Tsotne: Moving on from Institutions and conflict
The smiling boy is 14 year old Tsotne, a boy with a past steeped in misery. A positive future seemed almost a lost hope, but fortunately he met World Vision’s Learners for Life social worker and introduced him to the Community youth centre.
Today, Tsotne is one of the most active youths, participating in a variety of the structured educational, civic and leisure activities that emphasize employment skills and future job placement services.
"He has become a different person over the last 6 months" says World Vision Kutaisi youth centre staff. Yet even now, his face sometimes freezes into a sad, distant look, mirroring all the pain and misery he has experienced in his young life.
He has become a different person over the last 6 months" says World Vision Kutaisi youth centre staff. Yet even now, his face sometimes freezes into a sad, distant look, mirroring all the pain and misery he has experienced in his young life Tsotne was 4 years old, when war broke out in Abkhazia. Ethnic tensions between Georgians and Abkhazs reached its peak after Georgia\'s independence in 1992. The war lasted for a year and resulted in Abkhazia as de facto independent republic of Georgia.
To escape the physical destruction of war, Tsotne and his family left Abkhasia. They walked over snowy mountains; endured freezing nights in the open without shelter and finally settled in Kutsaisi.
As internally displaced people, the Georgian government provided them one tiny room with two beds in half destroyed refuge centers. They had to start new life, without electricity or water or even food.
"Escaping from Abkhazia was about our survival. Sometimes when we have had nothing to eat and I had no work, I wondered if it really had been worth the effort" says Tsotne\'s father sadly remembering those days when he used to wander in the streets looking in the rubbish bins to find bottles or something to sell and provide family with some food.
All Tsotne remembers from the early childhood is endless fear, darkness, cold and starvation with his older sister Keti, in a tiny room, protectively locked by their father while he was away seeking for food.
At this hard time, Tsotne’s mother abandoned family and left them starving in the cold without hope.
In desperation to ensure Tsotne and his sister would at least be provided with some food and shelter, his father took them to live in an institution. He rarely visited them and was often drunk during the visits. On most occasions, he used to hide and look at his children from a distance.
For the last six years, Tsotne and Keti have been wrongly referred to as orphans. Like many institutionalised children who have parents, they were in the orphanage due to the poverty stricken condition of the family. Sadly, this has been the basis for the increase in orphanages in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
According to Ministry of Education statistics, there are estimated 5000 children in Georgian institutions, more then 75 percent of the children are said to be abandoned for economic reasons and less than a quarter because of the disabilities.
Social workers from the World Vision learners for Life programme work in three main cities in Georgia: Kutaisi, Batumi and Telavi. They keep close contacts with children in the institutions, offering them a community youth centre educational activities, employment services and assisting them to move into smaller group homes under the framework of the programme that is financed by European commission, World Vision Germany and World Vision Austria.
The Learners for Life (LFL) Programme focuses on children aged 14-18 years-of-age who live in institutions and lack practical and professional skills to cope with the world beyond the walls of regimented life.
Nana Idadze, LFL social worker remembers her talks with Tsotne when she first met him in the institution. "He kept his hands over his face fearing that I might hurt him, and hardly said more than a few words to me" says Nana.
Tsotne was considered to be mentally challenged when he lived in the institution but Nani knew that, "he was one who needed help the most. I knew a healthy, attentive attitude towards him could make such a change to his life!"
Tsotne had difficulties connecting with children in the institution too. He wanted to stay by himself but was often bullied by children and punished by teachers for not obeying certain rules. "There was no way I could stand living there anymore" says Tsotne.
His solution was to run away. Soon after Keti become 20 and left home, Tsotne also escaped from the institution. He retuned to his father’s house but spent much of his time wandering in the streets, and making friends with street gangs. He was mainly starving as he didn’t have any money, but didn’t want to rob people like other kids in the gang who later were arrested by police.
Instead of pursuing relationship with such gangs he decided to visit the youth centre, Social worker Nani was telling him about when he was still in the institution. "Once I stepped inside, I knew I wanted to stay with this people forever" said Tsotne.
He stays in centre all day long even when he is not attending classes or activities. "It’s a place where I feel relieved and happy" explains Tsotne.
Now Tsotne lives with his father but they see each other rarely. His father works as a guard in school but he feels relieved to know that his son is engaged in educational activities and is cared for by people in the youth centre.
"The youth centre has become a bright light in Tsotne\'s life, a chance given by World Vision" said Tsotne\'s aunt. She has witnessed what Tstotne and his family have had to endure but was not able to help them much due to her own poverty. Now she is extremely happy to observe that Tsotne has made a better choice than many children of his age and background might have.
Now she is most worried about Tsotne\'s sister Keti. "Tsotne used to tell his sister about all the activities he is engaged in but she never cares," her life seems to be lost, "she is older and remembers hard times clearer that explains her attitude towards life" says Tsotne\'s aunt. She considers Tsotne to be lucky to be reached by World Vision social workers at the early stage while her sister still can not recover from the childhood stress.
All Tsotne remembers from the early childhood is endless fear, darkness, cold and starvation with his older sister Keti, in a tiny room, protectively locked by their father while he was away seeking for food By the help of the centre, Tsotne has been admitted to one of the best private schools in Kutaisi. He was hardly able to read or write but now he is able to get adequate school education while engaging in different activities in Community youth centre, where he began showing an interest in working with clay.
"First school, then the youth centre that’s my life" says Tsotne happily. People can hardly identify this Tsotne with the boy they knew 6 months ago, when he first came in the centre. "He has changed both physically and mentally" say centre staff.
The warmth and attention from community youth centre is what made all the difference to Tsotne, and all the people around him are overjoyed to see the change. Now, he is a young man with a future ahead of him, a far cry from the bullied, lonely child left in the institution.
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Today, Tsotne is one of the most active youths, participating in a variety of the structured educational, civic and leisure activities that emphasize employment skills and future job placement services.
"He has become a different person over the last 6 months" says World Vision Kutaisi youth centre staff. Yet even now, his face sometimes freezes into a sad, distant look, mirroring all the pain and misery he has experienced in his young life.
He has become a different person over the last 6 months" says World Vision Kutaisi youth centre staff. Yet even now, his face sometimes freezes into a sad, distant look, mirroring all the pain and misery he has experienced in his young life Tsotne was 4 years old, when war broke out in Abkhazia. Ethnic tensions between Georgians and Abkhazs reached its peak after Georgia\'s independence in 1992. The war lasted for a year and resulted in Abkhazia as de facto independent republic of Georgia.
To escape the physical destruction of war, Tsotne and his family left Abkhasia. They walked over snowy mountains; endured freezing nights in the open without shelter and finally settled in Kutsaisi.
As internally displaced people, the Georgian government provided them one tiny room with two beds in half destroyed refuge centers. They had to start new life, without electricity or water or even food.
"Escaping from Abkhazia was about our survival. Sometimes when we have had nothing to eat and I had no work, I wondered if it really had been worth the effort" says Tsotne\'s father sadly remembering those days when he used to wander in the streets looking in the rubbish bins to find bottles or something to sell and provide family with some food.
All Tsotne remembers from the early childhood is endless fear, darkness, cold and starvation with his older sister Keti, in a tiny room, protectively locked by their father while he was away seeking for food.
At this hard time, Tsotne’s mother abandoned family and left them starving in the cold without hope.
In desperation to ensure Tsotne and his sister would at least be provided with some food and shelter, his father took them to live in an institution. He rarely visited them and was often drunk during the visits. On most occasions, he used to hide and look at his children from a distance.
For the last six years, Tsotne and Keti have been wrongly referred to as orphans. Like many institutionalised children who have parents, they were in the orphanage due to the poverty stricken condition of the family. Sadly, this has been the basis for the increase in orphanages in Georgia since the collapse of the Soviet Union.
According to Ministry of Education statistics, there are estimated 5000 children in Georgian institutions, more then 75 percent of the children are said to be abandoned for economic reasons and less than a quarter because of the disabilities.
Social workers from the World Vision learners for Life programme work in three main cities in Georgia: Kutaisi, Batumi and Telavi. They keep close contacts with children in the institutions, offering them a community youth centre educational activities, employment services and assisting them to move into smaller group homes under the framework of the programme that is financed by European commission, World Vision Germany and World Vision Austria.
The Learners for Life (LFL) Programme focuses on children aged 14-18 years-of-age who live in institutions and lack practical and professional skills to cope with the world beyond the walls of regimented life.
Nana Idadze, LFL social worker remembers her talks with Tsotne when she first met him in the institution. "He kept his hands over his face fearing that I might hurt him, and hardly said more than a few words to me" says Nana.
Tsotne was considered to be mentally challenged when he lived in the institution but Nani knew that, "he was one who needed help the most. I knew a healthy, attentive attitude towards him could make such a change to his life!"
Tsotne had difficulties connecting with children in the institution too. He wanted to stay by himself but was often bullied by children and punished by teachers for not obeying certain rules. "There was no way I could stand living there anymore" says Tsotne.
His solution was to run away. Soon after Keti become 20 and left home, Tsotne also escaped from the institution. He retuned to his father’s house but spent much of his time wandering in the streets, and making friends with street gangs. He was mainly starving as he didn’t have any money, but didn’t want to rob people like other kids in the gang who later were arrested by police.
Instead of pursuing relationship with such gangs he decided to visit the youth centre, Social worker Nani was telling him about when he was still in the institution. "Once I stepped inside, I knew I wanted to stay with this people forever" said Tsotne.
He stays in centre all day long even when he is not attending classes or activities. "It’s a place where I feel relieved and happy" explains Tsotne.
Now Tsotne lives with his father but they see each other rarely. His father works as a guard in school but he feels relieved to know that his son is engaged in educational activities and is cared for by people in the youth centre.
"The youth centre has become a bright light in Tsotne\'s life, a chance given by World Vision" said Tsotne\'s aunt. She has witnessed what Tstotne and his family have had to endure but was not able to help them much due to her own poverty. Now she is extremely happy to observe that Tsotne has made a better choice than many children of his age and background might have.
Now she is most worried about Tsotne\'s sister Keti. "Tsotne used to tell his sister about all the activities he is engaged in but she never cares," her life seems to be lost, "she is older and remembers hard times clearer that explains her attitude towards life" says Tsotne\'s aunt. She considers Tsotne to be lucky to be reached by World Vision social workers at the early stage while her sister still can not recover from the childhood stress.
All Tsotne remembers from the early childhood is endless fear, darkness, cold and starvation with his older sister Keti, in a tiny room, protectively locked by their father while he was away seeking for food By the help of the centre, Tsotne has been admitted to one of the best private schools in Kutaisi. He was hardly able to read or write but now he is able to get adequate school education while engaging in different activities in Community youth centre, where he began showing an interest in working with clay.
"First school, then the youth centre that’s my life" says Tsotne happily. People can hardly identify this Tsotne with the boy they knew 6 months ago, when he first came in the centre. "He has changed both physically and mentally" say centre staff.
The warmth and attention from community youth centre is what made all the difference to Tsotne, and all the people around him are overjoyed to see the change. Now, he is a young man with a future ahead of him, a far cry from the bullied, lonely child left in the institution.
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