Where We Serve – Georgia for Georgia

Georgia … it’s a country of almost four million people situated at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Asia. Once part of the former Soviet Union, it is now an independent country and important strategic ally to the U.S.

Georgia for Georgia serves in the western region of Georgia – very rural and one of the poorest parts of the country. When the Soviets left in 1991, they demolished once-thriving factories, leaving most residents to rely on small family farms for income. Residents survive by selling fruits or vegetables that they grow or by bartering services.

WHERE OUR STUDENTS LIVE
Most homes do not have electricity or gas, and for the very few who do, they are usually unable to afford the utility bills. Most homes do not have indoor plumbing, andinstead use outdoor pumps, wells and outhouses. No one has clothes dryers, even in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi. Very few families own cars and either walk or ride marshrutka’s – shared minibuses that are still common in many post-Soviet countries.

FOUR SCHOOLS
Since 1999, Georgia for Georgia has steadfastly supported children, now over 400, each year attending four schools in the region. Three are K-12 schools and one is a special needs school. We visit each of the schools on our annual mission trips.

Etseri

A K-12 school with 142 students. Almost all families are below the poverty line.

Vardzia

Located in a remote village, the sole employer is the school. We added Vardzia to our program in 2023 to address the dire conditions under which the children and their families live.

Kitski

A Preschool – 12th grade school with 146 students, 25 of whom live at the school.

Chiatura

A Special Needs residential school for 24 children throughout the western region.