“Donate Books” -In June 2013, OSGF staff members started collecting books for the children of Khurvaleti, Shavshvebi and Tsitelubani schools of the Gori municipality. Soon after the launch, different NGOs, publishing houses and citizens joined the campaign. OSGF employees handed over books to children on 23 July.
“We have collected around 850 books with 400 different titles and distributed them among 3 village schools in the Gori Municipality according to the age and number of children. We have also collected some money and bought different items needed by schools: a binding machine, boards, lamination machine etc”, said Nino Kiknavelidze, one of the organizers of the campaign.
At the police roadblock at the entrance of Khurvaleti, Mari Mghebrishvili, the Executive Director of Biliki Society, joined us. On the way to to Khurvaleti, you pass the IDP settlement first before you get to the Khurvaleti village. The Khurvaleti Shool is located at the end of Georgia-controlled territory, where Georgian soldiers are deployed. We also visited Shavshvebi and Tsitelubani schools.
„We have met school teachers, we have been all greatly delighted with kids’ enthusiasm, they live and study near trenches of Russian occupation troops. Giving books to them is just a small portion of the attention they lack so much”, said Konstantine Peridze of OSGF.
After visiting the Khurvaleti School, OSGF employees headed first to Shavshvebi and finally, after passing the police roadblock again, they got to the Tsitelubani School.
Mari Chokheli, an OSGF Public Health Program Coordinator, lawyer and active human rights advocate, talked to students about human rights, children’s rights and responsibilities, prevention of violence, health care issues etc. In response to her question what rights the children have, they said that they have a right to study, to use health care services, play etc. Reading books is our right was the answer of one of the elementary school children.
“Noteworthy, the kid emphasized the right to read a book in the environment that lacks books. We are happy that we have made the first step towards resolving the problem”, Mari Chokheli says.
The children talked about cooperation with the local government, various projects implemented by them, their surveys on violations of the law that imposes a ban on selling cigarettes to children under the age of 18 and cases of allowing the children under 18 to take part in gambling games etc.
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The OSGF acknowledges following organizations and individuals for supporting the program:
- Manana Kochladze
- Ketevan Zhordania – Taso Foundation
- Medea Turashvili
- Radarami
- Students of American Academy
- PR Department of the US embassy
- Sopho Burduli
- Lali Perteneva
- Nana Bagalishvili
- Tamar Mzhavanadze
- The Society of Democrat Women in Marneuli – Olga Endeladze, Project Manager
- Skhivi, NGO in Kharagauli
- Ia Antadze – Civic Development Institute
- International Step-by-Step Association
- Nino Menabdishvili
- Natuka Paghava
- Mariam Chikovani