Charity field report from Kutaisi, Georgia

Since 2006, SOS Children Georgia has been running a family strengthening programme in Kutaisi. Its beneficiaries, socially disadvantaged families in risk of abandoning their children, say that the real help provided on monthly basis is of enormous value to them.

Keeping Families Together
The Western Georgian town of Kutaisi was once major industrial point of this Caucasian country. Thousands of workers assembled tractors, wove cloth, mixed paint and dug minerals which were then sold throughout the Soviet Union. And then, when the old country died, the Kutaisi industries died with it.

In the next 15 years only unemployment, poverty and immigration grew in Kutaisi. According to some sources 60% of the people live on the edge of the poverty line and about 20% are thrown down to desperate misery. Such circumstances significantly increased the risk of child abandonment.

SOS to the Rescue
As response to the needs, in November 2004 SOS Children Georgia launched a family strengthening programme in partnership with the Georgian Ministry of Education. The beneficiaries, selected in cooperation with the Mayor of Kutaisi, received financial help in amount of 30 US dollars per child from the Ministry and food stuff worth 20 US dollars per child from SOS Children. This kind of help is granted over a period of six months after which the three partners conduct a thorough evaluation process.

"This description is what can be found on paper. In reality, the families get more than just the real help," says Village Director Mr Levan Baliashvili. "For example, whenever we recognize genuine need and interest, we offer educational counselling to the parents. They gladly accept this and come back to us with success stories."

The evaluation process is used to identify the level of improvement the family has achieved and the further need for help. "None of the families which were our beneficiaries at the start are still in the programme," stresses Mr Baliashvili. "We keep regular contact with them and I am glad to see they are doing better every day."

Moving forward

Next Steps
At present the programme offers help to 19 families. Mr Baliashvili hopes that the high needs of the Kutaisi community will lead to further growth of the project into a full scale SOS Social Centre. "Many of our beneficiaries are university graduates who are willing to do blue-collar jobs but lack the skills."

"A Social Centre would offer them the possibility to learn crafts. Also they wouldn't have to worry about their children because the centre would incorporate a day care centre. The Mayor gave us preliminary approval for free of charge premises. For now the project is on paper. I strongly hope we'll realise it,because there are many more families who need our help" stresses Mr Baliashvili.

A Mother's Letter
How the beneficiaries feel about the programme can be seen best from the letter of one thankful mother:

"I want you to know that this food is incredibly valuable help for my family. I wish to express my appreciation for the food and all your other efforts to help us. It is generous of your organization to take so much interest in destitute families, to offer them a helping hand and hope. For this I thank you deeply."

SOS Children has been working in Georgia since 1989 and has two unique children's villages based at Tbilisi and Kutaisi. The SOS Family Strengthening Programme at Kutaisi has supported more than 400 children and their families.

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