The Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia (CSRDG) has recently identified a group of Social Entrepreneurship Young Ambassadors. With financial support of up to 700 euros from CSRDG, and backing from the European Union and Bread for the World, these young ambassadors will embark on a mission to engage local youth in social entrepreneurship throughout the regions over the next 5 months. A special prize awaits the best ambassador at the end of this period.
Among the candidates, 13 project authors made it to the final stage of the Young Ambassadors Programme. Each of them presented their projects to the jury, sharing their vision for promoting and popularizing social entrepreneurship while raising awareness about it.
The individuals below have been named the Social Entrepreneurship Young Ambassadors of 2023:
- Mariam Sharashidze - Guria
- Irakli Tevzadze - Imereti
- Davit Nizharadze - Svaneti
- Elene Kachlishvili and Giorgi Batsashvili - Kakheti
- Tekla Adamia - Kvemo Kartli
- Maia Khutsishvili and Lika Khutsishvili - Samtskhe-Javakheti
These winners will be dedicated to their mission of raising awareness about social entrepreneurship in the municipalities of Svaneti, Guria, Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kakheti, Imereti, and Kvemo-Kartli.
After the ambassadors' intensive efforts in six regions of Georgia, the best Social Entrepreneurship Young Ambassador will be unveiled and rewarded with special prizes.
More than 200 applications were received within the programme, and 25 enthusiastic young individuals were carefully selected. They all attended a summer school focused on social entrepreneurship, gearing up for the next stage - the project competition.
The ultimate goal of the Social Entrepreneurship Young Ambassadors Programme is to introduce the concept of social entrepreneurship to the younger generation, encouraging them to address social and environmental challenges in their communities. Through this initiative, the programme aims to discover young leaders, develop their skills in grant management, donor relations, and other practical aspects.
It's worth mentioning that CSRDG has been organizing student competitions for young people since 2012, and this year's participation adds to a total count of over 500 young people who have benefited from such programmes over the years.
The programme is a component of the project "Advancing Social Entrepreneurship for Sustainable and Inclusive Society", which is being implemented by the Center for Strategic Research and Development of Georgia, with the support of the European Union and Bread for the World. The project has the following partners: Alliance of Social Enterprises, Civil Society Institute, Georgian Civil Development Association, Democratic Development Union of Georgia, European Venture Philanthropy Association and Youth Agency.
