On June 14, in the conference hall of Khoni Saskrebulo, there was held ordinary meeting of advisors’ council in frames of the project “Inclusion of NGOs, working on the issues of social security in strategic dialogue of Georgia”. Council members discussed the issue of social service in the municipality and the issues, regarding the research of needs.

Project Manager familiarized the participants with the concept of the study and with the specific of selection of target groups. It was said that the well-defined criteria - the guarantor of the success of the research objectives.

It was agreed - a place and time, included social groups and decision-makers also the best place for focus groups.

It was expressed a hope that the information gained a s a result of the research will be a good platform for the involvement of local policies of social inclusion.

The project is funded by the European Union and carries out the Czech organization "People in Need» (PIN). The partner of the project in Khoni is the Fund "Sukhumi".

Ozurgeti Gender Advisory Council (GAC) begins to study gender needs. There were chosen target group for the inquiry as well as the respondents for the in=depth interview.

GAC members covered the groups whose needs are less reflected in the budget.

The inquiries  will be conducted with socially unprotected women, young people, ethnic minorities and women, engaged in small business. During the focus groups there will be fixed needs of IDPs, teachers, health workers, single mothers and mothers with many children. It was also decided to hold a focus group with community leaders to identify more problems. There will be selected experts in health, education, agriculture sphere and people with disabilities.

During two days, in the office of the fund “Sukhumi” there were guests from Germany – representatives of the fund “Filia”.

On October 25 the members of the youth council of “Filia” met the actors of the forum-theatre. They shared impressions, familiarized with the specifics of the work of forum-theatre. Young people easily found common language.

On the second day there was held a meeting attended by representatives of Fund "Sukhumi" and Zugdidi women's organization "Mercury". They talked about the results, achievements, challenges. There were outlined prospects for future cooperation.

On February 2, representatives of the Swedish women's organization Kvinna till Kvinna visited the Fund "Sukhumi": Elisabed Brandberg (regional manager for the South Caucasus) and Joanna Arkasen (field representative in Georgia.

The guests listened to the information on the fund's work and the results achieved. At the end of the meeting, they expressed their impressions.

Elisabed Brandberg: "It is very interesting for me to get acquainted with your activities. It is important that you try to protect the rights of women in all directions. You try to remind the authorities of their obligations towards the society. "

Joanna Arkasen: "For the second time I come to the Fund" Sukhumi ". I know and enjoy your activity. Peacekeeping is difficult, but very necessary. You can clearly see what you are doing to support women. Your work is interesting. "

Kvinna till Kvinna has been supporting the fund “Sukhumi” since 2002, which enables systematic work in the peacekeeping area.

The project is implemented with the support of Kvinna till Kvinna,

 women’s Foundation (Sweden)

The Fund "Sukhumi" received Annika Bekker - representative of the donor organization "Rotfür die Welt" - EvangelischerEntwicklunsdienst (Germany), coordinator in the South Caucasus. The staff of the fund familiarized her with the situation in the country in terms of violence against women and the work of the organization in this context. The meeting was held in a businesslike setting.

On the same day, Annika Becker met the mobilizer and activists of Kutaisi Women Support Center, and also attended the forum-theater performances at school No. 1 in Tskaltubo.

Thus, the representative of the donor organization received interesting information about the project of the Fund “Sukhumi”: - "Strengthening Women's Rights in Western Georgia".

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt – Evangelischer Entwicklunsdienst (Germany)

Representatives of 5 countries (Ukraine, Armenia, Russia, Georgia, Germany), participants in the project "Overcoming the consequences of the war together" made another educational trip from 25 to 30 of July in Georgia. They visited 10 organizations: in Kutaisi - "Center for Education and Employment", Kutaisi branch of the Association of Young Lawyers, Union of Educators "Education and the Universe"; In Tbilisi - Association of Women of IDPs "Tankhmoba"; DRC; The Abkhazeti Center; In Gori-the organization “Gantiadi”; In Poti - "Lasika"; In Zugdidi - "Saunje"; In Batumi - "Center for Development and Education".

Theme of the meetings: "Exchange of experience in the field of successful practices of integration of internally displaced persons and refugees".

The participants had an opportunity to get acquainted with the diverse work of Georgian NGOs: the introduction of long-term programs for the social and economic integration of IDPs, information and legal support for IDPs, the development of a Strategy for IDPs, advocacy for IDP problems; Work with young people to integrate into the local community, resettlement of IDPs, their employment.

Participants received not only general information, but also answers to questions of interest to them. They rated the meetings as useful and noted that they would apply the experience of Georgian partners in their work.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization

DRA – Deutsch-Russischer Austausch (Germany)