Former beggar, Giorgi, 12, now enjoys school & karate
“Sometimes I got 5 GEL (US$2) a day, sometimes even less but still we could buy bread and tea with this money”, he says.
But when a World Vision Social worker called Nana Idadze met him in the street, life took a turn for the better for this young boy who has shouldered the responsibility of a man.
Nana presented his case at a coordination meeting of the street children’s working group of Kutaisi in West Georgia, which is organised on a monthly basis by World Vision’s LIFE/ Children in Crisis (CiC) project, The group formulated a plan and worked together to help Giorgi.
At that time when I was begging in the street I always dreamed about normal life Giorgi underwent a medical examination at the Georgian Centre for psychosocial and medical Rehabilitation of Torture victims (GCRT). Medical staff diagnosed Giorgi with enuresis – the medical term for bedwetting. Giorgi’s enuresis, they said, was caused by cystitis; inflammation of the bladder, as well as psychological problems related to his difficult home-life, his work on the street and lack of opportunities to lead a ‘normal’ childhood.
Staff were able to prescribe treatment and the necessary medicine for him. The GCRT covered all of the associated expenses and SOS Kinderdorf provided food assistance to his family.
Giorgi’s family was then included in the state programme for children deprived of parental care, led by the Ministry of Education. Through this programme the family receives 90 GEL or US$64.28) a month, on the condition that they will not place Giorgi in a children’s residential care institution or leave him without care.
Giorgi was also enrolled in Karate classes, provided by another member of the working group free of charge, to give him structure and boost his self-esteem and confidence during his free time, Right now he is learning karate in a group with other community children and his karate coach, Batoni Vazha, is trying to ensure he is motivated enough not to return to the street again.
“At that time when I was begging in the street I always dreamed about normal life”, says Giorgi.
Recognising that the state assistance would only be provided for a period of six months, and could then be extended for a maximum of six additional months, World Vision’s LIFE/CiC project helped Giorgi’s mother to receive a small bank loan of US$200 through World Vision’s Business Development Initiative project to start a small business.
With this loan Giorgi’s mother was able to begin selling products in the local market. Today she can support her family without Giorgi’s help and she is motivated to increase her business.
“I cannot express with words how grateful I am for everything this organisation has done for my family. I am very glad that my son does not need to beg to support us and like other children he can go to school”, says Giorgi’s mother.
...instead of worrying about what he will eat or how to support his parents, he just has to complete this homework Now Giorgi’s day looks like that of other children - in the morning he goes to school and when she returns home, instead of worrying about what he will eat or how to support his parents, he just has to complete this homework.
“Giorgi has changed a lot; he is very interested in going to karate classes and he goes to school; it seems that he missed all these things,” says Nana Idadze LIFE/CiC project social worker.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the presence of street children throughout the country has been growing at an alarming rate, despite attempts by the government and humanitarian organisations. The lack of precise data on the number of youth affected combined with the almost total ignorance of their plight by society and the media heightens the urgency of the problem.
World Vision’s LIFE/CiC project in Georgia addresses this problem by engaging in comprehensive research in partnership with Tulane and Boston Universities to investigate what factors contribute to stability of families that can be promoted to reduce the number of children leaving their homes, and by designing and implementing strong programming to address the needs of street children and street-involved youth in Georgia. The project is carried out in participation with regional/local governments and supports two youth centers in Batumi and Kutaisi to render special services to street involved children and their families, including assistance to increase their earning potential. Though the project is in an early phase it has already managed to transform the lives of several vulnerable youth.
But when a World Vision Social worker called Nana Idadze met him in the street, life took a turn for the better for this young boy who has shouldered the responsibility of a man.
Nana presented his case at a coordination meeting of the street children’s working group of Kutaisi in West Georgia, which is organised on a monthly basis by World Vision’s LIFE/ Children in Crisis (CiC) project, The group formulated a plan and worked together to help Giorgi.
At that time when I was begging in the street I always dreamed about normal life Giorgi underwent a medical examination at the Georgian Centre for psychosocial and medical Rehabilitation of Torture victims (GCRT). Medical staff diagnosed Giorgi with enuresis – the medical term for bedwetting. Giorgi’s enuresis, they said, was caused by cystitis; inflammation of the bladder, as well as psychological problems related to his difficult home-life, his work on the street and lack of opportunities to lead a ‘normal’ childhood.
Staff were able to prescribe treatment and the necessary medicine for him. The GCRT covered all of the associated expenses and SOS Kinderdorf provided food assistance to his family.
Giorgi’s family was then included in the state programme for children deprived of parental care, led by the Ministry of Education. Through this programme the family receives 90 GEL or US$64.28) a month, on the condition that they will not place Giorgi in a children’s residential care institution or leave him without care.
Giorgi was also enrolled in Karate classes, provided by another member of the working group free of charge, to give him structure and boost his self-esteem and confidence during his free time, Right now he is learning karate in a group with other community children and his karate coach, Batoni Vazha, is trying to ensure he is motivated enough not to return to the street again.
“At that time when I was begging in the street I always dreamed about normal life”, says Giorgi.
Recognising that the state assistance would only be provided for a period of six months, and could then be extended for a maximum of six additional months, World Vision’s LIFE/CiC project helped Giorgi’s mother to receive a small bank loan of US$200 through World Vision’s Business Development Initiative project to start a small business.
With this loan Giorgi’s mother was able to begin selling products in the local market. Today she can support her family without Giorgi’s help and she is motivated to increase her business.
“I cannot express with words how grateful I am for everything this organisation has done for my family. I am very glad that my son does not need to beg to support us and like other children he can go to school”, says Giorgi’s mother.
...instead of worrying about what he will eat or how to support his parents, he just has to complete this homework Now Giorgi’s day looks like that of other children - in the morning he goes to school and when she returns home, instead of worrying about what he will eat or how to support his parents, he just has to complete this homework.
“Giorgi has changed a lot; he is very interested in going to karate classes and he goes to school; it seems that he missed all these things,” says Nana Idadze LIFE/CiC project social worker.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the presence of street children throughout the country has been growing at an alarming rate, despite attempts by the government and humanitarian organisations. The lack of precise data on the number of youth affected combined with the almost total ignorance of their plight by society and the media heightens the urgency of the problem.
World Vision’s LIFE/CiC project in Georgia addresses this problem by engaging in comprehensive research in partnership with Tulane and Boston Universities to investigate what factors contribute to stability of families that can be promoted to reduce the number of children leaving their homes, and by designing and implementing strong programming to address the needs of street children and street-involved youth in Georgia. The project is carried out in participation with regional/local governments and supports two youth centers in Batumi and Kutaisi to render special services to street involved children and their families, including assistance to increase their earning potential. Though the project is in an early phase it has already managed to transform the lives of several vulnerable youth.
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