Georgia

The Republic of Georgia is bordered by Russia to its north, Azerbaijan to its east, Armenia to its south, and Turkey and the Black Sea to its west. Georgia is a country with a long history and a strong culture. Peace Corps/Georgia began in 2001. In 2004, the Russian-leaning, self-proclaimed president of the Adjara region, Aslan Abashidze, left the region, opening it up to re-entry of Peace Corps Volunteers in 2005.Georgia still faces the possible loss of two autonomous regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia, because of ethnic separatists and pro-Russian elements. Volunteers are not placed in these two regions. Due to the civil war in Abkhazia (1992-1993), Georgia has a large internally displaced population. More than 80 percent of the population fled Abkhazia during and after the civil war.

In January 2004, Mikhail Saakashvili was inaugurated as Georgia's new president. Saakashvili's election followed the Rose Revolution and heralded a breath of fresh political air for many Georgians. The presidential elections were held after President Shevardnadze resigned on November 23, 2003 in response to mass demonstrations protesting the results of parliamentary elections.

There are still many problems, including regular, reliable electricity and heat supply, but an air of optimism that"things are getting better" pervades the country. Georgians are a warm and welcoming people known for their hospitality. A majority of Georgian Volunteers live with a host Georgian family throughout their service. Georgians celebrate special occasions with"supras" that feature food, wine, and toasts which last for several hours. Families play an important role in social networks. Extended families often live together in the same house. Georgians are proud of their beautiful country, famous for the Borjormi Gorge, the Caucasus Mountains-especially Mt. Kazbegi-Black Sea resorts, and countless vistas of stunning natural beauty.

The first Peace Corps Volunteers arrived in March 2001. They serve in rural communities and towns throughout the country, where they focus on offering and enhancing English education for Georgian students and teaching methodologies for Georgian teachers. Technical sectors in Georgia include education and non-governmental organization development.

Education

Interest in studying English in Georgia is in high demand. Georgians have a strong desire to improve their English skills, which will expand professional opportunities in areas such as teaching, tourism, business, and community development.

Volunteers work with English language teachers in provincial and rural schools managed by the Ministry of Education. Their primary activities include team teaching with Georgian colleagues within the English language classroom, initiating and implementing extracurricular activities for the school community, and instituting alternative teaching methods. To ease the severe shortage of textbooks and modern teaching materials, Volunteers are helping their schools establish English language resource centers and collaborating with their counterparts to develop curricula.

Volunteers complete secondary projects in addition to their primary responsibilities as teachers. In the summer, Volunteers work with local community groups to organize youth camps that focus on leadership, life skills, critical thinking, conflict resolution, health, and the environment. Other projects include conducting teacher training workshops, building English resource centers, starting English and other clubs for youth, establishing language labs, and completing renovation projects.

NGO Development

In response to the demand for Volunteers' assistance in community outreach programs, a new Peace Corps program in NGO development began in 2004. Volunteers are assigned to work with local NGOs and provide technical assistance in improving skills in organizational management, project planning and management, fundraising and resource identification, and networking, which lead to an increase in the transparency and accountability of the organizations. Together with their counterparts, Volunteers organize trainings on topics of interest to their respective NGO and the community, and assist the NGO in finding funding to help sustain its operations.

Last updated Sep 27 2008