Child Sponsorship Background from Tbilisi, Georgia

SOS Children's Village Tbilisi

The SOS Children's Village Tbilisi is situated in the western part of the capital, on the Nuzubidse high plateau, about eight kilometres from the city centre and about 30 kilometres from the airport. The plot of land covers about five hectares and is well integrated into the public supply system.

The SOS Children's Village is located next to a residential area, where some small food stores and secondary schools can be found. Other facilities, such as hospitals, markets, music schools, etc., are located a little closer to the city centre. The official opening ceremony was held in April 1998.

SOS Children's Village Tbilisi comprises twelve family houses with a capacity for up to 84 children, an administration and service area, and houses for the village director and the SOS aunts (who support the SOS mothers and take care of the children when the mothers are on leave).

Other SOS Projects in Tbilisi

The adjoining SOS Nursery School is open to the children from the neighbourhood and consists of five group rooms, a kitchen and a gym; it can cater to up to 100 children.

A computer room was set up in one of the local schools as an SOS Social Centre, where various computer courses are offered to up to 260 students per year. The SOS Youth Home in the centre of Tbilisi can accommodate up to 29 youths, who live there during their vocational training or higher education and prepare themselves for an independent life.

The Family Strengthening Programme offers access to essential services for children’s development (eg. educational, nutritional, health support, social skills) and supports families to protect and care for their children. The programme also aims at linking families with income generating activities and offers help to improve the parents’ parenting skills.

Backgrount to Tbilisi

Tbilisi is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Mt'k'vari (Kura) River. The city's name is derived from an early Georgian form Tpilisi. The city has over a million inhabitants. Tbilisi is located in the South Caucasus range and to the north of the city there is a large reservoir (commonly known as the Tbilisi Sea) fed by irrigation canals.

Tbilisi is a diverse city and historically has been home to peoples from different cultures, religions and ethnicities. It is one of the few places in the world (Sarajevo and Paramaribo being others) where a synagogue and a mosque are located next to each other, while Christianity is the main religion of Tbilisi.