected Area in the Khelvachauri district.

In addition to the projects above, national Energy and Environment projects, including New Applied Technology Efficiency and Lighting Initiative, GNEWRC Partnership Program, and Black Sea Regional Transmission Planning Project serve the region.

Health and Social Development

HIV Prevention Project
Timeline: Feb. 2010 - Dec. 2014
The HIV Prevention Project supports HIV prevention among high-risk groups in Georgia in order to avert the spread of HIV to the general population. It focuses on: prevention in primary risk groups; interventions with secondary risk groups most likely to be infected next (youth); and stigma reduction. In Adjara, more than 600 individuals have received assistance, including more than 120 participants in voluntary counseling and training.

Social Infrastructure Project
Timeline: July 2010 – Mar 2012
The Social Infrastructure Program provided enhanced learning and living conditions for orphans and vulnerable children. The project also improved the short-term economic status of ethnic minorities, IDPs, and graduates of the Vocational Education Programs by employing them in the rehabilitation of schools in Oladauri, Khikhidziri, Zemo Vashlovani, Kharaula, Sakhalvasho, and Gorgadzeebi.

Job Counseling and Referral Project
Timeline: Mar. 2010 – May 2012
This activity provided job counseling, referral, and placement of the unemployed in Georgia, with particular outreach to internally displaced persons (IDPs). The activity created job counseling and referral centers, facilitated outreach to employers, and placed beneficiaries in vocational education programs. There is a job counseling and referral center in Batumi that provides training in job search and interview skills. Since 2010, the center in Batumi has provided job counseling to more than 1327 individuals and market-oriented vocational education to more than 179. The center has helped more than 678 beneficiaries gain employment.

Georgia Sustaining Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health Services Project (Sustain)
Timeline: Oct 2009 – Oct 2014
Sustain meets critical maternal and child health and family planning needs while laying the foundation for long-term, sustainable family planning and maternal and neonatal health programs in the private sector. Through private insurance industry plans, existing health clinics and planned health training units, it also promotes a broader range of contraceptives available in pharmacies throughout Georgia. In Adjara, the activity supports maternal and child health services and a rural health family planning center for best practices in Batumi, and contraceptive education and distribution throughout the region.

Strengthening Childcare Services and Systems
Timeline: Aug 2010 – Aug 2013
This activity focuses on the following areas: improving access to social benefits for vulnerable groups; improving alternative care and expansion of family support services; strengthening policy, oversight and accountability in the childcare system; and addressing the issue of domestic violence. The activity is supporting the transition of large orphanages to small group homes in the region, and providing social worker and social system support.

In addition to the activities listed above, national Health and Social Development programs, including the Health System Strengthening Project and Hepatitis B Catch-up Vaccination project, serve the region.