Tired of numerous attempts to return to their own families, children who were separated from their parents by the court due to poverty appealed to the NGO Partnership for Human Rights (PHR) for help. The selfless attempt to return the children to their own families ended in their favor. More (GEO)

Save the Children, an international non-governmental organization founded in 1919 and implementing programs in 120 countries around the world, started its activities in Georgia since 1993. During these 28 years, the organization has been actively working on issues related to child protection, education, family and community empowerment, inclusive education, early childhood development, disaster risk reduction, youth skills development, child participation, IDP assistance, and empowerment of girls and women. With the help of Save the Children, there have been developed and introduced approaches, services, assessment tools, guidance documents and legislative changes, which serve as the basis for child wellbeing in many ways today. However, child protection in Georgia still faces a number of challenges in terms of a lot of aspect See more (geo)…

Salome Gardava created new opportunities by overcoming obstacles. It all started with the diagnosis of her youngest son. Ilia was diagnosed with fourth-degree neurosensory hearing loss. For Salome, as a mother, this was a serious challenge - there were no essential services for children with special needs (namely those having hearing difficulties/hearing impaired) in the region, nor was the level of awareness high. It looked like mothers were accustomed to their situation and had no hope of change. “In 2018, Ilia, my son, underwent cochlear implantation, after which the post-operation rehabilitation course is very important for the development of a child. I found out that there was no such service in the region and we had to take a course at the Tbilisi organization. It was a big problem for parents. Children were left without services, so we decided to make positive changes through establishing an organization in the region”. Association “ILI” was established in 2019 in Samegrelo. Its purpose is to protect the rights of children with special needs as well as facilitate personal development and integration into society. The organization counts about 40 beneficiaries. “ILI” actively cooperates with the local self-government and a successful example of this is a decision on funding external auditory processors of cochlear implants taken by the self-government on the basis of a research document related to the needs of children with hearing loss. “From 2020, there has been allocated GEL45000 in the budget of every year, which finances 3 beneficiaries a year. This is our great achievement in the region”. As Salome notes, initially parents were reluctant to participate in projects, in the decision-making process as well as in collaboration with the local self-government. “I remember when 2 years ago I asked them to bring children to film a video clip, it was only one parent who brought a child. While for the last shooting 4 children came. I see the attitude of parents changes and I would like to make them more active”. A room for a rehabilitation center was provided to Association “ILI” for temporary use, which was renovated with donations, however, they lack necessary equipment, furniture at this stage and do not have a speech and language therapist either. “One of our goals is to make a rehabilitation course after cochlear implantation available in the Samegrelo region as well, and we will spare no efforts to do so”.

The Coalition for Independent Living implements projects that help people with disabilities to build a full life. Get acquainted with its activities in our video.  More (GEO)

After a tiring 48-hour shift, Covid volunteers to personally interview and assist patients in the apartments. Junior doctor - resuscitator Nana Skhiladze, tells us how important now, during the Covid Pandemic, the voluntary initiatives of doctors. More (GEO)

In the village of Skra, volunteers use bicycles to visit elders, collect laundry and take it to a social laundry, while later return it washed. The project “We love you elders” is implemented by the civil society organization “Betlemi” since 2017 and aims at the integration of elders into society as well as the improvement of their conditions. The social laundry was created within the framework of this project and changed the lives of elders while caring for them and attention made their lives easier. A granny, who inspired the project, is still involved in all activities, which is a visible example to everyone that any person can make the lives of others better if s/he has a desire and ability to do so. “Betlemi” existed since 2000 as an initiative group and its member local residents were best aware of the problems of the village of Skra in Gori Municipality. Later on, the initiative group founded a non-governmental organization. A conducted survey revealed that the epidemic had a particularly severe impact as on socially vulnerable lonely elders, as well as on other social groups and families in the Skra community. Those having just a pension as an income are unable to cope with food, medicines, utilities related and other unforeseen expenses, in addition to this they suffer from disabilities caused by age, trauma due to loss of loved ones, or increased cases of domestic violence. The organization “Betlemi” intends to assist even more socially vulnerable, displaced, lonely elders in the community of Skra. Due to deteriorated weather conditions in winter, they plan to temporarily replace bicycles with a minibus that has a washing machine installed in it and visit each elderly person to serve them at their own homes. #ShareTheResponsibility and help those who need you the most, because #ThisCountryIsYours

During the pandemic, the most vulnerable groups, people who need support like never before, appeared to be particularly unsecured. The Civil Society Development Center (CSDC), a non-governmental organization, has launched an “Engage yourself and engage others” voluntary campaign in support of homeless and single women. Through mobilization of volunteers and supporters, its representatives have contacted 100 women to whom they keep delivering first necessity hygiene and food items with the help of volunteers even in the circumstances of restrictions. 25 volunteers, engaged in the campaign, make a significant contribution to the implementation of this project. Representatives of the organization consider that one of their achievements is the mitigation of the situation of single women in the most difficult conditions. The Civil Society Development Center (CSDC) has implemented a number of important and successful projects. One of them aimed at the informational and technological development of schoolchildren in an occupied region of Georgia. This way children visited Tbilisi and, with the support of volunteers, established friendly relations with their peers living in Tbilisi. Besides, it was the toughest project and challenge for the organization to get homeless children off the street and engage them in distance learning. As a result of their tireless work, tens of children have been enrolled in school and are still actively engaged in the learning process. Despite restrictions imposed due to the pandemic, the “Engage yourself and engage others” campaign continues, and, in full compliance with safety requirements, as well as with active involvement of volunteers and supporters, its participants mitigate the hardest living conditions of single and homeless women and children. # ShareTheResponsibility because #ThisCountryIsYours

Social Enterprise of Freelancers • SEF was founded in 2019. Its task is to rehabilitate and re-socialize those in conflict with law through training and employment in an intellectual field. Freelancer is the first social enterprise in Georgia, which has been established in the penitentiary system.  see more (geo)...