Supporting Internally Displaced Children and Families - Preventing Separation through Social Work and Psychosocial Assistance

EVERYCHILD – UNICEF

 

Following 2008 August military confrontations in South Ossetia and other territories of Georgia, the country faced a critical need for urgent and active measures to assist people affected by the armed conflict. To respond to the emergency needs of the victims of conflict, international community  coordinated  its efforts through distribution of humanitarian aid; providing shelter and basic living necessities to international displaced people.

Children, pregnant women and mothers of young children from the territories involved in the conflict were regarded as the most vulnerable group of the population who apart from shelter, food and other essentials for survival needed human support and psychosocial assistance to overcome the stress, which could lead to numerous behavioural and personal disturbances.

In October 2008, “EveryChild” Georgia, through financial support of UNICEF initiated the project “Supporting Internally Displaced Children and Families - Preventing Separation through Social Work and Psychosocial Assistance”  which aimed at strengthening family resources through providing professional social work services, psychological support, parenting skills training, and recreational services to children and their families and pregnant women from South Ossetia and Kodori Valley (Abkhazia).

Project duration was 8 months, starting in September 2008 and ending in April 2009.  It included 3 phases:

 In the first phase (September 2008 – November 2008) the project targeted the IDP children and their families residing in 82 IDP collective centers in Vake-Saburtalo District of Tbilisi.

During this period the project team created the database of the project beneficiaries and ensured delivery of psychosocial services and parenting skills trainings.

During the second phase (December 2008 - February 2009) the project plan and activities were modified in response to the government policy to resettle the IDPs in new IDP centers in Shida Kartli, Mtskheta-Mtianeti, and Kvemo Kartli regions. Therefore, the project area was expanded to 3 new IDP collective settlements: Koda, Shavshvebi, and Tserovani.

The social workers, psychologists and trainers were able to outreach all IDP children and their families in Koda and Shavshvebi and assisted 68 children in Tserovani (Tserovani is the largest IDP center in Georgia and it was impossible for the social workers to assess all IDP children there)

 In the third phase (March-April, 2009) the project staff intensified delivery of psychosocial services in the selected IDP resettlements.

The social workers provided assistance not only to children, but also to their families which aimed at strengthening family resources and which contributed to prevention of children’s separation with parents. Social workers helped the families to access necessary services and assisted to tackle social and psychological problems.

The project addressed multiple needs of beneficiaries, ensured provision of information about free services and benefits available, provided assistance through emergency fund for purchase of medicines, baby formulas and other basic items, empowered families and also contributed to positive changes in awareness of the parents towards child rearing practices and child protection issues.

 The following project activities were accomplished successfully:

• 1041 children got various services through social work assistance
• 154 parents and pregnant women received two-day training focused on positive parenting skills.
• 730 parents were consulted in child rearing issues, crisis management, positive hygiene and etc.
• 167 children and parents got psychological support. During the project the range of the psychological assistance was expanded and advanced.
• 1296 children benefitted from the recreational services. Additionally, 178 children received day long respite-care and recreational services delivered by the skilled babysitters during the trainings for parents.
• 2300 information leaflets were distributed among the IDP families.