Georgia Kursebi Village Community Rural Tourism Project

I’m Mariam, founder and community leader of the rural tourism project. Our community locates in western Georgia, Imereti region, 10km away from Kutaisi, in the village Kursebi that belongs to Tkibuli municipality.

Having more than 13 years of experience in inbound tourism, I came across to the idea to engage local women and youth in mushroom tourism; to stop locals migration from the village, create better future for the dwellers, and for those who left to seize an opportunity to come back and engage in rural tourism. For that I’ve moved from the capital city Tbilisi where I was born and based and from May 2019 started to host guests all over the globe; offering them mushroom tours, local gastronomy/cooking classes, family recipes, mushroom food-art, mushroom art projects, village life & culture, farm-life. We have already hosted people from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Poland, UK, Sweden, Romania, USA, South Korea.

Type of help

Gardening
Building
Other
Help with Eco project
Helping with Tourists
Language practice
Art project

To support locals in communication with international guests and advance their skills and performance in hospitality time by time I’m arranging English learning classes and inviting volunteer English speaking people to conduct the classes by mixing learning, art and fun.
My place performs as a hub of the community, a spot for meetings and sorts of activities where in each stage I’m incorporating my neighbors there. I’m using my summer house that is quite old, built in 1970es and even though I did a lot of job alone by myself there are still lots of things to be constructed, redesigned and redecorated both indoor and outdoor where I’d highly appreciate good working hands and smart people with bright minds. In return I’ll ensure the best care, friendly and family atmosphere, close touch to rural life, healthy products, good food & delicious wine, excursions and exploration of historical and natural sites that are a lot of around us, lots of fun & joy.
We are open for suggestions year round, even now there are many things where good support would be highly appreciated. Even though Christmas and New Year is ahead, maybe for somebody it sounds interesting to join us during the traditional celebrations and experience local spirit and touch with us. Thank you!

Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

In return, well a lot of mushrooms, wine and music.
Well, our volunteers could be ensured about having the best care, friendly and family athmosphere, close touch to rural life, customs, healthy products, good food, delicious wine, cooking experience on fire in clay pots and plates, cheese making, experience with tea plantations, excursions and exploration of historical and natural sites that are a lot of around us, meeting with intetesting people and discovering really some very ancient places & things of course with lots of fun & joy.

Help

We are kindly in need of reconstructing and redesigning things indoor and outdoor, to make our yard more beautiful and create more and more green zones and garden places, green houses, outdoor shelters for guests to host from early Spting. So far we do use indoor in cold or rainy days and spaces outdoor that are without shelter that creates troubles when we have request from a larger group like from 15 persons and more. Outdoor we have already had an experience to host group of people like 30 and 40 but we were lucky with weather then.

Painting, handicraft, claywork, teaching locals how to make mushroomlike souvenirs from diffetent types of materials, etc. If there is somebody also capable to help with electricity issues would be great, we have few spots mainly outdoor where we need to arrange a night light system. From Spring we are also considering an idea of building a mushroom-shaped eco-huts (houses) for our guests where they can stay for overnight and spend more time in our village. For the construction we think of to use mud/clay and straw technique. Should there is anybody experienced in that direction would be just brilliant. If not we have a person teaching us and we all can try together.
From early Spring we also need help in land cult

ivation and planting some agricultural products, as well as during the autumn in harvesting them.

Languages spoken

English

I’d be delighted to host the volunteer in my house. There are 2 sleeping badrooms in the house. During the winter time I can use only one badroom for the volunteer, in another there will be me staying at. But from Spring, I can use both badrooms and can accommodate myself on the first floor.

Most of the time I’m leaving alone here. There is one indoor shared bathroom and toilet in the house, cold and hot water available always. We have cozy kitchen, and nice living room with fireplace.
I’ll be cooking, sometimes if there is a will we can do it together. Volunteers here have access to the fridge all the time,

I mean they should feel themselves like at home. It happens very often that the community ladies cook something special at homes and bring to us, sharing with us to taste and tell them our thoughts about the dishes. As a meal plan it will be always fullboard.

What else …

There is a public bus driving twice a day from/to Kutaisi, passing along our house, there is also a Soviet times quite slow but very authentic train raiding from Kuraisi to Tkibuli and back passing by our village, actually that so-called station locates in just 5 min walk from our house. If walking around 10-12min. from the house to the highway, there are public buses driving in every 15-20 minutes. More info about our community and places of special interest nearby the community or in Tkibuli, Kutaisi and Tskaltubo can be found on our fb page.
In addition to this, working as a tour-operator even nowadays, if there is a need to help in tour arrangement and getting effordable services for the volunteers during the off-time I’ll be more than happy to help, not only in western but all around the country, even in neighbour countries like Armenia and Azerbaijan.

A little more information

Internet access