Datshi’s Farm Produce

During a period of unemployment in 2006, Datshi left his wife and family in Georgia and came to Ireland as an irregular migrant to look for new job opportunities. He settled in an apartment for nearly three years. When the economic crisis began, his undocumented status prevented him from finding consistent work. His money quickly ran out, and Datshi knew he needed to return to Georgia to be able to support himself and his family.

Friends told Datshi about the voluntary return process with IOM. He contacted IOM Ireland to discuss his options, and was told that he could apply for a grant that would help him to establish his own business. Datshi’s family owned a sheep farm in Georgia, and he decided to use the assistance to contribute to its expansion. He purchased twenty sheep for meat and cheese production, enough that he could work full-time on the farm to support his family.

During the IOM monitoring visit, six months after receiving the grant, Datshi was selling twenty-five lambs per year, and producing sheep’s cheese to sell to local markets. He was expanding his distribution so that his products could be sold in nearby cities, and was optimistic that the farm would continue to be successful.