American Host Families Visit New Georgian Friends
The lasting relationships created through USAID’s Community Connections (CC) program were evident this summer, when American host families paid reciprocal visits to Georgia. Beyond providing valuable training opportunities for Georgians, the program also facilitates a cultural exchange experience that fosters greater mutual understanding between hosts and their guests.
Diana Glimm, her daughter Lisa Kirby Gibbs, and granddaughter Ellery Gibbs, traveled to visit Natia Metreveli. In December 2006, Glimm had hosted Metreveli, then a participant CC Business Internship program, at here home in Worcester, Massachusetts. The visit to see her former houseguest was especially exciting for Glimm, who saw it as a rare opportunity for her granddaughter to learn first-hand about a completely different part of the world.
Mel and Nena Chudnof hosted two CC participants at their home in late July 2006. They so enjoyed their guests that they organized a visit to Georgia. Although seasoned travelers, this was the Chudnofs first visit to the Caucasus. During their two week trip, the couple spent time in Kutaisi, Batumi and Tbilisi.
Chudnof says he and his wife loved their visit. “We had a wondrous experience in Georgia, mostly because of our hosts, Levan Kopaleishvili and Levan Kizilashvili. We got to know their children, sisters, brothers, parents, and extended family. We certainly learned a lot about Georgian history and culture. We gained an understanding of Georgia under the communist regime and the struggles of the last fifteen transition years. I don't think most Americans understand the angst and the hopefulness of those in the former Soviet Union.”
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| Mel Chudnof (center) tries on a Georgian traditional hat with Community Connections program alumni Levan Kopaleishvili and Levan Kizilashvili |
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