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”.

After the declaration of independence of Georgia, on September 11, 1918, the National Red Cross was founded, on the basis of which the Society of Sisters of Mercy was established. Lots of young people joined the organization, most of the students. 100 years ago, during the occupation of Georgia, they took the wounded from the front line, treated them, how many there were or what happened to them - it is unknown ... More (GEO)

There are 1289 active civil society organizations in Georgia. Their work covers actually all aspect of life. The purpose of this letter is to retell you how and what civil society organizations were doing in the past year of 2020. It is definitely impossible to fit all their activities in just a few pages. We will try to highlight the most interesting topics from them.  Read more (geo)…

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

What does defamation mean and how to distinguish it from freedom of speech? How to defend ourselves from defamation? How we should fight against it so that freedom of speech is not harmed? Marine Kapanadze, Director of the Civil and Political Rights Program at Georgian Democracy Initiative (GDI), will tell us about it.  Interviewed by Maka Jaiani Read more (GEO)

On International Volunteer Day, we would like to introduce “Helping Hand” to you. It is a civil society organization, which brings together the highest number of volunteers in Georgia and gives all of them an opportunity to do good things... Watch the video and get to know their activities. More (GEO)

There is a myth that hydropower is the cheapest, greenest and most modern technology. In reality, hydropower facilities have a dramatic impact on the environment and people. Construction of large dams floods forests, terrestrial and riparian ecosystems, agricultural lands, changes river flow and results in coastal erosion. Batumi coastline is a good example of the damage that hydropower plants cause to the environment. The guest of the series of “This Country is Yours” podcasts is Manana Kochladze, who is going to tell us about the impact that hydropower facilities can have on the environment and people. More... (GEO)

Social entrepreneurship is a new direction of activity that uses a business model to solve specific problems faced by society. Produces various products, delivers services to different sectors, and directs incomes towards the implementation of public initiatives. This may include the provision of non-formal education to different groups, solution of environmental protection related problems, promotion of equality, caring for cultural heritage, and a lot of other actions. Social entrepreneurship is a growing sector in Georgia, its peculiarity is the fact that this model is mainly used by civil society organizations. You have probably heard about “Tsnuli”, which makes archaic accessories from natural raw materials in Kaspi and employs people with disabilities to perform this activity. Besides, “Knowledge Café”, which provides non-formal education to children living in Tsnori, “Istoriali” - studies ancient patterns and creates similar products. “Free-space” in Batumi, which aims at promoting integration and employment of people with disabilities in an inclusive cafe. Social enterprise “Freelancer”, which is focused on the employment of people who are in conflict with the law. There are about 100 such social enterprises in Georgia. Each year, one of them receives the status of the best of the year. On November 19, 2020, there was conducted a forum in internet space, organized by Social Enterprise Alliance, where the social enterprise of the year – “Gumbati” was revealed. The Alliance is an umbrella organization for social enterprises, founded in 2016 by several non-governmental organizations and social enterprises. Its purpose is to work on the establishment of an enabling environment for social enterprises, create a legal framework, advocate for issues that are important to enterprises, popularize the concept of operational enterprises and social entrepreneurship, share experiences.

In different parts of the world, Georgia is known as the homeland of wine. Types of the wine of Zemo Adjara - vineyards of wine, cultivated on 108 hectares and characterized by growing tendency, become more and more famous and in-demand. A strong state has developed agriculture. It is a sad reality that people living in rural areas are unable to make sustainable use of existing resources to develop their region. Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN), within the framework of ENPARD, the European Neighborhood Program for Agriculture and Rural Development, has been implementing a project – “Optimizing the potential of local assets for rural development of Keda Municipality (Keda LEADER)” since 2017. This is the project that enabled to the establishment of vineyards in Zemo Adjara, which turned to become very successful. There was formed LAG – a local action group, which facilitated to engage and mobilize the local population for the development of the region. Both the group and the project helped to create new opportunities and contribute to the development of economic potential. Within the framework of the project, there were supported local businesses, created additional jobs, and funded various business projects in the region. Production of concrete poles and vineyard arrangement service is another important project of “Keda LEADER”. CENN is actively involved in environmental protection, green entrepreneurship, sustainable development, protection of human rights, empowerment of women, and youth. They consider at CENN that the measure of their success is the ability to make positive changes. They are especially pleased to see that lives of people change for the better with their help.