Social enterprise Dadari was established by people with strong sense of social responsibility in 2018. They launched the SE using their own capital, without support of any donors or investors. Social enterprise Dadari represents a strong team of people with various abilities, which produces high quality handmade wooden toys and goods. The social mission of Dadari is to train and employ people with intellectual disabilities and psycho-social need as well as internally displaced people from the occupied territories of Georgia.
Dadari supports full inclusion of its target groups in the societal life and formation of the competitive personnel for the mainstream labor market. Social inclusion and integration of people with disabilities has been a great problem in Georgia. Till today these people barely get needed attention, social services, and personal development opportunities from the government. Internally displaced people have been also struggling with immense social and economic problems after the armed conflict in Abkhazia (occupied territory in Georgia) in 1992-93 and after the August war in 2008. Employment rate of these disadvantaged groups is extremely low. One of the reasons is their abilities, skills and qualification that in many cases do not meet the mainstream labor market need.
On the other hand, product safety is a great challenge and concern of many people in Georgia. In recent years laboratory researches were carried out checking if the toys sold on Georgian market contained substances dangerous for health and causing various illnesses. The result were tremendous. As there is no control on import or production of toys vast number of products contain dangerous substances. That is why Dadari has decided to launch a production that employs disadvantaged groups and offers to its customers ecologically attractive wooden handmade toys and products. Dadari became the Social Enterprise of the year in 2021. It has more than 10 European partners and 90% of toys manufactured are exported to Germany. The product is sold on Amazon, Etsy and at local Georgian shops and fairs.
Dadari offers ecological handmade wooden toys and other goods. The materials used to make the products are safe for humans and the environment. The toys are made of precious deciduous wood species, the surface is sealed with special wax for toys, with German-made varnish and environmental-friendly paints that do not contain heavy metals and meet the European standard of toy safety – DIN EN 71. 100% of the income of the enterprise is the money received from the sales of manufactured products, which is fully used to take care of the operation, growth and development of the enterprise.
Out of 20 persons trained by Dadari 5 internally displaced persons and 5 persons with special needs, became the masters of Dadari SE. As a result of informal and effective training, they have successfully mastered professional skills, studied toy-making technologies and are happy to work in Dadari. They create sketches; cut, shape, smooth with sandpaper, color and wax figures. The toys created become best friends of children and make them happy. Dadari has radically changed lives of its target groups. They are employed, earn salary through own effort and have become in-demand employees at the labor market. They love their jobs and have high sense of responsibility; they have made new friends and most importantly they are happy.
