Our carpentry social enterprise "Skhivi” – which means “Ray” in Georgian – is the first of its kind in Georgia. Created in 2016, our workshops uses non-formal education methods and an approach tailored to the individual needs of youth with disabilities. This initiative serves as a pilot for an employment support system for individuals with intellectual disabilities.   

The aim of the our wood-working enterprise is to enhance the knowledge and skills of youth with disabilities, providing a foundation for their employability and increasing their chances of finding employment.

People with intellectual disabilities face significant challenges in securing jobs, requiring alternative services such as dividing work into tasks based on the estimation of a multidisciplinary team, professional retraining, and access to the labor market. In light of these issues, the decision was made to establish a carpentry enterprise where individuals with disabilities can learn toy manufacturing for cognitive development. As part of the project, we have successfully retrained 20 individuals with disabilities and provided employment opportunities for five of them. The establishment of the wooden enterprise has been a mutually beneficial process. We have started manufacturing wooden toys locally, which not only addresses social problems within the organization but also leads to increased employment for individuals with disabilities, the development of their abilities, and a shift in societal perceptions towards such individuals.  In 2021, the co-founder of the enterprise and an active member of the organization, Irakli Kemoklidze, passed away. To honor his memory, the enterprise was named after him: "Skhivi - Irakli's Wooden Workshop”. The woodcraft workshop continues to operate today, under this new name.

Our association focuses on individuals with intellectual disabilities and seeks to secure resources to develop workshops and enterprises that provide suitable living conditions for such individuals. This is an important component of our mission.

By purchasing toys and items manufactured in our enterprise, you become a participant in this mission, you contribute to the employment of people with disabilities and to the defense of their rights.

The establishment of the wooden enterprise was made possible with financial support from the LEPL "Children and Youth Development Fund" of the Ministry of Sport and Youth of Georgia, along with co-financing from the Tbilisi City Hall as part of the project "Supporting the Inclusion and Engagement of Youth with Disabilities." This project is also a partnership between the "Children and Youth Fund," the Czechia Development Agency, and the Czechia organization "People in Misfortune." We express our gratitude to the LEPL "Children and Youth Development Fund," Tbilisi City Hall, and the Czechia organization "People in Misfortune" for their support.