Sophio Gvilava and Sophio Gvasalia did not know how to sew at all. Dariko Jinjolava, Guranda Dzadzua and Zhana Arkania did the elementary things. Maka Saria's mother sewed and she also tried. Everyone wanted to study, but it was just a desire ... These young women live in Tskhoushi (Pakhulani community of Tsalenjikha municipality), none of them works, they take care of their families and children.

All of them were the activists of the Fund “Sukhumi” Women Support Center. They attended information and consultation meetings. Pakhulani Women Support Center has been here, near the conflict dividing line, for years. Mobilizer Marika Megrelidze gathered many women and was able to solve many problems. When the Fund “Sukhumi” conducted a needs research in the municipality, it turned out that there was no sewing shop here.

Before the other way appears, the Fund opened a day rehabilitation center in Tskhoushi. A part of the building was given to the center by the shop owner. Sewing machines, cloth, threads were brought from Kutaisi.

Findings and recommendations in the monitoring report of the Women's Fund "Sukhumi" - "Development of Child Care Services - to Promote Women's Employment and Ensure Effective Prevention and Response to Domestic Violence" were presented to the representative of the State Employment Promotion Agency - Ana Bendeliani by representatives of the Tbilisi office - Nino Korinteli and Linda Chikhladze.

At the meeting, both parties were allowed to share their experiences. Representatives of the Fund "Sukhumi" focused on the specific needs for the employment of vulnerable women, which are discussed in detail in our study, and also talked about the barriers that our beneficiaries face daily.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

Working on IDP issues is one of the directions of the Women Fund "Sukhumi". A coalition project has been launched in five municipalities of western Georgia. The title of the project is:

Strengthening the capacities of the regional and local administrations in the processes of localization of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security and enhancing the meaningful participation of IDP and conflict-affected women and youth in those processes.

The aim of the project is to support the development of local government capacity, especially with IDPs and conflict-affected population, to be more actively involved in the localization of the National Action Plan of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 for Women, Peace and Security.

"There is a lot to talk about this topic, domestic violence harms not only one person, one family, but a significant part of society. It should be perceived by everyone. "

"Violence does not like delay, on the contrary, a timely response is necessary".

Such opinions were expressed by the participants of the information meeting held at the Women Support Centers in Chokhatauri, Terjola, Tkibuli and Samtredia.

Mobilization meetings help participants to have as much information as possible about services and mechanisms to respond to facts of violence. Meetings help to raise public awareness. Which is an important step in terms of violence prevention.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

At the end of the session, Nana (nominal name) thanked the psychologist. With tears in her eyes, she said that peace had come to her, she was not so worried any more, relations in the family improved...

This is one of those women who receive our consultation and rehabilitation service, solve their problems and change themselves positively...

The psychologist and the lawyer carry out systematic work in the regions. In January, they held online group meetings with the beneficiaries of the Women Support Centers of Samtredia, Kobuleti, Chokhatauri, Tkibuli and the village Khurcha (Zugdidi municipality).

An intensive work of a psychologist and a lawyer with the beneficiaries of the rehabilitation center of the Fund "Sukhumi", online work with crisis families were held. More than 20 beneficiaries continue to receive individual psychotherapy.

The roof of a house of one family was free of snow, another was given firewood, and the inner roads were cleaned somewhere - these are the results of our work.

Mobilization meetings help to identify the problems that concern women living in different communities. Mobilizers of women support centers are actively responding to the identified problems. The advocacy process goes on with the involvement of local structures, which gives a finished look to the revealed cases.

Information meetings were held in Tsalenjikha, Senaki and Kobuleti Women Support Centers. The list of solved problems included social and infrastructural problems that were solved in time.

Проект осуществляется при поддержке организации Brot

für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Германия)

Performances suit the snow-covered Kutaisi. The Forum - Theater runs performance in Central Parks. These are new scenes, with experienced actors and active volunteers. Director - Magda Chikhladze conducts rehearsals with usual routines.

Forum-theater is used to crowds of people. Now the audience is small, but the actors are still performing their roles with all their heart. New scenes are about violence and migration. These are current topics.

The Forum - Theater hopes that many spectators will return soon and that an active dialogue will take place with the audience.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

The training course was actively continued in five more municipalities. In Terjola, Chokhatauri, Zugdidi, Tsalenjikha and Senaki Youth Empowerment Centers the trainings were held on one and the same topic: gender equality, traditions and stereotypes for violence prevention. Ways conflict resolution.

All trainings seem to be similar but differ with the involvement of the participants. The active work of the leaders is reflected on the youth groups, after the trainings the initiated events start, which is a visible result of our work.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

She passed through all stages that accompany domestic violence. She went through all the feelings that at first evoke a sense of protest, then guilt and finally become a part of everyday life.

She does not tell the details. She says that even telling her story also aggravates and makes the pain worse. She just emphasizes that there was a great deal of hopelessness and despair in her life at that time, knowing that with two children it would be even more difficult, she would be an extra burden for everyone. This burden was particularly heavy. She could not rely on anyone ...

This is Salome (name is conditional) from Kobuleti. Her story is very familiar. As if we have read it somewhere, or heard it from someone. This story is a message, another message from people who ask for support from people at the right time and often can not get it...

Salome was able to make a change – she finally folded the painful pages of her life and started a new life:

Salome was able to make a change - the pages of life's hardest story were finally folded and a new life began:

Women initiative groups have an active working period in Koki and Didi Nedzi (Zugdidi Municipality). The members of the group are involved in the research: focus groups and in-depth interviews. The aim of the research is to identify the barriers that hinder the involvement of women in socio-political and economic activities.

Koki Youth Initiative Group has a different agenda. At the ordinary meeting, the lawyer of the Fund "Sukhumi" discussed the topic of "early marriage". Underage marriage is still a problem in Georgia. Besides the fact that early marriage is a human rights violation, it is accompanied by negative consequences for physical and mental health.

The feedback from the group members at the end of the meeting was following:

- The meeting was informative, interesting and important.

- I learned about the risks and methods of punishment after the early marriage.

- It is necessary to hold similar meetings with adults.

The project is implemented with the support of the USAID