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A program funded by Mercy Corps is teaching disabled citizens in Georgia new life skills like shoe making and repairs. Photo: Mercy Corps Georgia
Tinatin Bregvadze, a mother and grandmother of three in Gori, Georgia, became permanently disabled as a result of injuries received while she was being robbed but that hasn't stopped her from leading a full life and helping others.
"It was very difficult for me when I found out I would never be able to walk again - I thought my heart would explode when I heard that. But I was told I would be able to move around in a wheelchair and be useful for my family," she says.
"I was very depressed when I got to the Rehabilitation Center in Yerevan, Armenia. I met lots of people in wheelchairs there - they were learning sewing, embroidery, knitting and rugs. The men were involved in drawing, jewelry making, shoe fixing and many other things and you could see that people's lives went on in an ordinary way."
After her return from Yerevan, Tina decided to find other people in wheelchairs in the area. She contacted the Invalid's League in Tbilisi and together they organized a marathon where the disabled of Gori and its surrounding area participated.
Based on the event's success, Bregvadze helped to establish an organization that would ensure rehabilitation and social integration of the disabled in Gori. For the past two years the club has worked to unite and serve people with physical disabilities.
Recently the Gori club received funding from Mercy Corps for a project which teaches cosmetic skills to women and shoe making and fixing to men. Within the framework of the project the organization also has been able to purchased new equipment. Several locally made shoes were given to different members of the organization, and women learnt to make different cosmetic creams at home and provide various cosmetic services. The members have also attended skills training classes that Mercy Corps has offered.
Ilia, a 23-year-old, says: "Before I was locked at home with nothing to do, no motivation at all. When I started coming here, and especially after I attended the Mercy Corps Civil Society training, I realized that as a citizen I want and am responsible to contribute to the development of Civil Society as much as I can. I am thinking about future developments and have made some plans."
Plans are now being made to set up a special gym where disabled people can do different rehabilitation exercises, as well as learn how to dress or move around independently. Members of the club also want to learn computer literacy and increase their general knowledge since many of them have not had the chance to receive a good education.
Due to the enthusiasm of staff and a large number of volunteers, lots of people have come back to life and are much more social and outgoing. They have overcome the complex of showing up in public, have developed new relationships with other people and have become more self-confident.
The club members have big hopes for the future, they already have, and are gradually developing their resources. They are trying to involve more people and help disabled individuals gain acceptance as valuable members of society.
The Gori club is one of a number of small NGOs in eastern Georgia to receive assistance from Mercy Corps' East Georgia Community Mobilization Initiative, a four-year umbrella grant program funded by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). With community mobilization as its primary goal, Mercy Corps awards grants to local groups and non-governmental organizations for projects such as winterization of homes, health care, education, local economic development, environmental protection, human rights advocacy, and activities that support the role of women and build bridges among diverse communities.
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