In early May, three online meetings were held with youth clubs. This time, pupils from the schools of Lanchkhuti, Kutaisi, Nabakevi (Samtredia municipality) joined the meetings. The meetings discussed important topics: the problem of violence among adolescents, the role of school and family, and protection mechanisms. The participants spoke openly about the reasons of violence, about the problems of communication between teenagers, parents and teachers, and gave examples. Emphasis was placed on the growth of cases in a pandemic situation, as well as on the ways of solution.
Young Leaders’ School is working with young people to strengthen them and to form leadership skills. The work is carried out in 9 municipalities of Western Georgia - Kutaisi, Tskaltubo, Khoni, Terjla, Senaki, Poti, Khurcha / Koki (Zugdidi municipality), Lanchkhuti, Ozurgeti. These are information meetings about gender and domestic violence, workshops on conflictology for young people, meetings with boys, formation of a group of young trainers, trainings and various meetings with participation of young people.
Unusual meeting with the boys
April was unusual. Again, in a remote mode. The trainer contacted boys from schools in the municipalities of Terjola, Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha, Kutaisi, Senaki, Poti, Lanchkhuti. There were group and individual online conversations. When it is difficult to communicate via the Internet, phone calls are used.
The topic of the month is a man, as the best defender and partner. The guys actively participated in the discussion. According to them, the role of men is special during the crisis - as the best advocates and partners, they must do everything to ensure that their families are not stressed.
The trainer Beka Potskhveria recorded a video lecture for groups of participants. The guys responded actively: they made a video, wrote an essay - all this is posted on the Facebook page of the Fund “Sukhumi”, and thus hundreds of people received important information.
Poti, Gvankiti, Kutaisi - Youth clubs online
The topic for discussion in the youth clubs of a private school in Poti, the schools of the village Gvankiti (Terjola municipality) and school number 5 in Kutaisi, as in other clubs, was tolerance.
The meeting was again held online, as it is still forbidden to leave houses.
Young people were actively involved in the discussion. Their analysis on the topic of tolerance was interesting. After the meeting, they announced initiatives – to write an essay, record videos. School directors and teachers are very pleased with the pupils’ activity.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklunsdienst (Germany)
Three more online meetings
On April 13, 15 and 16, three more online meetings were held with members of conflict management groups - in public schools of the villages of Dzevri (Terjola municipality), Kulashi (Samtredia municipality) and Kutaisi school number 13.
The pupils watched the video lesson and then together with the trainer talked about conflict escalation, discussed the stages, got the task - to record video calls about the conflicts and COVID-19, to write an essay and draw ... The teenagers started to do their homework with great interest, and some already have sent their work.