AFG: Projects: Children: Disabled
The First Step
Personal Observations from the Executive Director: During my first visit to Georgia in 1995, I visited the Kaspi Orphanage at the request of the director of UNICEF in Georgia. Kaspi Orphanage is a state orphanage for mentally and physically disabled children. I was horrified to see these children, some of whom were only slightly disabled, so neglected by the staff. They were very hungry and were bathed only once a month. Save the Children, UNICEF and other organizations tried to retrain the staff members and put in heating. But the heat was not turned and toys and books all disappeared.
The First Step Foundation was started in 1998 by Jane Corboy, wife of the European Union Ambassador to Georgia, and Nino Kadagidze-Zhvania, widow of the former Prime Minister of Georgia. Today The First Step has established pilot programs to provide appropriate care for disabled children in Georgia. Several of the children have been reunited with their biological families who are being supported by social workers from The First Step. Other children are living in The First Step Village, which is comprised of two residential facilities and a day care school. They are living for the first time in a secure, stable and supportive family type environment with a full time housemother and several “aunts” who also live in the village. When I visited the Village, I was thrilled to see the progress made by the children I had once seen so sad and forlorn at Kaspi Orphanage. Unfortunately, there are dozens of children still confined to the dreadful conditions of Kaspi Orphanage.
In as much as other humanitarian organizations had tried and failed to retrain the Kaspi staff, they advised AFG not to directly fund the orphanage. AFG believes that The First Step’s approach, which essentially removes the children from the orphanage, is the wisest approach.
AFG Accomplishments: Unfortunately, AFG has not had adequate funds to support The First Step program as well as our other projects.
Current Needs: Jane Corboy has asked AFG to provide funds for the daily care of the children in The First Step Village, such as teachers, medical personnel and special therapists. She hopes to be able to remove the remaining children at Kaspi Orphanage.