My dear Tkibulians!
I opened the Tkibuli thermo electric power station today. We all dreamed of this and it has come true. I would like to congratulate all of you.
I was at a textile factory today. I am not saying this because I want to reproach with the lady working there, who wakes up early in the morning, pays 2 GEL for a ride to work, works till 7 pm and once again pays 2 GEL for a ride back home. We are all in debt of such ladies. They bring 100-200-300 GEL home and help the members of their families by this way. In spite of the poverty, this money is a relief for their children, parents and husbands.
It is good that this factory was opened. We began the construction in 2008, just before the war. When they were bombing us I always wondered what would happen to our ongoing projects, including this factory, the roads and etc. I wondered whether the aggression, hatred and bombs of a country a hundred times larger than ours, would seize the process of rebuilding Georgia and stop our positive intensions.
Opening this factory and other facilities is our answer to the enemy and conquerors - the factory that we began building before the war is open now; the Technical Education Center that we began building before the war is already training the miners. The thermo electric power, which we started building before the war is also functioning.
We will build a mine and a station 3 times as big, supplying not only Tkibuli but the entire region as well.
I promise you that according to our program, Tkibuli will be a 100% employment town and every member of your families will be employed.
Nothing is worse than the fact that a person wakes up in the morning and does not have a place to go. Nothing is more embarrassing than a child asking a neighbor to buy candy for them when the parents don’t even have 5,10,15 GEL to satisfy the wishes of their child.
We don’t have a rich country. That is why we need to use maximize our resources in order to create jobs.
All of you know that Tkibuli was truly dying. Your fellow Tkibulians were standing at Eliava market, (some of them are still there) trying to earn 5-7 GEL.
People from Sahkhere, Tkibuli, Chiatura and Samtredia were ready to do any kind of work. However, they were not qualified because people were not trained at that time.
I am glad that today, Tkibuli is a town its native people are returning to. This is a Georgian town of a special dignity. The return of the Tkibulians means that life is coming back to this town.
I will never forget the time when we first started acting in Tkibuli. Two years later, I saw a little girl walking in the street with her mother; holding a violin. Even in those times of desperation the parents were trying to satisfy the needs of their children in every way and provide an education for them, so that they would not leave Tkibuli, but help rebuild it instead.
I did not come here to practice the art of public speaking. I would like to tell you one thing: This place is gifted by nature; the people living here are very talented, intelligent, educated, hard-working and true patriots of Georgia. A community of true dignity lives here.
Considering the fact that we have very low means, the bread is very hard to win, a very small piece of land and sometimes the climatic conditions do not favor us, and that it is very hard to work in this mine, the mine is still working and more than 1000 people are employed here.
150 people were employed at the station today and 200 in the textile factory, a few hundred more will soon have jobs locally. Hundreds of people will get training at the Technical Education Center and find their places in the world. The schools are equipped with computers and they have highly qualified teachers.
We will overcome poverty and we will achieve this together.
There is a large Olympic complex here and we have decided to build a sports palace and a large Olympic swimming pool in Tkibuli by the end of next year. We will do this together. The best living conditions have to be created here so that people no longer leave Tkibuli.
The nature is beautiful here and unique resorts are nearby. There are Shaori and Tkibuli reservoirs here. This productive soil harvests many agricultural products. Those who did not get lucky with the hybrid harvest, will be compensated by the government, so that they do not give up and continue experimenting in order to find a new source of income for their families.
The most important thing is that you are the heart and soul of all of this.
Today is the Day of Tkibuli. We were not ready for celebrations before.
People tried to celebrate during the time of Shevardnadze, but there was nothing to celebrate. There were no roads, no electricity, no money, no healthcare system, and most importantly – no employment and no prospects here.
Today, most of these issues have already been addressed and we have a real chance to fight the rest of them.
I am not saying that we should brag today and the government should celebrate, but we are happy to see each other. You should celebrate; you should be illuminated by the sun that’s shining today.
I would like to congratulate you one more time on this day.
The largest holiday for me will be when I see the employed Tkibulians, who are trying hard and learning in order to become employed.
In spite of every obstacle, we are trying our best to complete one more project – to make Tkibuli a 100% employment town, so that Tkibulians have better income, good living places; so that our children and our youth have the opportunity to study, have fun, pursue sports and be proud that they are here. This is how it will be. We will achieve everything together.
No one should say that I am “Ertaoz Bregvadze” and we are all dreamers. We are all dreamers, who will have their wildest dreams come true.
I talked to little Ilia Isakadze on the way here. Everyone should know that his dream, my dream, your dream, our dream, goals and ambitions will come true and Tkibuli will finally be relieved.
I congratulate you one more time!