Pro Bono support to community activists

Pro Bono Company - Micro Finance Company MBC

Beneficiary - "Marttfevi Youth Center"

26-10-2023/15-11-2023

In October and November, a large-scale pro bono mediation project was implemented, which united six business companies and six civil activists. The mediation process involved the preparation of nominees for the "Best Community Initiative" contest. The competition is part of the annual event, "Community Leaders Forum", which has been managed by the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia since 2015 (see more here)

Civil activists presented their initiatives to the audience. A member of the pro bono network and representatives of a friendly company helped to distinguish interesting accents and present presentations in an original way.

Six companies were involved pro bono in the mediation process: Bank of Georgia, TBC Bank, Credo Bank, APM Terminal, Micro Finance Organization MBC and Tegeta Holding.

Brief information and about the project:

A group of motivated young people decided to establish a youth center in the village of Martov, where there was no youth space or civic organization. At first, they started their activities without a meeting space, in good weather they met in parks, and in winter - in the house of culture, sometimes in the school building, as they could.

The main challenge was having a permanent meeting space for the volunteers.

After a one-year dialogue with the municipality, the initiative group was given one room in the former council or administration building, after which the work of arranging, equipping and revitalizing the space began.

All members of the community can use the room of the youth center

The arrangement of the space gave an impetus and a start to new projects and a cycle of trainings, an advocacy campaign: "Together, let's save the Martfa River";

future leadership club and leadership laboratory, in which various Age groups are involved. The maintenance of the activities of the youth space is done by the so-called With "grassrooting", that is Young people who develop and acquire various competencies through informal education, then pass on their knowledge and experience to the representatives of the younger generation. For example, with the facilitation of 16-17-year-old leaders, 12-13-year-olds plan film screenings; cleaning actions; waste separation and other types of activities.