A joint meeting was held in Women’s Support Centre of Tskhaltubo. Participants of the meeting were young girls from Senaki, Khoni, and Kutaisi.
The meeting on the topic of sexual education was interesting. Girls talked openly about the fact that the issue of sexual education in Georgia is tabooed. Young people do not have enough information about this topic.
According to the girls, youth should get sexual education in high school, because it will help them avoid various infectious diseases.
The girls evaluated the meeting positively:
- We had the opportunity to express our views on the topic.
- Despite the fact that no one talks about this topic, it still remains relevant. We learned a lot of useful information. In September, meetings on the same topic were also held in the Women's SupportCenter in Kutaisi, Senaki, and Khoni.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
In September meetings on the topic of reproductive health were held in the Women's Support Centers in Poti (08.09.1910), Khurcha (09.08.1910), Senaki (09.10.1910), Khoni (09.30.1910), Tskhaltubo (09.07.1910), and Kutaisi (22.09.1910).
The meetings were attended by IDP women of different ages. They discussed issues such as viral and infectious diseases and cancers of the uterus, breast self-examination, etc.
All the issues discussed at the meetings are topical. A gynecologist listens attentively to each woman and gives detailed answers to their questions.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
An interesting, informal meeting was held on September 15 in Gori with UN Secretary General`s Representative for the rights of internally displaced persons, Mr.Walter Kelin and a head of the UNCHR representation in Georgia Mr. Peter Nikolaus. The meeting was organized by the Association of women IDPs "Consent” in the branch of the organization within the framework of intercultural dialogue and the work of the Cooperation Commission.
Participants of the meeting were permanent members of this Сomission, a head of "Georgia Internally Displaced People’s Community Development Project”, representatives of NGOs and IDPs,
living in the colletive centre "Autocamping".
Participants of the meeting were also representatives of Fund "Sukhumi” and Fund of Women-Entrepreneurs (Meri Gelashvili and Natruli Nachkebia).
The main topic of the meeting regarded execution and perspectivesState Strategy Action Plan. There were elaborated several interesting proposals which will become subject of discussion at the meetings of the state level.
The project is implemented with the support of the World Bank
The meeting of women-peacemakers of Russia and Georgia was organized on 6-8 of September, 2010 inMoscow. Participants of the meeting were representatives of non-governmental organizations of the two countries, as well as independent Georgian and Russian journalists.
Earlier, in December 2009 during the meeting in Tbilisi, these women united in the Russian-Georgian Alliance, which aimed at the restoration of confidence between the two countries, despite the severance of diplomatic relations after the 2008 war.
The participants of the Alliance have a desire not to lose the good in the relations between the Russian and Georgian peoples. First of all this applies to human relations and interaction between cultures. The initiators of the dialogue of women were: the Georgian women's organization Cultural-Humanitarian Fund "Sukhumi", headed by Alla Gamakharia, and Russian NGO Union "Women of the Don”, headed by Valentina Cherevatenko.
During their stay in Moscow participants of the Alliance met with women and human rights non-governmental organizations in Russia, the well-known pediatrician and a peacemaker Leonid Roshal, the member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation journalist Maxim Shevchenko, with the representatives of the Consular Service of the MFA. The well-known Russian human rights activists Valentin Gefter and Svetlana Gannushkina emphasized at the meeting of the Alliance that people in Russia do not see the Georgians as enemies, and this gives hope, that the relations between the Russian and Georgian peoples will improve.
During these meetings, women peacemakers saw a sincere desire of the participants to contribute to the normalization of the relations between the peoples of Russia and Georgia.
The Russian and Georgian women-peacemakers have agreed that they would continue their activity as ambassadors of peace in both countries. They are planning to conduct joint research, exhibitions, meetings for the journalists from both sides, organize the festival of documentary films, humanitarian actions in the sphere of health and education. Such kind of humanitarian cooperation has already been started. By the common efforts of the Alliance in Tbilisi there was organized the exhibition of the Russian journalist Victoria Ivleva "The Apotheosis of War" which was dedicated to victims of military conflicts. The book of a teacher and a journalist Elvira Gorukhina "Teacher’s trip to Caucasus” was translated into Georgian.
Despite hot days in August number of women-participants of the meetings on reproductive health was not decreased.
All issues discussed at the meetings were topical. Gynecologist listens to every woman attentively and gives detailed answers.
Meetings were held in Women’s Support Centres in Poti (04.08.10), Senaki (09.08.10), Tskhaltubo (25.08.10), Khoni (26.08.10), Kutaisi (31.08.10) and village Khurcha of Zugdidi District (23.08.10).
"Your meetings are very important for us. Women’s Support Centre is the only place where we obtain much useful information, have opportunity to talk to psychologist about our problems related with health”, - mention participants of the meetings.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Conduction of monitoring in collective centres (CC) has been continued. These are the CCs which have already been rehabilitated.
In August monitoring was conducted in the former Mine-technical college and Military school. As a result of the monitoring it was revealed that the buildings have been well rehabilitated both inside and outside. Inhabitants express satisfaction, although there are some complaints mainly due to faulty plumbing materials.
Most of the families are satisfied with living space, but there are some cases when during the process of the allocation of rooms gender was not taken into account. They also express complaints due to the fact that they don’t have natural gas and garbage bins.
The project is implemented with the support of international organization Conciliation Resources (Great Britain).
At the meetings with psychologist women IDPs constantly talk about his bad temper, about grief, loss, frustration, insecurity. According to the psychologist, speaking constantly about problems, we harm our health.
"Let ask ourselves why we worry for bad things. You have a mind and soul, please, use them to their destination. Leave joy for the soul, and let mind solve the problems. To experience the bad - is not only a statement of something, but this is a negative auto-suggestion, and you should not do so. You should forget about bad things. You should not take close to heart bad, but bright. Remember. One, who knows how to be satisfied, is always satisfied."
6 group and 4 individual meetings with participation of 76 women IDPs from Abkhazia were held in Women's Support Centres.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
How
families being under the poverty line are registered, who are single mothers
and what kind of support they got from the State, divorce, rules and conditions
of applying to court – these and other issues were discussed by the lawyer of
Fund "Sukhumi” in Women’s Support Centres in Kutaisi, Khoni and Tskhaltubo.
Participants
of the meetings were also provided with the consultation on such issues as:
terms for transferring living space in to one’s ownership (based on the State
Strategy on IDPs), acquaintance with different stages of this programme and
IDPs’ rights.
The
project is implemented
with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
At every meeting of psychologist women talk about domestic conflicts, quarrels, strained relations. In July psychologist of Fund "Sukhumi” held 10 group and11 individual meetings in collective centres of Kutaisi, where participated 103 women IDPs.
- Family crisis occurs when there are thoughts that you might have chosen a wrong person, when your relationships are no longer like before, do not want to fight for the preservation of past warm relations, when quarrels and conflicts arise for no particular reason, there is no desire to please a loved one, when relations are not satisfactory.
The main reason is lack of willingness to take responsibility for their roles as "husband” and "wife”. It is necessary to hear and listen to your other half and find a middle ground and share responsibility for two.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
Within the framework of the National Strategy on IDPs in collective centers in № 98 and № 175 Tabukashvili St. in Kutaisi were held both external and internal repairs. Afterwards there were moved IDP families. Total number of residents of both buildings makes up 329 persons.
In July, fund "Sukhumi" conducted monitoring, which revealed that in these buildings, construction companies spent a significant part of repair work.
Residents of the buildings mentioned that basically they are satisfied with the living area as well as the quality of repair work. According to them, entrances were well renovated, windows and doors are of good quality, defects have been corrected in many apartments, but expressed dissatisfaction with the plumbing materials, poor roofing, which quality leaves much to be desired. In addition, one of the buildings is not registered in the civil registry.
The project is implemented with the support of international organization Conciliation Resources (Great Britain).
In Women’s Support Centres of Khoni, Tskhaltubo, Poti, Kutaisi and Senaki were held regular meetings on the topic of reproductive health – personal hygiene, malignant mammary tumor, climacterical period, contraceptives, abortion and consequences of abortions, hormonal disorders.
Participants of the meetings obtained information about free of charge examinations of mammary gland and vaccination of girls against papillomavirus in different cities of Western Georgia.
The meetings were attended by girls and women of different age, both locals and IDPs.
It should be mentioned that meetings differed with great interest from the participants that indicates topicality of the discussed issues.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
What types of violence exist, what are the mechanisms of the protection of victim, are there shelters for victims of violence? – these issues became the reason for hot discussions at the meetings with young women held in July in Women’s Support Centres of Tskhaltubo (01.07.10), Senaki (02.07.10), Poti (21.07.10) and village Khurcha (19.07.10).
-"I know that I’ll never become victim of domestic violence because I can stand up for myself. Such meetings are very important for the youth since obtaining necessary knowledge, we become self-confident”.
Opinions of the participants of the meetings were different. They sited many examples from lives of their relatives and friends, made parallel between older and present generations.
The project is implemented with the support of International Alert, Great Britain.
A forth network meeting within the framework of the project "Durable solutions – A way forward for IDPs in Georgia”, supported by SIDA (Swedish International Development Agency) was held on the 20th of July in the office of Fund "Sukhumi”. The project is implemented by Dutch Refugee Council together with partners functioning in Imereti (Fund "Sukhumi” and "Future Development House”).
In the meeting participated IDPs from 21 collective centres in Imereti region (Kutaisi, Khoni, Tskhaltubo), head of Imereti Department of the Ministry on Refugees and Accommodation David Aptsiauri, head of the government of Abkhaz Autonomous Republic Zaza Chachava, head of the service Besik Chanturia, head of Khoni municipality service Fridon Chikhladze, and head of NGO "Future Development House” Avtandil Kokhreidze.
For about two and half hours participants discussed issues stipulated by the project.
After completion of official part David Aptsiauri answered IDPs’ questions.
The project is implemented with the support of DRC, Danish Refugee Council (EC, Sida)
In June meetings on the topic of reproductive health were held in Women’s Support Centres in Kutaisi, Tskhaltubo, Khoni, Senaki, and Poti.
Participants of the meetings were women of different age.
The topics discussed at the meetings: contraceptives, medicamental abortion, climacteric period, hormone disbalance, viral and infectious diseases etc.
"For us – women living in the region meetings on the topic of reproductive health are very important. We are encouraged to share our problems with a specialist and obtain necessary free consultations”, - was mentioned at the meetings.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
-What is violence, how far they know this problem, and how far topical it is in their region – a discussion on these issues, organized by the group of experts of Fund "Sukhumi” was carried out with pupils of the school # 3 of Senaki.
In the opinion of the participants the problem is disturbing. It harms not only concrete persons, but also has a negative impact on the society as a whole.
Participants were especially sincere when they talked about children who are brought up in a violent atmosphere. While talking about negative influence of violence they sited live examples.
Attendees listened to the information about rights and obligations of children with interest. In their opinion such meetings will contribute to awareness raising of pupils about the problem of violence.
What do you know about the Law of Georgia on Elimination of Domestic Violence, Protection of and Support to Its Victims, when was it adopted, what would you like to know about it? – with these questions a lawyer of Fund "Sukhumi” Inga Maglaperidze started a "lessons” in thesecondary school # 4 of Khoni. The "lesson” was attended by senior pupils.
Most of the attendees had only little idea about the Law, so they listened to the information on how the Law protects victims of domestic violence with special interest.
The objective of such lessons is to increase the awareness raising among adolescents, that they understand well what is domestic violence and what are mechanisms of its regulation.
The project is implemented with the support of the organization EED Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst.
