Stimulus for new successes for Sofia Tolordava

Sofia cannot hide her pride with the result she received. The result of the advocacy campaign on the issue: equipping the bus stop construction with “ramps” (she emphasizes this every time she starts talking about civic initiative).

The representatives of Zugdidi City Hall came, studied the area, recorded the data. According to them, the construction will be installed in the first quarter of 2022. It turns out that very quickly, since this is rarely done at the end of the year. And this women initiative group managed this!

Sofia Tolordava does not want to credit herself with all the success. She claims that the whole community was involved - the women started, and when seeing that the process started the men and youth also joined...

Sofia shared her experience with community members, and they were actively involved in collecting signatures, communicating with the local government. She even conducted workshops on practical skills of advocacy.

“I wasn’t so brave,” Sophia admits. – The first meeting in the City Hall was emotional. It seemed that I had prepared the whole speech, arguments, the main messages of the campaign, but suddenly it seemed that I could not even say a word. It was very scary, I was afraid to be disgraced. But if earlier I had to speak only on my own behalf, now I represented the community. Behind me there was a coalition “Women for Peace”, a strong organization - the Fund “Sukhumi”. Almost after every step I addressed the Fund and they gave me advice, taught me how to go further".

Sofia knew that the success of the campaign depended on her. All the meetings scheduled for the campaign went well. Sofia already teaches others how to conduct a constructive dialogue and make local officials their supporters.

“Our community has united, we are already solving some problems, and we have found new issues for advocacy,” Sofia, the head of one of the women initiative groups of the Zugdidi municipality, does not hide her pride.

Her personal Facebook page is full of kind words ... This is a great stimulus for new successes.

The project is implemented with the support of Kvinna till Kvinna,

 womens Foundation (Sweden)

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