The 2024 annual IWA Winter Fair, organized by the International Women’s Association of Georgia with the support of the wider expat and diplomatic community, has been called off.
“We were always proud to do this job voluntarily, just as all of you who made the effort, preparations, and brought your warm and generous spirit to every single ‘Winter Fair’ for over twenty years now!” IWAG announced on social media, adding “We are saddened that many of our beneficiaries will be left without our help as a result [of this cancellation].”
Some suspect this comes as a result of the Georgian Dream’s new “foreign agent law”.
“This was a very emotional decision to make,” one IWAG representative noted. “I am so grateful to every embassy representative, every volunteer for your supportive words the past few weeks.”
IWAG is one of the few organizations in Georgia that is able to provide small grants at short notice, and to help individuals with medical emergencies or cancer treatment quickly. They also offer grants to organizations and initiatives that are newly founded who may otherwise struggle to find funding. They do so by working and living in the community, by observing the work of these organizations do up-close, and by remaining in touch with them over numerous years.
By providing a venue for small business owners to display and sell their products ahead of the New Year holiday, IWAG is able to support numerous other projects and help people in need.
The IWA Winter Fair raises between 150,000 and 180,000 GEL annually to support these efforts.
“We are hopeful that soon we will be able to resume our fundraising and charity work at its full scale,” the association wrote.
