Mariam Motsikulashvili, 29, is another successful beneficiary of the Dual Vocational Education Program for the Chiefs.

Prior to participating in the program, Mariam was employed as an assistant chef at the Hotel Lucky in Gori. When she heard about the program, she decided to upgrade her skills. She has successfully completed the training course and now holds the position of Chief.

“I have been interested in this profession from the very beginning. I love the process of cooking, especially cooking traditional dishes. This course taught me a lot. I gained the most valuable experience during practical work. The hotel where I work is one of the covid hotels. It is a completely different experience. When we received the first patient, I had a moment of fear but I overcame it. I used to write encouraging texts on food boxes to entertain the patients, which soon became the tradition in our hotel. After recovering, many of the patients personally expressed their gratitude for such a warm gesture, I even became friends with some of them.”

Mariam plans to study and develop her professional skills more after the pandemic is over.

Dual Vocational Education Programs were implemented by Education Development and Employment Center (EDEC) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC) within the EU-funded project “EU4Youth – Enhancing Youth Education, Employment and Participation in Conflict-affected Areas in Georgia and Ukraine”.