Mondo´s volunteers in Georgia

I'm writing this final blog from Kutaisi airport, as I wait for the flight that will take me back to Rome. It's hard to sum up everything that has happened over the past few months and draw any final conclusions, but I'll try to share my reflections. WORK Without a doubt, this has been the most rewarding part of my experience. I had the privilege of working almost exclusively with the same group of beneficiaries, which allowed me to build strong and authentic relationships over time. Initially, I was worried that some of them would drop out after the first few meetings and wouldn't want to commit to a long-term project. In reality, out of the 12 women who started, only two dropped out, while the others continued until the end. The greatest satisfaction came from hearing their feedback at the end of the training: many of them remembered and appreciated aspects that I thought hadn't fully sunk in or might have been forgotten. They also expressed a desire to delve deep...

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...

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...

I arrived in Georgia the night of the 27 July and felt like I was sneaking in. From the window of the plane, I couldn’t see anything and wondered how many things I would see the next day. From the first moment I came down, I could feel the warm, humid Georgian air. 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 preserv...