- These 10 days were productive and intense. The children liked the games: funny math, pets, English and Georgian alphabets, rubik's cube... We drew together, sculpted, read fairy tales, watched animated films, danced, played, learned how to make roses from colored paper. And we they talked a lot. They asked questions and I answered in a simple, understandable language - says Anna Lomidze, assistant of the Rehabilitation Center for work with small children.
The rehabilitation center of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" opened this year in one of the beautiful corners of Kutaisi. A woman with children can stay here for 10-15 days. A social worker, a psychologist and a lawyer work with her.
In order for the children not to be left without attention and to spend their free time fruitfully, another employee was attracted to the center - an assistant for working with small children. Despite the fact that Anna has worked only with one group so far, she has something to say and a small success story has already appeared.
We call these activities initiated - all this is carried out after the trainings. That is, young people try to share their knowledge with others and hold interesting events.
The work is carried out in 10 municipalities where Youth Empowerment Centers have been established.
Topics of activities: conflict management and violence prevention.
The activities are diverse: an information meeting, a film screening, a discussion club, an action, etc. Teenagers also held peacekeeping actions-appeals regarding the Ukrainian tragedy. Teachers and school directors are actively involved in the events. They believe that the Women Fund "Sukhumi" contributes to the non-formal education of students.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
New courses of cutting and sewing have started in Pakhulani (Tsalenjikha municipality). All conditions are created here for women to study this profession well. The teacher Amida Akhalaia is happy to share her knowledge and experience to three students who master the new business with interest and diligence.
According to the villagers, this support give new opportunities to women living on the conflict dividing line.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
The meetings held by the Women Support Centers in Tsalenjikha, Chokhatauri, Bagdati, Tkibuli and Samtredia municipalities were productive.
Civil activists, representatives of local governments and different spectrum of society discussed effective mechanisms of victim assistance.
The participants of the meeting focused on their own responsibility and spoke about the need to create joint mechanisms to help the victim. It was noted that the unified chain of assistance should not be broken, only it will bring the response effect.
The mobilizers of the Women Support Centers will continue to hold meetings to strengthen coordination in the future.
Проект осуществляется при поддержке организации Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Германия)
Comprehensive daily psycho-rehabilitation work was held in the rehabilitation center of the Women Fund "Sukhumi". 8 beneficiaries lived here for 10 days - women with children. A social worker, a lawyer and a psychologist actively worked with women and a teacher worked with children.
Briefly about one woman:
L. 35 years old, is a victim of psychological, physical, and sexual abuse. She came to the rehabilitation center on the recommendation of a mobilizer from one of the Women Support Centers.
“I came here with a bad mood, heavy emotions, hopelessness and tension. For 10 years I waited for my husband to change for the better, but everything became unbearable until it became scary for her life and for her children - then she called the police. Now I am alone with the children. During my stay in the rehabilitation center, I felt satisfaction, security and positive mood. I leave happy, full of hope and goals. Thank you for giving me this opportunity.”
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
The initiative of the monitoring group of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" was first of all supported by Bagdati Municipality - in order to respond to violence in a timely manner, the City Hall established an Interdepartmental Commission to eliminate violence against women / domestic violence, to protect victims of violence and assist them.
The commission is headed by Deputy Mayor Merab Zirakadze. The Commission will cooperate with the Council of Advisors of Bagdati Municipality on the issues of Gender Equality, as well as with the Interdepartmental Commission of the Government of Georgia, working on gender equality, violence against women and domestic violence. It will periodically inform them about the situation on the territory of the municipality, and will provide recommendations on activities to eliminate violence against women/domestic violence, protect victims of violence and provide them with assistance; will coordinate the activities planned by the Interdepartmental Commission of the Government of Georgia and the Gender Equality Council of Bagdati Municipality.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
“Non-formal education is a new window for me to well see the issues that my generation faces as challenges”.
"It is important to discuss the issues that have become the “Achilles' heel” of the 21st century - conflict and violence".
“It's interesting to listen to each other's opinions. Sometimes in the process of discussion, we rethink the issues, we see a better way out of the situation”.
This is what the young participants say during or at the end of the trainings.
Another 4 meetings were held in May at the Youth Empowerment Centers – this time in Bagdati, Chokhatauri, Terjola, Tsalenjikha municipalities. 80 participants were included in the trainings. The training process for them is interesting and exciting. Young people share their knowledge with others so that as many people as possible are informed.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
The cycle of meetings in partner municipalities on: “Inclusion of society in the elimination of domestic violence” continues. The monitoring group and the Women Support Center of the Fund "Sukhumi" held a regular meeting in Chokhatauri municipality. The event was attended by representatives of the Mayor in administrative units, municipal services and different groups of society.
A dialogue was held on increasing the role of local governments in combating domestic violence and assisting the victim.
The meeting participants heard information about the research of the Women Fund "Sukhumi": the need for programs of correcting the rapist’s behavior at an early stage; women empowerment - childcare services. There was also a presentation of the web page “Digital Resource Center of Services for Victims of Violence” (http://sosfsokhumi.ge/).
Representatives of the Mayor spoke about conflicts in families, about the education of the future generation and the challenges that exist in society.
Creation of an interdepartmental commission on domestic violence is at an active stage in Chokhatauri municipality and this is a successful result of partnership with the Women Fund "Sukhumi".
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
“Inclusion of society in combating domestic violence” - an information meeting on this topic was held in Samtredia (organizers: the monitoring group and the Women Support Center of the Fund “Sukhumi”). There were representatives of the Mayor in the administrative units, as well as the services of the municipality and different groups of society.
They talked about increasing the role of local governments in terms of combating domestic violence and assisting the victim.
The participants listened to information about the research conducted by the Women Fund "Sukhumi" on the issues of violence in 10 municipalities, also they got acquainted with the web page "Digital Resource Center of Services for Victims of Violence" (http://sosfsokhumi.ge/).
At the end of the meeting, the participants expressed motivation to become more actively involved in the process of violence prevention and victim assistance.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)
Family conflicts, violence against women, victim protection mechanisms - meetings on these issues were held in the Women Support Centers of Vani, Senaki, Kobuleti, Terjola and Zugdidi.
Participants noted that openness on the facts of domestic violence has been increased, but at the same time, active work is still necessary to inform the population, since many do not know how to respond in case of violence, what is their responsibility.
Participants believe that such meetings are necessary to fill the information vacuum, and to make society ready to resist violence.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot
für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)