I was born in Kazbegi. My father had three girls and was disappointed he didn’t have a boy. We girls were doing everything not to make him feel the lack of a son and weren’t doing bad ourselves either. Nowadays, as he sometimes tells me, a son wouldn’t be as resourceful as me.
I studied at the economics faculty and then worked for a long time in the Revenue Service in Rustavi, until my husband moved to Kakheti for work and I had to leave my job to move with him. My father also partially influenced me to follow the man’s lead. I was distanced from my work while I lived there, and when I and my husband separated after living together for 12 years and I returned to Kazbegi, I found it hard to find my place and realize myself.

I was 36 years old when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I can’t say I took it as a tragedy, but my sisters and other family members took it pretty hard. I remember, when my little sister cried before the surgery for the first time, this was a big shock for me and I realized then that life could end shortly. My mother, taking my emotions into account, wasn’t discussing it with me — I was doing the same. This disease was like a gift to me – I had to come out of my shell and go somewhere. The most interesting thing I found was the feeling of the significance of a human as if everything else loses its meaning. I become more empathetic and forgiving.

After the surgery, I had to undergo several chemotherapy treatments. I remember, when I was rejuvenating, I needed to talk to someone a lot, and my sister helped me with that. I constantly thought about the future, what I would do, how I’d get my self-confidence back and where to find my place.

Once, in summer, tourists visited me from Israel and asked, “Do you have a shower?” — they conveyed in gestures what they meant. They stayed in my home for a few days and then, they were sending more tourists the whole summer. That’s how I tried my fate in tourism 7 years ago and got successful in it too. I always tried to improve my house to make it more comfortable for my guests. It’s really interesting that in the beginning, it was hard for me to look at tourism as a business since hospitality has always been our habit and how could we take money for that?!

One more barrier was my lack of knowledge of English. I used to gesture a lot and my foreign guests and partners also helped me with that. In general, I feel very comfortable when I have business relationships with women, business done with them always gets to the end and successfully, too. We have similar experiences and better understand each other’s struggles. I remember one summer I had a lot of guests. I was working alone back then and had to do everything by myself – cleaning, cooking dinner. One evening when I went to the kitchen to wash a pile of dirty dishes, my guests, girls, told me: Ketino, you’re tired, go get some sleep. I thought I would lie down for the night and take care of the dishes the next day. In the morning, I found the whole kitchen clean as a whistle and a note with a smile that had “kiss” written on it. I realized this was the girls’ doing. I put on red lipstick, kissed the paper and put it back. We had so much fun that morning. That’s how I slowly started to learn and remember English words. Now I can talk on the phone and get the other side to understand what I’m saying, and I can understand them too.

My life’s interesting. I haven’t been to every country, but the countries are coming to me and I get to know their culture and people. A Ukrainian cook, famous in England, Olia Hercules, wrote in her famous culinary book about my Mokhevian dinner receipts and published them together with my pictures.

Tourists often ask me where our men are, because only me, my mom and my sisters are handling the business. I have my own explanation: During the Soviet Union, our men used to live like kings, easily earning money and taking care of the family, then the union dissolved, there were no jobs, and men no longer understood what to do. It was the women who took charge to save their children. If there’s any reason Georgia survived in this period of time, it’s only because of Georgian women’s persistent care for their families. The hospitality business is still led by women.

A few years ago, a local development group was created in Kazbegi, based on the experience of the EU countries, which I became an active member of. Through this group, the local community is involved in solving the village’s problems. This approach enabled locals to do a lot of things. Our experience is very useful and municipalities would be wise to bear it in mind. Since we’re surrounded by everyday life here, we can understand the village’s needs better. By my own initiative, we have solved the garbage problem in the Gergeti road turn, added garbage bunkers, numbered the streets. Now we have the initiative to make Kazbegi more attractive in winter by creating a skiing ropeway. The main challenge is to get the local government to listen and believe us.

I’m now planning to create a women’s club in Kazbegi. Women in the regions find it difficult to communicate with each other because there are fewer places for women to gather. I’d like to create a place where women can go and have a heart-to-heart conversation, sit down and talk, share ideas and teach each other stuff. When ideas are born, it’s women who make them come to life and we need a place to share them. We women work hard and need a strong foundation for improving rural life.

Also, I would like to create a rehabilitation center in Kazbegi for women with cancer. I know how difficult it will be – if you are not strong enough and have nobody at your side, it’s hard to get the hope back in your life. I want to speak to such women, provide information and be in touch with them, I want to bring them the will for life back and help them find their way, as I myself did once.”

Author: Maiko Chitaia
Photo: Nina Baidauri
Translation: Mariam Kajrishvili

The post Ketevan Sujashvili, 51 years old, Kazbegi appeared first on WomenOfGeorgia.

It was the year 1988. I lived in Pasanauri together with my husband and kids. One evening an avalanche struck and caught us up. I was 40 back then. Half dead, I was rescued though. My husband died, so as my 4-year-old son – my future breadwinner. So, I found myself alone with my two little girls to raise. Seeing my dead son, then officials burst into tears: „Woe betide your mother!”.

From then on, three women, we had to carry our burdensome life all by ourselves.

Some five years later, they built us with some jerry-built house in Aragvispiri, which took them five years to finish. I, together with my girls, refurbished the house to make it a bit livable. On the first floor, there was a pigsty not worth of living. We managed to renovate only the second floor, but the very next year, gales ripped off the roof and crashed it right against the neighbour’s door. The house was so badly built only walls remained. So, I went complaining and government provided me with building materials. I somehow managed to roof the house, but then again, heavy rains washed it all away. Now I doubt I’ll be able ever to repair it again while alive.

After being left alone together with my girls, I had to somehow earn a living. So, in 1986, I started hawking wares together with other women up here on Gudauri mountain. Back then, this place was inhabited only by jackals and wolves. We, womenfolk, brought tables here and started selling some products and wares, such as hand-knit hats and socks which we knitted ourselves. We hawked outdoors, in the snow and wind. The wind often struck and scattered our goods, and we had to collect them throughout the mountains. No government has ever restricted street-vending here, who would? I come from these mountains, I was born and raised here – Seturidze is my surname and I’ve spent my youth among The Seturs. Who would have touched me? The previous government even constructed booth for us, women, not to sit in the open air. Since then, we’ve been handling our goods inside these booths. Instead of selling nuts and sunflower seeds like before, I’ve expanded my business. So, I buy goods from distributors now. I even bought a cash register. These days, many tourists come here, so my business lets me earn a living from season to season and I don’t have to beg for my daily bread anymore.

I speak to tourists in three languages – Russian, German and English. It was the other day I was telling fellow women about my youth recalling how I used to get high marks in foreign languages as a student, and now, at my age, all languages came in useful. Every morning, I come up this mountain and stay here to the evening till cable cars station closes. Sometimes I stay in Gudauri with my brother, and sometimes I go to Aragvispiri – I hitch a lift from passing cars all the time from here to there, from there to here.

When I was fit and healthy, I bought goods from Lilo market in the summertime and peddling them here in Gudauri and Aragvispiri. I am strong but still a woman, so carrying heavy things damaged my health and I quit that business.

It’s not a piece of cake working in the mountains, but I still keep my end up. but still, a woman without a man is like a fish without water.

Author: Maiko Chitaia
Photo credit: Nino Baidauri

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I was born and raised in Tskhinvali. I went to school there. I went to the Tskhinvali Institute for two years and, after that horrible conflict, moved to Tbilisi to live with my aunt for a few years. I had to take various jobs and in 1995, when the situation in the country worsened, and there was nothing enjoyable and special going on in my life, I joined a movement called “Belief and Light” by chance. This movement is spread in almost every country of the world, uniting people with intellectual disabilities, their family members and the friends who volunteer. There are two such associations in Tbilisi and, I am happy to say, there is one in the Tserovani settlement for IDPs. When I first went to the meeting, I was determined to teach and help the people with intellectual disabilities. At the very first meeting, I realized that it was a place where I would learn a lot myself. People with intellectual disabilities, despite their limitations, have many talents! Still, their major talent is the ability to accept you the way you are, to love you the way you are, and ask nothing in return. They just want to be friends with you and want you to become part of their life. I saw it in a different light, I realized the beauty of these people and I am happy to be around them and be friends with them for the past 20 years!

Our association holds meetings every month and we spend quality time together – we share opinions on different topics with one another, sing, dance, stage performances, celebrate each other’s birthdays, have cakes and tea… Our relationship is limited to meetings only, we often visit one another, go for walks, attend various cultural events…

Once a year, we arrange a camp – we pick an interesting place to stay at for a few days, and live together like one big family. We cook together, tidy the place, go on picnics and have fun for these five or six days. I used to think: “I am doing this for the movement”, but after a certain time, you realize that this movement is for you, it is actually helping you! To be honest, “Belief and Light” helped me tremendously in the 90s. It made my life more enjoyable, more peaceful and gave me many friends not only from Georgia, but from abroad too. Today, these people are my closest friends.

Since 2008, my grandmother, who was from Akhalgori, was given a house in Tserovani. She was very sick so my mother and I moved to live with her. Then my father became ill… my grandmother and my father both died soon… I stayed at home, apathetic… it was the darkest period of my life. One day, I heard from Nana (Nana Chkareuli) that there was a project allowing women to learn making cloisonné enamel. I was skeptical at first because I thought you needed a special talent for painting; you had to be a painter to create beautiful items of silver. They explained I did not need such a talent at all. Honestly, I was quite surprised. When I took the tools in my hands for the first time, it seemed impossible, but after making three items, I realized that I was getting somewhere. In short, I loved the learning process and after the project was over, I was asked to stay at the workshop. I have worked here for three years.

I wouldn’t be exaggerating to say it is the best job anyone can have. For one thing, I don’t have a strict schedule. However, I still go to work and leave work at the same time – at 11 p. m. or even 12 a. m. This is how much I enjoy doing what I do. I really love this job and time passes so fast that I can hardly keep track of it.
We sell our works. Besides, we organize workshops that are especially popular with foreigners. We create various jewelry together. We teach them to make these beautiful items with their own hands. The life we are leading is truly interesting. We sell our works here, in the workshop and via a shop located at 53 Leselidze Street in Tbilisi. We also have a Facebook page Ikorta where we take orders.”

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My spouse passed away here, so we buried him in this area. I got married at the age of 18. I have five children. I loved my husband that’s why I married him. My sister got married in Znauri. I met my husband when I was visiting my sister. We knew and courted each other for 3 years. I was a well-dressed girl and he was a handsome guy either. I did not look as ugly as I look now, I was a cute girl. I married a person I loved but I wish I had a different fate not to end up here. When I married him he was in the army for 4 years and 10 months in Leninakan. I missed my husband but who would have brought him to me from the army?! So I visited him three times myself. I did not lack anything when I was young, but I lack things now, in my old age. I wish I had never gotten married, I would not have had so many things to worry about now. My husband and I lived together for 74 years.

We went through difficulties and built our life to be left with nothing! We live here in this “plywood”. I had a big house and a lot of land plots, vineyards, orchards… I worked with my own hands. I did have everything and did not need to ask for anything. I worked so hard there but now I am nobody.“

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Later on, we opened the business consultation center and the war broke out. We had to leave Akhalgori and arrive here. It was a difficult period; I was disoriented and had no idea what to do. I had numerous ideas and plans, but I realized that they were meant for Akhalgori. For one year I lived in confusion. Luckily, in Tbilisi, IDP organizations established a coalition for the rights of internally displaced people. Actually, I feel that I lost those years because I should have been in Tserovani, not Tbilisi. However, on the other hand, work in coalition has given me large experience and has taught me many things. Later, I decided that I had to push my efforts in Tserovani as I lived there and I could see what was going on. So, together with my friends, I set up another NGO called “For Better Future”. The vision and the main purpose of the organization was integration and professional development of women and youth; we work towards creating a more convenient environment for women and youth to develop better skills of self-actualization and self-belief.

During this time, we implemented various projects, set up a woman’s club, carried out a project that taught young people skills of working with the self-government bodies, problem solution and other skills…
Later we saw that the biggest challenge for women was employment. At that time, we learned about social entrepreneurship and decided to set up a social enterprise. Today, we have three social enterprises in Tserovani – a folk-craft workshop, cloisonné enamel workshop and a social café. These enterprises employ 11 women. We work very hard to develop them so that they can actually be useful, bring actual income and contribute to the economic strength of the family.

At the same time, we are working with young people under the US Embassy project Bookmobile – a library on wheels that travels in four different settlements of internally displaced people. Bookmobile is equipped with English language books, access to internet, audio and video materials, fictional and documentary films. It also offers a space for discussion where people can meet and talk about various topics. Bookmobile is popular with children, but sometimes adolescents drop in too. The purpose is to bring books to young people so that the children, the future generation grows into an intelligent civil society.

Internally displaced people do not have peculiar, stand-alone problems. I always say that our women face the same problems as the women in whole Georgia. This is, of course, domestic abuse, low self-esteem, lack of information about their rights, and others. That’s why, we try to provide more information about their rights to the women and allow them to exercise these rights.
We always approach women from the standpoint that this is first and foremost important for their children, even if they have given up and are trying to be “a hero”, however…

For the victims of domestic abuse, it is almost impossible to take drastic steps. If you are living in a settlement for internally displaced people and have zero support from the Government, your only choice is to stay where you are and try to protect yourself somehow. As a rule, they are reluctant to talk about it, and, by the way, this settlement has blocked communication. If in a traditional Georgian village everyone is informed about everyone’s lives, it is different here, the information does not travel and it certainly does not help our efforts. The settlement is more like a township than a village. Everyone is locked in their shells. Despite the fact that all our village was displaced here, the relationships the neighbors used to have, is gone. We may all live here, but not run into each other for years.

We work in other settlements too and they have different social problems. These problems, for the most part, are closely linked with the problems the women face. For instance, if you open a bakery in Tserovani, you are sure to have customers all the time, but the same is not true for Prezeti, which is a much smaller settlement and everyone bakes bread at home. The prospect of a successful business is very dim and every time someone makes it, they try to escape that place. Sometimes I am under the impression that they are used to these problems.

We cooperate with the Ministry of Refugees. I constantly remind them that they cannot have a uniform approach to every settlement – what is needed in Tserovani may be completely irrelevant to Prezeti, and vice versa. No one listens to me. Tserovani is doing relatively well, it is close to the city, it is a large settlement surrounded by factories and there is an opportunity to get a job. However, there are families who have no job, no income and live on 45 GEL IDP benefit. Besides, they cannot farm as they do not have a piece of land, and are completely dependent on the financial income. In the village everyone had farms and managed to sustain themselves, but they don’t have such an opportunity here.

We happen to live in an interesting time… We have overcome many things, but more challenges are ahead. We don’t know how our life will be changed in the future… But I know for sure that one day, I will be able to cross the border, live in my village with my people and my each effort is a preparation for that moment.”

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