The first month as an EU Aid Volunteer in Georgia.
I arrived in Georgia the night of the 27 July and felt like I was sneaking in.
For me, it was a good auspice.
I arrived the next day in Zugdidi via marshurkhta and Olga, my coordinator, was waiting for me at the bus stop.
After showing me the house and giving me all the explanations, she leaves me to let me rest and unpack my things.
I couldn't wait to go to the office the next day and figure out what I could do.
Already from the first days, I was lucky enough to visit the shelter that houses women and children who have suffered domestic violence. I say I am lucky because the visits are not scheduled for us volunteers to respect the privacy of the beneficiaries.
Also in the first period, we were able to visit the immigrant garden, which was created by Lia, a Georgian poet. The intent is to preserve with the garden the Migrelian language and culture, native to this region.
In the first two weeks of August, I was able to plan and then implement a 5-day Summer School for children from ages 9 to 12. During its creation, I thought a lot about what the children of Zugdidi might need as a recreational and educational activity.
The themes that we developed during these days were friendship, empowerment, respect, and community building.
The days were divided into two parts: the morning was dedicated to games and energizers often done outside in the city park and the second part was focused on art and craft activities.
It is always good to play all together, especially if the activities require group challenges such as may be "dodge ball," "flag calls the number, or" scavenger hunt” but putting one's creativity into play is much more fun. For the respect workshop, I was able to enact a role play where the kids staged their assigned characters but without a script. Even without something to read, acting came naturally to them. The topic of respect seems complicated for a child but very often they know what it means but don't know how to explain it to you. So drawing, acting, and brainstorming helps them better understand themes that are not usually explained to them by adults.
sometimes even if they know it they don't have a chance to express themselves, so "create an Ad Billboard," "create your Id Card," and "what Zugdidi need to be more good" activities allowed them to voice their thoughts.
For me, it was very emotional to see the children express themselves so easily, especially because among them were the beneficiaries of Merkuri.
For the slightly older youth, I decided not to do a Summer School but to lay the groundwork for a future program. The ultimate goal is to create this support group of peers who can provide a safe space for other kids like them to be heard when they have difficulties.
Youth Peer Supporter, is the name of the program that has the aim to train a group of young people, aged 12 to 17, on mental health and wellbeing issues.
Enrollment was open to everyone and we received a lot of applications, also from out of town.
One participant every day made a 35-minute bus ride to reach us. Not all the young people knew each other but they all participated actively. I also involved Merkuri Staff including Eva, EU Aid volunteer, psychologist and communication expert and Tako, psychologist, who has been working for Merkuri for years.
The first days focused on group formation through games and icebreakers.
The following days, experts focused on topics such as assertive communication, the importance of respect and prejudice, active listening, and managing emotions
This is not my first time with this kind of activity, but meeting these kids for me has filled my heart and hope. I found in front of me young people who were open, helpful, creative, smart and most of all interested in this kind of issue.
It made what I am trying to do here in Georgia more special.
See you next month!
Nadia El Mouttaki
Senior EU Aid - Youth Worker
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