Resource centre for Water, Sanitation and Renewable Energy opened in Western Georgia by RCDA

Regional resource centre for Water, Sanitation and Renewable Energy was festively opened in Khamiskuri, Khobi district on 26th November 2010 by RCDA and local and regional authorities with participation of WECF, Greens Movement and other WECF partners

18.01.2011 |Anna Samwel

Inspection of the newly opened regional resource centre in Khamiskuri, Khobi

The newly opened regional resource centre aims to improve the quality of life of low income rural communities by giving them access to knowledge, training, hardware and financing mechanisms of sustainable energy, water and sanitation technologies. The objectives of the centre are to facilitate cooperation between different stakeholders in undertaking real action for sustainable rural development and poverty reduction, and strengthening their capacity for sustainable development.

At the moment a solar warm water collector, different kinds of solar dryers, a briquetting machine, solar house heating, a solar cooker, composting and of course a urine diverting dry toilet are exposed and used at the centre, most of these technologies have been developed in cooperation with WECF within the ELA project.. The centre is accessible to everyone and people can get advice and trainings for free. The center has already attracted many visitors including different regional authorities, television and radio, local NGOs as well as international donors.

The building has 4 rooms and a conference room, with possibilities to conduct seminars and receive guests over night. The building is very cost effective and energy efficient. The centre is managed by reliable, well trained and knowledgeable local resource persons that live in the village. The land belongs to one of the villagers involved who agreed that his land will be used for the resource centre. At the moment the centre is under RCDA auspices, but will be registered as an independent NGO in the near future.

The center will be developed further in future projects, and be an platform of change for the region, bringing stakeholders together, managing revolving funds and being the breeding ground for small businesses. The center will generate income with small businesses, providing services and offer meeting and workshop location to local and international NGOs. However for extending the center, grants are still aimed at.

The centre is built in the frame of the project ‘Create Local Capacity for Sustainable Rural Development’ cooperation with Greens Movement of Georgia/FoE Georgia with financial support of the European Commission.

RCDA, Greens Movement and the other WECF partner NGOs involved in this project were trained by WECF during the 3 year ELA (Empowerment and Local Action) project, funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Therewith this centre and the project are an outcome and upscaling of the ELA project.

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