© LYVG 2010 - 2019
VOLUNTEER REPORTS & LETTERS
LYVG & AISI / TBILISI
MTV 05
2012
R E P O R T of volunteer ANJA SCHULER
from “Workcamp Switzerland” /Switzerland
Report about AISI: 3 Weeks as a volunteer in Georgia.
Anja Schuler-Germany/Switzerland
In the beginning of January I left Switzerland. Actually I did not know much about the country I was going to stay in for the next 3 weeks.
Also I did not have a lot of time for any research in depth. I applied for the programme at the end of December and got the final acceptance 5 days before I was flying out. Nunu (works for the LYVG office), Giorgi (a teacher and coordinator of AISI) and Clementine (another volunteer from France) picked me up from the airport.
Although I applied for another project, Nunu offered me to stay and work at AISI center in Tbilisi. She told me, that during the winter there would be only a small group of children in the project I applied for. Also she thought about potential problems caused by staying somewhere in the countryside without any knowledge of the Georgian language.
The decision was up to me. As I work as an occupational therapist in Switzerland I was quite interested in the work with children with learning difficulties. Therefore I was pleasantly surprised about this chance and decided to stay. I shared a room with two other volunteers at the center of AISI. We had our own toilet with a washbasin on our own. A computer with internet access is also available almost the whole day.
In my first week, the centre was still closed because of Christmas holidays. That is why I started to help in a project for the aged and poor people. In the centre a warm meal and bread were offered to them, plus it was a location for them to socialite. To have some Russian skills, I guess made it easier for me to get in what motivated me to come to contact with the elderly, as well as with the employees.
Most of them were interested in what motivated me to come to Georgia. We had quite good and exchanging conversations. The following weeks I attended lessons and school life in the AISI center. Within the first schooldays I realized that there was little real work I could do. Often there were 5 teacher for 10 children, sometimes in addition trainees from the university. In addition there were three women lovingly preparing meals. So I tried to build up a good relationship with the children in just being there, appreciate their unique personality and be in attentive to things they were interested in. Also I helped teachers or children here and there. Seeing as I would only stay there for a few weeks I finally could extend my knowledge by observing regular school, by asking teachers about their ideas, and reflecting my personal style of working with people with learning difficulties.
Beside class-schedule, there was several time to explore the city, meet people or relax. Nunu, Giorgi, as well as the other teachers were very communicative and active in bringing the Georgian culture, food, lifestyle and language closer to all volunteers. Also we spent free time together often and went on some weekend trips together.
In summary I had quite a good time in Georgia, I returned with a lot of impressions, new knowledge, and positive memories and with the joy of an upcoming reunion with my new Georgian friends.
Didi madloba...Thank you very much...!"!"
Anja Schuler-Germany/Switzerland
2011
R E P O R T of volunteer SELINA FURGLER
Switzerland
Volunteering in Georgia
Report of my three-month stay at the home for handicapped ‘AISI’ in Tbilisi, Georgia
Getting to know Georgia
When I first arrived at the airport of Tbilisi (plains mostly arrive in the middle of the night, don’t ask me why – it’s Georgia) it was Nunu, the young mentor of my organi-sation, who came to get me there. I had to wait for her a while which scared me first, but finally everything turned out to be okay and when we arrived home I had already learned one thing about Georgians: Time isn’t the most important thing for them.
Since it was August and school hadn’t already started, AISI (my intended project, working-place and home) was still closed. I spent my first two weeks in a family which provided rooms for volunteers. Nunu and the eldest son of the family Oto took me to several places in and around Tbilisi, introduced various people to me, showed me how to come around the city and taught me how to behave in special situations (f.e. when you REALLY don’t want to drink or eat anymore). At the beginning I had quite a lot of difficulties concerning language, cultural differences and the fact that I didn’t know any other volunteers or foreigners who could have shared the same im-pressions. Fortunately Nunu was always there for me and quickly I saw her more as a friend, than I’ve had ever seen her as a mentor.
Due to the fact that I didn’t start with my project work right away I had the opportunity to experience the daily life of Georgians and already learn many impor-tant things about their culture. On the other hand I wasn’t used to spending so much time sitting around and doing so little. I couldn’t read, talk or understand a word yet and also lacked of orientation in the city (I hadn’t found a map by then) so after a while I felt the strong urge to work something and to be helpful! Luckily Nunu arranged that I could go and help in the kitchen of a local food bank. This wasn’t exactly easy work but very interesting and a good experience.
Starting life in Tbilisi on my own
After two weeks I moved to ‘AISI’ where I lived and worked for the rest of my stay. It was a good change to live on my own in the middle of the city. I had already learned how to read the Georgian alphabet and had organized me a map, so it was easier to get around on my own. In Tbilisi you mostly go by metro, bus, marshrutka (minibus) or given to the fact that the city isn’t really big, by feet. Recently they labeled metrostations in English which is very helpful. Other public services are only marked in Georgian or not at all.
I began to do more and more things on my own, but still people noticed in less than a minute that I had to be a foreigner. Georgians often have their own way of doing things, they just cross a street full of traffic even if there’s a subway two meters next to them; they don’t only hail taxi, it’s also possible to stop minibuses everywhere just by hand signal and when you want to leave the minibus you just have to shout ‘gad-schere’ (= stop) and the bus driver will come to a halt anywhere in the city.
I was really glad to have Nunu, who explained me everything and whom I could annoy with all my questions as long as I wanted!
Centre of Rehabilitation and Adaptation ‘AISI’
‘AISI’ is a centre where mentally and physically disabled young people (approx-imately between 15 and 30 years) receive support in developing skills for their daily life. They see ‘AISI’ as a kind of school where they spend their day playing games, eating together and having different kinds of classes. The teachers try to show them how to tolerate others, but also how to defend their selves.
When I started work, I first had the feeling that they didn’t need me at AISI. They have a quite different way of working and I wished for clearer duties. It took me a while to get used to the fact that I didn’t have to live up to any expectations and was treated more like a guest, than a worker. As soon as I looked at it differently I could enjoy the free space and the warm care I had. The children, the workers and especially the five young teachers really looked after me. Even if sometimes it was hard to communicate, they always made big efforts to translate between the children and me.
I lived at the centre itself which turned out to be very useful but sometimes a bit lonely (having the whole empty floor for myself after working hours). In the morning we started work at 10 o’clock with some physical activities; we greeted each other, danced and sang together. During the morning I could join them in various lessons concerning social- or creative education. Mostly I helped and assisted the young during classes and sometimes I even tried to teach them Basic English on my own, which was quite tricky concerning our language differences.
Later on we had lunch together and small tasks were assigned to all the children. This was often followed by a special program. Twice a week (or even more) young school children came to the centre for drama rehearsals together with our disabled children. Additionally some students from university started a music- and art-project at ‘AISI’ for their psychology studies. At 4 o’clock school was over and the children went home by school bus.
Free time - Travelling around
After work I had a lot of free time which enabled me to wonder around the city, go to theater, shops, markets, museums or the cinema (there are some cinemas with English movies but Georgians mostly don’t know them). On weekends I often went to smaller cities around Tbilisi like Mzkheta or Gori. Best way to visit these places is by marshrutka, by car or to share a taxi with others. And it’s always less complicated to travel with locals. Occasionally I went, together with friends, further away to Batumi, Sugdidi or even Yerevan in Armenia, where we stayed for several days. There are really a lot of things to see within the country! Exploring the three cave monasteries Vardzia, David Gareja and Uplistsikhe, hiking in Borjomi National Park, taking part at an orthodox wedding, visiting Kazbegi in the mountains of Georgia or seeing how wine is done in Kakheti, were definitely some of my travel highlights.
First expectations – My stay in retrospect
Looking back it’s hard to remember what I expected from my stay in Georgia. It’s a country I nearly knew nothing about before I decided to go there and of course this led to several surprises. For example I thought that there would be other volunteers working at ‘AISI’ and that the children at the centre would be younger. Both these facts had positive as well as negative consequences. More foreigners could have eased many difficulties, but on the other hand they’d probably prevented me from spending my whole time with Georgians and seeing their culture first-hand.
During these three months I’ve learned and seen so many interesting and fascinating things that it was completely worth the difficulties!
At this point I want to thank Nunu for her time, effort and friendship, which was often the most important thing to me. I want to thank all the ‘AISI’ workers for their help and especially for overcoming their English difficulties. Further thank you to those Georgians who have showed me their homes, families and traditions. And in the end also thank you to all the foreigners and volunteers I have met and whom I was glad to share my experiences with.
2009
R E P O R T of volunteer PETRA MEIER
from “Workcamp Switzerland” /Switzerland
I was there for few days. I had a look in the workshops and physical activities. My help wasn’t needed as well I have hoped so, but I could help anyway. The first days are a bit lazy, have to look how the children are and looking for there skills. But at the 4th day and now on, it was really great to work with these open minded children, and with this helpful, friendly teacher team. I helped by a workshop, who was doing jewellery with cotton. And also a workshop by Polygraph, they have done little books. In the physical activities, the children are doing: play with instruments, singing, dancing, and doing some gymnastic exercises, also playing theatre. I have looked that children are well-behaved, also looked that the main room are clean after a refresh. After few days, I could also help children by doing exercise, like creating a circle by going by foot. Have looked that children are learning what teacher is saying. AISI also do school, like reading, mathematic and so one. Because it was in Georgian Alphabet, I couldn’t help anything.
They have also a drawing lesson; they are drawing now a Christmas story but just with the regular colours like red, blue and yellow, black, green and so one. One day AISI was going with the children to a gym room and playing kind games with a basketball ball and another day they have done some gymnastic exercise. AISI is a good project to look in, if someone will learn about, how to occupy handicapped children. I think, when I were there for a longer time, 2-3 months, you have the ability to look more inside in this very good project. The person who is in charge of me also says sorry to me, because it was boring the first day and they haven’t the chance for planning me. But it was a good experience. To find out, how you can communicate with handicapped children although you can’t read and write the language of them. But you can show with hands what you mean.
AISI offers for there children every day a little breakfast with tea and some snakes like pancake. Also every day offers a dinner at 2 o’clock with soup and another thing for eating.
Children aren’t living at AISI; they will be every day picked up by a school bus and also will be brought back at home.
Some Teachers do discuss with a special psychologist about the drawings of the children, because a drawing can say much thing from your self. It isn’t just the colour you will use by drawings, it also how you create things in the drawing. For example if you draw a face with a very big ear, than it means you want hear everything.
AISI also go out with the children sometimes, to the botanic garden and they will do there drums exercises outside. And if AISI had the chance for planning me, that I would be involved by project, means for example: how to look for a garden with the children.
First I have to say, it was a very great time in Georgia to learn about volunteer working. Thank you so much, for very good introducing Georgia before my stay in Georgia, and while I was staying in Georgia. I was picked up at the Airport by Nunu and Lado. Than they drove me to Nunu’s Cousin, where I did lived for my 2 weeks volunteering. On my first day, Nunu has showed me Tbilisi and have told me many things about Georgia. At the end of the Day, we were by Victoria’s Office. The reason is, during bad wheatear condition I couldn’t work by Gurjaani, as planned before my arrival. Therefore we have to look around other Projects. So I have decided for AISI. (AISI is my 2nd report)
Nunu has accompanied me every time. This was great, because I would say, if I were alone in Tbilisi, there is no chance to find out the way back home, or the way to your project station. First reason, there is the Georgian Alphabet needed by “marshrutka”, second reason, the town is very big, you need a person who goes with you, step by step at the beginning. Every evening after working, Nunu has showed me something of Tbilisi, this was great, so I could also see something like the TV Tower, Eat some Georgian specialty, was on the castle. – It was really great that the Volunteer Office is looking for you while you are working, and after working, thanks a lot!!!!!
On my only one weekend in Georgia, they showed me the old capital town, Mzkheta, In Mzkheta we were by 2 Churches, and also by a church in a mountain. It was great; I could see many Georgian Weddings. At the end of the day, Lado has invite us to some Georgian Food, which I really like it On Sunday we went to Gurjaani, now I’m really happy, that I have decided for AISI, because in Gurjaani, it was really cold. I would also say, Gurjaani is a good thing, but I do prefer in summertime than in wintertime. We were also at Signaghi, this town was really nice. The town is now new built, but in a face of old Georgian architect, which looks really nice. On the way back home, we did a Georgian Pick Nick, this means, you make a stop with the car, than you eat some cheese, bred and drink some red wine. And once Nunu was on her Holliday, than it was Iweri who looked well over me thank you. I want to thank you to all the people, who has showed me Georgia and that I have learned the Georgian food as well the Mentality. Every people are very nice and is looking that you are feeling well. You can always say, that you are unhappy and in a few times, they will look that you are feeling great. For me, I had the experience of my life. If I weren’t working at home, than I would stay for a longer time in Georgia, this means for about 3 months or longer.
But if someone has the chance, to do some volunteering work in Georgia or any other place in the world, don’t hesitate to do this, because this experience must be taken, when you have the chance. At the end of this experience, it doesn’t matter how long your volunteering working was, but it does matter that you can learn from this experience.
Introducing for a short Volunteer Stay in Georgia:
First of all, I have to say, that Georgian people likes to be very friendly and offers you much food. There Mentality is like Italian, but a little stronger, this means, they are speaking very much and also speaking in a loud voice. The Georgian people are really religious.
And at the beginning you have just learn the important words.
- be every time friendly, because they are friendly to you too
- be always truth, they are truth also
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-if someone offers you food and you say no thank you, than eat just a little, they will be happy most needed transportation is “marshrutka”, kind of minibus, Nunu or Someone lese will explain you the “marshrutka” System. But if you were in a “marshrutka” and you will leave the bus, you must say “Gamitschere” and pay 50,00 Tetri to the driver
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-if you will miss your family, or if you are unhappy with any situation, talk to the responsible person, and they will do there best, that you are feeling great
- Georgian People like, when you are talking from your culture also your religion