"Skiji house"

„Skiji House”

Daka embarked on her entrepreneurial journey at 50, calling herself a product of the communist era. She graduated in 1989 and has since been an active participant in every protest on Rustaveli Avenue, contributing her part in the fight for Georgia's independence and European integration. Her career since the 90s spans various industries, having self-taught through informal education and training everything that was in demand in the market: media business, office management, sales management, design, and financial management. These skills were indeed crucial for the development of her own business, which was never a premeditated plan.

After her parents' death, Daka moved to Tbilisi for work. Her career there was as varied as it was rich, allowing her to meet people from different fields. Over time, the desire to return to the countryside grew stronger. Daka's spouse, also from Guria, resided in Tbilisi, yet the family frequently visited her spouse's parental home, which became the cradle for Daka's multifaceted business, starting from 2006. In 2015, they decided not to return to the city, marking the beginning of a new chapter. At this time, Daka was employed in the civil sector, possessing vast experience in financial reporting to donors. She resolved to leverage her knowledge, experience, network, her spouse's support, and the semi-abandoned family home to inject new life into it.

She began observing the existing opportunities, available resources, and decided to start producing dried fruit. She won her first grant through the "Enterprise Georgia" program and embarked on self-learning the technology of fruit drying. The business name, "Skiji," reflects this ancient Georgian tradition, meaning dried fruits or raisins. The grant was received in February; there were no more persimmons available, in addition a drying apparatus was hard to come by, she quickly substituted persimons with seasonal mandarins and kiwis, while her spouse set up the apparatus. The result was exceptional - by 2016, Daka was sharing her success story on television as a triumphant businesswoman. This achievement not only uplifted Daka's spirits but also rallied her relatives and friends around her cause. This support wasn't financial but rather professional aid in areas like branding, design, and marketing materials, which Daka found invaluable.

Her first batch of 100kg of dried fruit was ready within a month and sold successfully. Following the dried fruit venture, a guesthouse was launched on the second floor of their house, featuring guest rooms and bathrooms, thereby beginning to host guests with traditional Gurian dishes and masterclasses in authentic Gurian cuisine. The business expanded to include the production of preserves, jams, and dried fruit candies, and she began considering setting up a modern standard factory right in her Gurian yard, complying with HACCP standards. In response to growing demand, the yard saw the addition of three themed wooden cottages designed with citrus, cherry, and currant motifs. Daka explored the surrounding environment and created pedestrian eco-tourist trails.
Daka's "Skiji House" has thus transformed into a sanctuary of Gurian tradition and culture. Everything there is authentically Gurian: the hospitality, raw materials and products, culinary practices and technologies, the house and its surroundings, and the production and tasting areas. Most importantly, Daka herself embodies the Gurian spirit through her talent, generosity, creativity, and resilience.