Ana is a lively 10-year-old girl who visits the day care center every day with her little sister, who is just seven. The sisters are full of energy and curiosity, and the center is a big part of their daily lives. It’s a place where they find more than just care—they find a second home, supported by the loving hands of World Vision Georgia (WVG).
The girls live with their single mother, who brings them to the center before going to work, knowing they are in good hands. The WVG center offers diverse services to Anastasia and her sister. It’s a place where they can play, learn, and grow. Here, they enjoy nutritious meals, engage in developmental games, attend art therapy sessions, and read books. They even get to watch movies together, discuss what they’ve seen, and share their thoughts with others.
The caregivers and staff at the center greet every child with a smile and warmth, creating a space where they feel valued and loved. In centre, the needs of the children are as varied as their personalities. Some, like Ana, struggle with emotional regulation; others face developmental delays or have some difficulties adhering to hygiene norms. The center’s team of specialists, including social workers, psychologists, educators, caregivers and doctor, work closely with each child, developing individual development plans to support their growth and progress.
Ana is a bright and intelligent girl, full of energy and enthusiasm. However, she faces a few challenges in her life. She struggles to manage her emotions and can become easily irritated or overexcited by small things. But at the center, everyone is committed to helping her navigate these challenges.
Through therapy sessions and regular meetings with a psychologist, Ana has learned to express her emotions creatively - through art, filling pages with colorful drawings that often depict happy moments. She paints with brushes, sometimes with her hands, and enjoys sculpting with clay. These activities help calm her emotions, helping her to find balance and peace.
The center also offers opportunities for the children to develop their cognitive and communication skills. After watching a movie together, the children discuss it, with Ana eagerly sharing her thoughts. These discussions are more than just about the films—they help the children build the logical thinking skills that will be essential in their future lives. It's always our priority to create a space where children feel safe and comfortable. 
Ana’s journey at the center is marked by progress and growth.
“At the beginning Ana was hesitant and unsure, but over time, she began to see us as more than just staff—we became her friends. Ana and I spent a lot of time together. We talked about everything. She had been struggling with reading and writing at school, so we worked on that together. With patience and encouragement, she started to improve, and I could see her confidence growing. It was a real turning point when she began asking me for extra assignments because she wanted to challenge herself and do even better. One of the things that touched me most was how she started seeking our help to resolve issues at home, especially with her mother. It’s not just the children who are supported at the center. We also work closely with the parents of the children who come to our center. With Ana's mother, we hold regular meetings to discuss positive parenting techniques and ways to better support her children. These conversations are crucial because they help bridge the gap between what we do at the center and the environment at home,“ - says a social worker.
The day care center is more than just a place to spend the day—it’s a space where children like Ana feel safe, loved, and empowered. This is a place where their well-being is the top priority, and where they are given the resources and love they need, where staff work hard to build and maintain the children’s trust, knowing that this trust is the foundation of the care and support they provide. Through all of this, our focus remains on ensuring that every child, like Ana, feels valued and empowered in a way that fosters their growth and well-being.

Anna's journey from Ukraine to Georgia is a touching and resilient story of survival and hope. Fleeing her homeland in July 2022 due to the war in Ukraine, she along with her 11-year-old daughter and 72-year-old mother, embarked on a challenging journey to find safety and stability in a foreign land. “We came by land and passed a long road. When we were entering the country, at the border, the driver was playing a Ukrainian song with lyrics “One day the war will be over,”  it was so symbolic and emotional that I started to cry, ” - Anna says while sharing her story. However, as she recounts, the moment they entered Georgia, she instantly felt relieved.

The feeling of being on the "safe side" represents a turning point, marking the beginning of a new chapter filled with opportunities and a chance to rebuild their lives. Initially, Anna and her family received support from relatives of her husband who were living in Georgia. Over time, they moved into a separate rented apartment where they live now. The challenges of adaptation were not easy, but time and the state assistance available for them as well as diverse support provided by World Vision in Georgia helped them to adapt to their new surroundings. 

„My husband is a sailor, that’s why he is mostly away. But thanks to him we are managing to pay the rent“.  His occupation keeps him away from home frequently, making it necessary for Anna to take on the responsibility of managing their household and raising their daughter. In Georgia, Anna has found support from various sources, including World Vision which plays a crucial role in helping her meet family's needs as well as offering various psycho-social services and activities such as counseling sessions, Positive Parenting training, Women’s Club, and more.  Anna's decision to approach World Vision was influenced by the recommendation of a classmate who came earlier in Georgia.

“My first priority was to address my mental health concerns, which had been exacerbated by the displacement and stress caused by the war and the separation from my husband for a longer period. All of us, my mother, daughter and I underwent counseling sessions provided by your organization, which proved to be highly effective in helping us navigate the stress and trauma we have experienced. The psychologist Sophiko, not only provided valuable advice but also gave me practical guidance, that now I’m applying in my daily life. I recommend everyone to try the counseling sessions provided by World Vision. Sometimes we don’t pay attention to our mental state, but in fact, it is very important. My mother also benefited from these meetings, even though she initially believed she didn't need them. This helped us a lot to manage our emotions and thoughts,” - Anna openly elaborated. 

Sophiko, who works in World Vision as a psychologist explains, that the primary aim is to ensure a secure and inviting atmosphere where individuals feel safeguarded and empowered to openly articulate their thoughts and feelings. She underscores the vital role parents play in shaping their child's emotional well-being, emphasizing that it's imperative for parents to prioritize their own mental health as well.
The specialist clarifies - “We provide a diverse range of psycho-social activities tailored for individuals of various age groups, spanning from children to adults and the elderly. To date, we have successfully conducted four distinct types of training sessions. These encompass emotional intelligence, assertive behavior training, and more. This environment fosters the opportunity for sharing personal experiences and receiving constructive feedback, ultimately promoting growth and well-being.”

Anna's positive experience with counselling highlights the transformative power of mental health support and the positive influence it can have on one's overall well-being. These sessions along with the financial support of the organization helped her also to overcome the negative psychological effects caused by the severe illness. A 39-year-old woman has recently defeated breast cancer, now she feels better, however, Anna needs regular health check-ups and consultations to maintain her well-being. 

“In the beginning, it was hard for me to find the doctor and do the examinations. But then thanks to World Vision support and financial aid, I managed to visit the clinic, consult with the doctor and purchase all needed medications”, - she adds. 

Anna’s daughter goes to a local public school in Georgia, where she has an opportunity to study in Ukrainian language. Apart from that, in her free time, she regularly attends World Vision Georgia’s Education and Development Centre - Happy Space, where she is involved in various classes, enabling her to socialize and play with other Ukrainian children. 

“Instead of spending all her time at home, the centre provides a vibrant social space for children where they engage in different interesting activities that nurture their personal growth and enable them to maintain their native language and culture. Moreover, participating in psychological sessions for teenagers is proving to be incredibly advantageous, because now she is in the transitional period and the challenges and stresses that come with it can accumulate, ” says Anna, adding that her daughter has become more open and communicative, readily sharing her thoughts, feelings, and daily experiences with her. 

As she describes it, this space holds a profound significance for both parents and children. To improve her relationship with her daughter, support her development and adaptation to a new environment, Anna also attends Positive Parenting sessions provided by the organization, which according to her have been a tremendous source of support and guidance. 

“Through these trainings, I've gained fresh insights and discovered new approaches that have changed the way I approach my child. These sessions have served as a reminder of the nuances of childhood that we, as adults, sometimes forget. They've helped me tap into my own childhood experiences, needs, and feelings, allowing me to respond to my child's needs with greater empathy and insight. Besides receiving lots of helpful information by attending various sessions, the space serves as our gathering place, where we can communicate with other Ukraininas and share our experiences, which is a big relief, ”-  she noted. 

Anna is also active member of World Vision Women’s Club that organises thematic sessions on entrepreneurship, culture and norms and other topics that help Ukrainian women become self-sustained in a foreign country. Anna like other women is motivated to enhance her skills and learn the Georgian language. She is an Engineering Technician by profession and in Ukraine she worked at the post office. Hence, now she is looking for opportunities to realize herself and support her family in a new country.   

“Since now we live away from home and we don’t know how long we are going to stay here, we need to embrace living in a new country and immerse ourselves in the local culture. Now my husband and I are competing, who will learn Georgian language faster. The fact that he is away for half a year gives us both ample time to dedicate ourselves to learning. However we can’t plan things ahead now because we don’t know what tomorrow will bring, we learned to live in the present and be thankful for what we have today, ” she concluded. 

Upon ending the story of her journey, Anna recommends her counterparts in similar situations not hesitate to ask for help. 

“I'm incredibly grateful to World Vision Georgia for their timely and invaluable assistance. Looking back, I wish I had reached out to them sooner. Their support came just when I needed it most and alleviated the burden on my shoulders,” - she noted. 

Anna's story serves as a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the capacity to overcome all obstacles in life. It's a story of hope, perseverance, and the ability to find solace and happiness even in the face of challenging circumstances. 

World Vision provides continued support to Ukrainian citizens living in Georgia within its Ukraine Crisis Response Programme with the financial support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH) and UNHCR in cooperation with local as well as international actors. As of the present, the financial and cash assistance provided to the beneficiaries amounts to 9950 units. More than 1700 individuals including children have benefited from Psycho-Social Support sessions while educational resources and nonformal courses offered by World Vision Georgia have covered more than 1000 children and adults. In total, the program has supported 24250 Ukrainians in the country through diverse services and assistance. 
 

World Vision Georgia has been holding trainings for Municipal Social Workers within the frames of the project Implementing the Child Rights Code in Georgia, financially supported by the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). To strengthen Child Protection case management processes and referral mechanisms between municipal and national levels, World Vision Georgia provided on-the-job trainings to advance Social Workers’ capacities both at national and municipal levels. Up to present under this initiative in total 313 municipal social workers, child protection unit employees, State Care agency social workers and psychologists have been trained by World Vision Georgia.

Lela Gogoladze is a social worker and one of the active participants from Borjomi Municipality who successfully completed the training on  „Child protection and Prevention” and advanced her knowledge in the field, which she can apply in practice to better address the problems and needs of vulnerable children and families in her region. 

“I am a lawyer by profession with 5 years of experience in this field. While working as a lawyer, I had to go through many cases and was extremely concerned about the well-being and future of children involved in family disputes. When dealing with various family disputes and attending court proceedings, I realized the importance of the findings social workers made for a particular case putting the child's best interest first. The social worker is one of the first who assesses, supports, and advocates for individuals and communities in need. Their expertise and observations can provide valuable insights that contribute to understanding and addressing complex social issues. Throughout my career path, I also worked at Social Service Agency, where I discovered more about social work, which fueled my interest in this profession”, - says Lela Gogoladze, Child and Family Social Worker at Borjomi Municipality City Hall.

During her employment at Borjomi City Hall, she learned about the open position for a social worker and decided to apply.  This was her first step forward in adopting a new profession. She undertook the Social Workers’ certification course to become a  professional in the field, and till present she is dedicated to expanding her knowledge in this direction.

“Working in this field was so exciting for me, that it has become my new profession. I love my job, it brings a sense of fulfilment and motivation to my professional life. My passion and desire to help the most vulnerable children and families, especially those who are not integrated into the community and require support to become self-sustained and resilient, led me to a life-changing experience. We, social workers, help others overcome various challenges and make a positive impact on people's lives ”, - Lela Gogoladze noted. 

She believes that her profession benefits individuals, families, and communities, providing support in many ways: identifying and meeting their needs, helping them to maintain social functioning, realizing their rights, and empowering vulnerable children and families.

“Social workers play a crucial role in ensuring the welfare of children and guiding their biological, social, and psychological development”, - she added.  

When asking her how she benefited from the trainings, she stressed that thanks to the educational sessions and courses conducted by World Vision Georgia, she managed to improve her qualification for effective service provision. Now she is well equipped with the knowledge and skills to assist and better serve those in need.
 

“Every meeting or training I attend is a novelty and unique experience offering new perspectives, insights, and knowledge that contribute to my professional advancement,” with these words she summarized her journey in social work.

Please see the video interview here.

Masha is a 12-year-old girl from Zaporizhzhia, who’s been in Georgia for nearly four months now. She came to Georgia for a skiing holiday with family and friends in February, but stayed after the beginning of the conflict in her home country.

“In the beginning it was very boring. We were all sat in the hotel feeling homesick, constantly checking our phones, but one day World Vision came with musical instruments, and everything changed; we started playing games and doing fun activities with them.”

In Georgia, World Vision has been supporting children from Ukraine from the very first day of the crisis, providing psycho-social support through music therapy, as well as direct assistance with cash vouchers for food, medicine, clothes, and other necessities. World Vision heard from parents that one of their main concerns was the limited access to education for Ukrainian children. The Ministry of Education and Science in Georgia took the decision to simplify the process for enrolling children from Ukraine into public and private schools. The World Vision team was actively involved in supporting families with documentation and bureaucratic processes and has helped more than 70 children enrol in schools to date.
 

An important part of Masha’s new life has been adapting to studies at her new school. She’s at a school that offers classes in Russian, so she can continue her education in Georgia without facing a language barrier.

Her teacher recalls, “At the start she was shy and a little constrained, but now she wears a smile on her face and is well liked by classmates and teachers alike.”

Masha’s favourite subjects are biology and sports, as well as Georgian, which helps her communicate with her new classmates. Every day she also rides the bus with her Ukrainian friends that are staying at the hotel with her. And of course, every week she takes part in the extracurricular social and sport activities organised by the World Vision team. Overall, Masha is satisfied with the help World Vision Georgia has provided her and has given us ‘a high score!’.

With the end of the school year approaching and the start of holidays in sight, she hopes she and her friends will be able to spend some time by the sea.

Overall, 1424 people (523 children among them) have benefited from World Vision’s Ukraine Crisis Response in Georgia.
 

Born in Iran, grown up in Azerbaijan and now living in Georgia – Story of An Afghan boy’s journey to safety and self-realization.

Said Yusifi, 20 years old young man has spent half of his childhood in Iran and since he is of Afghan origin, has faced numerous challenges since then.  Iran hosts one of the largest refugee populations globally, with the vast majority from Afghanistan.  The situation of undocumented Afghans is very hard, with extreme restrictions on livelihood opportunities and access to education and healthcare, as well as a constant threat of abuse, exploitation, and deportation by Iranian authorities (Source: ACAPS,2021). Like others Said had to go through abuse and violence every day, just to feed his family.

At the age of seven, he was offered illegal work in a furniture factory to support his mother and siblings financially. The salary was not high, but it was enough to buy simple things, such as bread.  7-year-old Said’s daily routine was not easy, he had to wake up at 6-7am,  due to lack of money, was not allowed to take a bus or taxi, so the road to work took him one and a half hours each way. 3 hours of walking every day – thinking about a better future. He worked 9 to 10 hours per day.

“I was telling myself; I am going to go to work early, do my work fast and then come back home by the time to watch cartoons, but sadly, by the time I was getting back home, it was too late for cartoons.” – says Said.

Financially supporting the family was the highest priority for Said that triggered him to start working at such a young age leaving him without an opportunity to get school education.  Even though his parents tried to explain the importance of education, he did not change his mind.
In 2009, Said and his family arrived in Azerbaijan, in hopes of a better life and freedom.  Said and his family were given a mandate status by the host Country. During the years spent in Azerbaijan, Said go  interested in sports; he practiced in  boxing and then karate Kyokushin. At the age of 15, he became Champion in the Eurasian contest. He was highly motivated and dedicated to self-improvement. Said also learnt four languages (Turkish, Azerbaijani, English and Russian).

When Said was 15 years old he got into a severe car accident, which caused brain damage. He was hospitalized and required rehabilitation for 3 months. Doctors refused to continue sports. This was a hard time for him which evoked a feeling of fear and frustration. Until now Said is receiving psychosocial and medical treatment.

As Said says, life in Azerbaijan introduced him to new experiences and taught him how to deal with life in many ways, but there were specific reasons why the family didn’t feel as free as they wanted to and so they decided to move to another country again.

In 2017, Said’s family had a little information about Georgia, so they searched for more on YouTube and decided to move there to start a new chapter of their life in Georgia. The main reason why they fell in love with Georgia was the feeling of freedom.

He remembers the day when Georgia’s border police took Said and his family to Tbilisi and the Migration Department granted them with asylum seeker status. Said had to live in Martkopi Reception Centre for Asylum Seekers for 6 months. At that time, basic needs of the family were satisfied, having shelter and food. But the strong will of achieving more did not leave Said. .  During this period, he worked with locals in the village of Martkopi and helped them with constructions and cleaning houses etc. 

“I am going to continue improving myself, so that it will be beneficial for my future life” -  thought Said when he first arrived in Georgia. He was motivated to continue studying and working. 

One day UNHCR contacted Said and offered various services including psychological therapy, as he was struggling with childhood trauma. Another challenge that he and his siblings faced was the registration process at school. The procedures are pretty complicated in Georgia and requires a good knowledge of the regulations. Said visited the Multi-Service Center and was greeted with warmth and empathy. The Multi-service center is a safe place for refugees, asylum seekers and stateless people where they can access resources and develop skills to promote self-reliance. World Vision Georgia created the center within the project “Community Mobilization and Participation”. 

Since 2019, World Vision Georgia has worked with refugees, asylum seekers and stateless persons in Georgia to protect rights and contribute their integration into society within the framework of The UN Refugee Agency in Georgia- funded project "Community Mobilization and Participation".  More than 2000 beneficiaries are registered in the Multi-Service Center and receive diverse services regularly. 
 
WV Georgia project staff has supported Said and his family in the process of children school registration and provided entire family of Said with Georgian language classes. With the joint efforts of UNHCR and WV Georgia, Said has finished IT college along with covering Georgian language courses.

In 2021, the COVID Pandemic appeared to be a massive challenge both for Georgia and the whole world. World Vision Georgia provided food and hygienic packages together with financial assistance to all beneficiary families including Said’s family to support them during the pandemic. 

Last year Said’s family divorced, and he still felt alone, as he was the only grown-up child to feed his family - mother and siblings.  However, now, he felt more confident and more robust than before; he had good IT knowledge, knew four different languages, and had a goal - taking care of his family.
     
For the last 6 months, Said was actively looking for a job and decided to ask WV Georgia staff for an information regarding job opportunities After evaluating Said's experience and skills, WV Georgia Employment consultant started negotiations with international partner company, Majorel, which provides outsourced technical support services for large companies worldwide. The company expressed willingness to help Said and was offered the position of a multilingual technical support specialist. He made decision immediately and accepted the offer.

“Chance comes once and you have to open the door and hug it, don’t let it go” – says Said.

After approval, Said went through interviews and a 2 week training course at Majorel. After selecting him for the job, he had an introductory tour about company’s mission, values, principles and the working specificities.

The first day of the job was hard for Said, but he is thankful to his coworkers who helped him with every little problem he came across in the starting phase. From the experience gained, Said thinks that it’s essential to keep attention on small details, as a tiny  mistake can cause a big disaster. 

“I love my job and I get full pleasure out of it, I am talking to people, helping them with their problems, also I improved my personal skills, I became more detail oriented and confident” – says Said.

The skills developed during this job will help him with his future development. He is still in touch with people from the Multiservice Center, but Said can’t visit it as often as he used to because of a busy daily schedule. Besides Majorel, he also works as freelancer and does small tasks such as translation, and video/photo editing. 

His hobby is photography and sport activities such as ping-pong, swimming, running and gaming. During the weekends Said hangs out with his friends.  In his spare time, which is very little in his life, he prefers to stay home and think about the future. 

“I cannot plan anything right now, I don’t know what is going to happen tomorrow, so I am living todays life and being careful about what tomorrow has to offer” – says Said about future plans. 

World Vision Georgia Kakheti Regional Development Program has been developing the competencies of youth, involved in state, and out of state care for several years, to improve their economic position through various initiatives.

This year, the Child Protection Program (CPP), focused on the development of youth entrepreneurship, communications and civic competencies, as well as promoting professional growth and economic empowerment.  As part of the initiative, up to 10 young people in and out of state care, attended information sessions on small entrepreneurship, innovation and successful startups, which entailed learning how to write and manage projects and business plans.  For practicing acquired knowledge, all participants actively participated in the youth innovative ideas competition, which was announced within the framework of the World Vision Georgia program.  Based on the project ideas presented, three young people were awarded funding, two of whom are in foster care, and the other who lives in a small family –type group home.

Maia is one of the winners of the competition.  She is 16 years old and has been living in a small family-type group home for two years.  After moving to Telavi, she joined a youth club to be engaged in activities with other likeminded teenagers.  

"Initially I learned about the organization from the children who I currently live with in Telavi. I heard a lot of good things about the club from my friends. Those clubs are the place where young people learn how to deal with emotions, set life goals, discuss their values, interests, and effectively communicate with those around them. They also learn to write and manage projects, so they will turn interesting ideas into reality in the future.  I decided to become part of the club so I could participate in youth projects, and having an opportunity provided, I made up my mind to present my idea. To be honest, I was confident that I would overcome this challenge and successfully achieve my goal. However initially, I had a fear and the feeling that I was new and older, and that more experienced members may have won instead of me. I thought I may have failed to receive funding, but I always reminded myself of my favorite session from youth club: setting life goals. During one of the meetings, we painted a target circle, and created a shooting object ourselves. Some of us could hit the target, and some of us didn’t. Afterwards, we reflected on the exercise, relating it to our life stories and experiences. So this session gave me the motivation to set the goal, which I had to achieve,“  – said Maia. 

We asked Maia about the importance of such opportunities for youth who are also in a state care like her, and to this, Maia confidently answered: 

“Us living without families are deprived of such opportunities. However, engagement in such projects enables us to learn, develop and find the will to take care of our future. Through being involved in youth activities, I have acquired many friends, learnt how to relate with other people, and improved communication skills. Overall, I have become a more open and communicative person.”

Together with personal skills, our organization supported Maia’s professional skills development too. Upon her completion of a tailoring course, we purchased a sewing machine, fabrics and other relevant equipment, enabling Maia to create a source of income through tailoring and sewing bags and purses. Our joint efforts subsequently helped Maia turn her initiative into a reality. 

“The sewing machine, which was provided within the project made a little part of my dream come true. I have successfully completed a three-month sewing course and now I am on my way to achieving the life goal. I am going to advance in my profession, study in college to reach this success. With this, my life will change for the better. "

As Maia says, this project was the first step which made her closer to her life goal with the next step being to obtain vocational education. Meanwhile, Maia is taking entrance exams to Telavi Vocational School this year and is full of determination to change her life for the better.