BY LIA DAVITADZE
High in the mountains of Ajara, where access to resources is limited, water and wastewater infrastructure is almost non-existent and environmental challenges are intensified by climate conditions, a quiet but powerful transformation is taking place alongside a novel Infrastructure Investment Program – The Ajara Rural Water Supply and Wastewater Program, assisted by the European Union and the German Government and being implemented in 39 mountainous villages and 5 semi-urban areas of Ajara. At the beginning of the Program, already during the village selection stage it was decided to establish workshop with students and schools, so called eco-clubs, through which the students of the affected villages would become environmental leaders, community educators, and active agents of sustainable change.
Eco-clubs have now been active for five years already. Across the highland villages, they have brought together students, teachers, academics from Batumi Shota Rustaveli State Universities and local communities around one joint mission: to protect nature, to bring up environmentally friendly, socially responsible citizen who will value resources and take care of its sustainable usage building a greener future. What began as small student groups has been growing into a strong youth-driven movement, reaching schools that previously had little access to environmental education or practical sustainability initiatives.
Initially, the eco-club concept was structured to have environment related workshops at each involved school, bringing in experts from the relevant fields and from the universities. Students involved in the eco-clubs have gained hands-on experience in implementing activities, which were documented in the green calendar with photos reflecting the activities uploaded to the Facebook eco club page, as social media is important for visibility and communication with and between the students. An Environmental Summit was held at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University, where all 23 eco -clubs participated. During the summit, the Eco-clubs presented examples of their work during the recent year. Students now understand how everyday actions impact rivers, forests, and public health. Through environmental clean-up campaigns, usage of water tool kits to monitor the water quality of springs and rivers in their villages, and awareness sessions, the children have become visible role models in their villages—teaching not only their peers, but also parents and neighbours about the importance of water wastewater biodiversity and environment issues.
One of the most significant changes has been in the attitudes toward wastewater treatment. In communities where wastewater was traditionally discharged in holes, and the soil later used for fertilization, however not considering the potential contamination of rivers and springs in its vicinity, eco-club members discussed the importance of effective and safe solutions the Ajara Rural Water Supply and Wastewater Program managed by the Ajara Water Alliance offered to village inhabitants: biologically treated septic tanks, community training on affective usage and creating precedent in Ajara mountainous villages. Eco–club students are actively involved to distributing first hand information to their community on proper on advantages of septic tanks.
The eco-clubs have also improved students’ leadership and communication skills. Through meetings, peer-to-peer education, public presentations, and cooperation with local authorities, students acquired the skills to organize campaigns, speak in public, and advocate for environmental protection. Teachers report improved confidence, teamwork, and responsibility among participants.
More importantly, the initiative has also helped build a bridge between schools, the local university, municipalities, and families. Local governments now see students as partners in environmental protection. The university and involved families continuously support school activities, recognizing that their children are bringing practical knowledge and positive change into households.
The eco-clubs in Georgia’s Ajara highlands prove that real environmental change does not require large infrastructure alone — it begins with education, youth mobilization and engagement, ownership and community trust. By empowering children with knowledge and responsibility, the project planted seeds that will continue to grow for years to come, shaping a generation that respects nature and protects its future.
MACS is applying the concept of Eco-clubs as integrated instrument following a holistic and participatory approach in all MACS projects in Sustainable Infrastructure. Eco-clubs are an important instrument of the empowerment of the Rural population. For this reason, MACS has been assisting and extending the establishment of Eco-clubs in Georgia, but also in Moldova, Albania and Peru in the context of other currently ongoing rural and urban wastewater treatment and water supply projects.
SISAR ( the Integrated Rural Sanitation System) is a community management and operating model for small communities in rural areas with shared responsibilities between communities and the SISARs (confederations of associations). The operating level can be divided into the operating level and the decision making level. The previous phases of the project already tackled the set-up and development of the SISAR set-up, the fourth phase will focus now on the strengthening of the management model in three phases:
The main objective of the program is to reduce the vulnerability and strengthen the resilience of the rural population of the state of Ceará to water scarcity, improving health conditions and quality of life.
The Project activities will focus on 3 development phases, starting with the technical increase of access to drinking water and the guarantee for stability in supply and quality of water, the protection of water resources through sewage treatment and efficient water use and the ensured sustainability of the operation and maintenance of basic sanitation infrastructure by strengthening the SISAR management model.
Kassyo Rodrigues
Senior Rural Sanitation & Policy Consultant
Kassyo Rodrigues
Senior Rural Sanitation & Policy Consultant
Kassyo is our Brazilian finance expert who combines an MBA in International Business with over 10 years of professional working experience in non-profit-organizations. He is mainly active in our Latin American projects focusing on capacity development, training and educational measures for the staff of non-profit service providers as well as on management support to project implementation units. Besides Latin America, he has performed assignments in Uganda and Mozambique.
Kassyo uses his financial modeling skills to support the development of cost covering water supply services and his familiarity with participatory training methods has enabled him to implement business plans and financial projections as living documents, which can be administered by the people in the project. Kassyo is fluent in Portuguese and English.
Dr. Lia Davitadze
Senior Gender and Communication Consultant