Four become a family after a lifetime of institutionalisation
Diana, Sergo, Maia, and Keti have been living as one family with their foster parents Mzia and Marleni in the first World Vision community based group home which has been established in Batumi, a coastal town in west Georgia for young people who have reached an age requiring departure from children\'s institutions.
These four young people have voluntarily moved to the house and now continue to attend school, the community youth center and practical, vocational trainings for future life for surviving beyond the walls of regimented institutionalized living, all the while living in a family environment.
Living in small group home showed me the importance of family life while being here helped me to concentrate on learning and training and become more independent, says Maia With the help of World Vision Germany, World Vision Austria and European Union, the Learners for life (LFL) project of World Vision Georgia have begun a small group home alternative initiative in Georgia.
These four young people from Batumi city are the first ones who have had the opportunity to leave the institution and experiment with a new life, a family way of life through the Learners for Life project.
“Coming here was our choice, a step made towards a change,” say the first residents of small group home. They are filled with courage and determination to gain the best from living in the small group home.
Foster parents Mzia and Marleni try to create a family atmosphere in their small group home by engaging their youth in daily home activities. “Girls help Mzia in the kitchen and home cleaning while Sergo and I do more of the “man\'s work” says Marleni, the foster father.
During the day, the children are busy going to school and doing internships but in the evenings the "family" gathers in the dining room and shares reflections of their day.
"I am lucky to be here" says 20 –year-old Sergo. As an orphan, he grew up in the institution and has never experienced living in a family atmosphere before. "Sometimes I used to wish I could escape from the institution and find other way to live, but had no better option then living in the street", said Sergo sadly.
Generally children have to leave institutions at the age of 18, but with little practical skills or family support, young people have no idea how to cope with life beyond institutions. Most of them end up in the streets while others choose to stay in the institution.
Sergo also decided to stay in the institution, as he had nowhere to go. But then he met with Learners for Life social worker, who offered him to move to small group home and participate in an internship in the factory. He happily agreed but didn’t hope for much.
Now he is “elder brother to the girls” and, with the help of LFL employment service, has an internship in one of the city’s furniture making factories as he is very good at working on wood.
“I will become a craftsman and create my own family; now I know a way to do it,” said Sergo with confidence.
From time to time Sergo meets with his former friends from the institution. Most of them he sees in the streets sniffing glue or taking drugs. Many steal for living or work as cheap, unskilled labor. Some of the girls end up as prostitutes.
"It makes no sense to argue with them, they have lost the hope to believe they can achieve something more," says Sergo.
Maia, 17, and Keti, 16, also residents of the small group home are sisters. 8 years ago, their mother took them to the institution due to the severe poverty situation in the family.
“She thought institution would provide girls with better education and skills then she would afford, but institution turned out to be only shelter to children” says Mzia, foster mother in the small group home. She and Marleni faced the necessity to teach girls with basic skills at home such as telling time or counting big numbers.
Maia refuses to go to school anymore and instead she is focusing to gain practical skills for employment. She is studying hair styling and soon will be employed in the beauty salon.
“I will be able to have my own money soon and help my sister and mom” says Maia. Her sister still goes to school but she is also interested of beauty salon work.
As soon as Maia is employed in the beauty salon, she thinks to move back in with her mother and make up lost years in the institution with her and Keti.
“Living in small group home showed me the importance of family life while being here helped me to concentrate on learning and training and become more independent, "says Maia.
Diana is the most study-oriented and hopes to apply to university after gradation. Now she goes with Keti to the public high school in Batumi. Studying here is more difficult then it was in the institution, but Diana makes her best to succeed.
From time to time Sergo meets with his former friends from the institution. Most of them he sees in the streets sniffing glue or taking drugs. Many steal for living or work as cheap, unskilled labor. Some of the girls end up as prostitutes "Diana spends much of her time reading and studying for her classes. She is very determined and happily shares with us her successes in the school," Says Mzia, the foster mother.
After school, she visits Batumi Community Youth Center and practices in sewing. Making dresses is her hobby and it can also become as a source of income for her.
This small group home has connected Sergo, Diana, Maia and Keti forever and gave them hope and skills to achieve their goals in life.
The girls have a dream to open their own beauty salon in the future which Sergo will equip with his made furniture, Maia and Keti will work on the hairstyle and makeup and Diana will sew dress for the brides. That is their future plan but until then they need to practice and learn.
Fortunately, the Learners for Life program exist for them. Through professional trainings, small group loan offers and/or employment services the project assists them coping with life challenges and help to find their way in life.
These four young people have voluntarily moved to the house and now continue to attend school, the community youth center and practical, vocational trainings for future life for surviving beyond the walls of regimented institutionalized living, all the while living in a family environment.
Living in small group home showed me the importance of family life while being here helped me to concentrate on learning and training and become more independent, says Maia With the help of World Vision Germany, World Vision Austria and European Union, the Learners for life (LFL) project of World Vision Georgia have begun a small group home alternative initiative in Georgia.
These four young people from Batumi city are the first ones who have had the opportunity to leave the institution and experiment with a new life, a family way of life through the Learners for Life project.
“Coming here was our choice, a step made towards a change,” say the first residents of small group home. They are filled with courage and determination to gain the best from living in the small group home.
Foster parents Mzia and Marleni try to create a family atmosphere in their small group home by engaging their youth in daily home activities. “Girls help Mzia in the kitchen and home cleaning while Sergo and I do more of the “man\'s work” says Marleni, the foster father.
During the day, the children are busy going to school and doing internships but in the evenings the "family" gathers in the dining room and shares reflections of their day.
"I am lucky to be here" says 20 –year-old Sergo. As an orphan, he grew up in the institution and has never experienced living in a family atmosphere before. "Sometimes I used to wish I could escape from the institution and find other way to live, but had no better option then living in the street", said Sergo sadly.
Generally children have to leave institutions at the age of 18, but with little practical skills or family support, young people have no idea how to cope with life beyond institutions. Most of them end up in the streets while others choose to stay in the institution.
Sergo also decided to stay in the institution, as he had nowhere to go. But then he met with Learners for Life social worker, who offered him to move to small group home and participate in an internship in the factory. He happily agreed but didn’t hope for much.
Now he is “elder brother to the girls” and, with the help of LFL employment service, has an internship in one of the city’s furniture making factories as he is very good at working on wood.
“I will become a craftsman and create my own family; now I know a way to do it,” said Sergo with confidence.
From time to time Sergo meets with his former friends from the institution. Most of them he sees in the streets sniffing glue or taking drugs. Many steal for living or work as cheap, unskilled labor. Some of the girls end up as prostitutes.
"It makes no sense to argue with them, they have lost the hope to believe they can achieve something more," says Sergo.
Maia, 17, and Keti, 16, also residents of the small group home are sisters. 8 years ago, their mother took them to the institution due to the severe poverty situation in the family.
“She thought institution would provide girls with better education and skills then she would afford, but institution turned out to be only shelter to children” says Mzia, foster mother in the small group home. She and Marleni faced the necessity to teach girls with basic skills at home such as telling time or counting big numbers.
Maia refuses to go to school anymore and instead she is focusing to gain practical skills for employment. She is studying hair styling and soon will be employed in the beauty salon.
“I will be able to have my own money soon and help my sister and mom” says Maia. Her sister still goes to school but she is also interested of beauty salon work.
As soon as Maia is employed in the beauty salon, she thinks to move back in with her mother and make up lost years in the institution with her and Keti.
“Living in small group home showed me the importance of family life while being here helped me to concentrate on learning and training and become more independent, "says Maia.
Diana is the most study-oriented and hopes to apply to university after gradation. Now she goes with Keti to the public high school in Batumi. Studying here is more difficult then it was in the institution, but Diana makes her best to succeed.
From time to time Sergo meets with his former friends from the institution. Most of them he sees in the streets sniffing glue or taking drugs. Many steal for living or work as cheap, unskilled labor. Some of the girls end up as prostitutes "Diana spends much of her time reading and studying for her classes. She is very determined and happily shares with us her successes in the school," Says Mzia, the foster mother.
After school, she visits Batumi Community Youth Center and practices in sewing. Making dresses is her hobby and it can also become as a source of income for her.
This small group home has connected Sergo, Diana, Maia and Keti forever and gave them hope and skills to achieve their goals in life.
The girls have a dream to open their own beauty salon in the future which Sergo will equip with his made furniture, Maia and Keti will work on the hairstyle and makeup and Diana will sew dress for the brides. That is their future plan but until then they need to practice and learn.
Fortunately, the Learners for Life program exist for them. Through professional trainings, small group loan offers and/or employment services the project assists them coping with life challenges and help to find their way in life.
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