Mondo´s volunteers in Georgia

Before arriving here, I knew almost nothing about Georgia. I barely knew its location on the map and the name of its capital, Tbilisi. But once I got here, I discovered a whole new world. A world of people who, with great effort, are trying to free themselves from the burden of Russian occupation and who desire so intensely to join the EU that they protest for months, day and night, to prevent their government from passing a Russian-style law. I discovered that Georgian food is unexpectedly delicious, that people always give thanks for what they have, even if it's very little (and unfortunately, many people live in extreme poverty). I learned that food is taken seriously here, especially the Supra, the traditional Georgian feast (it's no coincidence that there’s even a special role for the "toastmaster," the Tamada). I discovered a country surrounded by woods and forests that hide small earthly paradises, and, last but not least, I met incredibly welcoming people, whe...

The last few months were strange for me and I had to find some coping mechanisms to deal with the stress of the situation. For several weeks, Georgia faced some political changes (very hard to explain and impossible for me to summarize). This situation worsened the working climate and many things were really difficult to understand here. From the beginning it was not easy for me to settle in such a different cultural environment. I found hard to understand such a different mentality and lifestyle. Several times I asked myself if it was better to remain in Zugdidi or to go back home, but with all the effort made and all the time spent to join this project I decided not to give up and to try to find a meaning in the situation around me. I was lucky to find a supporting social context which helped me overcome the difficult moments. My friends tried to show me the reality from a different point of view and they offered me the opportunity to share moments together. Furthermore I decided to ...

It's April and I have been living here for more than two months. Three weeks ago I finally changed my accommodation. Now I feel that I have a safe space where to refuge after my daily work and where I can easily communicate with my landlady because She speaks English. The location of my new house is good because it is near to the office, to the bazaar, to the local pub, to the library and to my friends' houses. Day by day, I realize that living in a country whose culture is so far from mine is hard. I also think that it is not easy because I am no longer so young (I am 33 years old). What I find most difficult in general is to deal with other cultures without judging them. Even if Zugdidi is a small city, here I have the opportunity to meet different people and this is what I most appreciate about experiences abroad. In Italy I live in a small city where I find it difficult to meet new people. Here instead, it is paradoxically easier to approach the few expats, probably bec...

I am Elena and I am from Italy. I selected this project because it was one of the few that allowed me to be in contact with the beneficiaries and because I have always been curious about living in an eastern country. The first days here were really hard for me. Before moving to Georgia, I was afraid of the potential linguistic difficulties. Then, when I arrived, I found that all my fears were real. Most of the people of Zugdidi don't speak English, except for the youth. My main problem is that, during my daily life, I have to interact with mean age or old people who usually only speak Georgian or Russian. I also live in a family with two old people and their son. Communication difficulties strongly frustrated me. Despite this, they pushed me to find the few expats who live here.  I know these manners of saying which really expressed my mood and feelings: “drink or drown” or “when life gives you lemons, make a lemonade”. A good idea was to go to the library where, at the American Co...

I came to Zugdidi on January 31st. Together with Elena, the Italian volunteer who has been travelling with me since the day before, I met Olga, our coordinator. She took me to my future home where I met Tika, the owner. She showed me the room, prepared me some food, and we chatted for a few hours, amidst her uncertain English and my tiredness after the long journey. I thanked her, went to my room, layed down on the bed, and gazed at the ceiling. Despite the whirlwind of emotions, I was happy. It has been a month since that day, and even though I had ups and downs, the feeling of satisfaction has been constant. I’m part of an exciting project, the women from the NGO are kind and helpful, step by step I'm creating new connections with locals and expats, and my host family has been incredibly welcoming from the very beginning. Honestly, I couldn't be more satisfied. I'm not saying there are no difficulties! Language barrier is a big problem (few people speak English in Zugdidi...

    M y first month in Georgia: I would like to have a communicative blog, do not hesitate to comment, ask, add information… I believe in the collective intelligence, so let’s share our point of view, opinion, feeling... How I came to Georgia: First to promote green travel I expose you my trip without taking a plane (plane it responsible of 3.5% of global warming but only 7% of the world population has taken a plane in their life; so in an equal world with everyone taking the plane the global warming would be nearly 50% higher).  It is a long trip (9 days, but with 4 days in Budapest), interesting as a transition to feel the environment changing, culture changing… it is for me a way to understand a little bit more the world and to be active part of the journey. Mondo and Merkuri supported me to do that (we needed to solve some administrative issues and they have followed me in my trip), thanks to them. The city if Zugdidi: Zugdidi is located in northern-west...