From the very beginning there were created 3 workshops (jewelry workshop, enamel workshop, computer&org-technique repairing studio) for homeless children from shelters, and we used to help the children to acquire some specialization. The aim of the project was to save socially vulnerable youth in order not to let them absorb the street and criminal influence.

After the learning process we have founded for them the Ltd where they work and have their own income. Some of these children have begun their own business. For them this would be facilitated because later we had initiated the course of small business management. Until the present moment more than 200 teenagers have attended the workshops, 63 of them still do work at our and other companies.

For example, the production made in jewelry and enamel workshops by our children participated in 11 exhibitions, organized in Georgia and abroad, a lot of jewels were sold and used as income for children.

Computer workshops are providing the following services: refilling and reparation of the cartridges of the copiers, printers and faxes. For now, service is used by more than 40 local and international institutions.

On the next stage we have opened an auto-car repair workshop with the support of Netherlands Embassy in Georgia. Thanks to our close cooperation with the British Embassy in Georgia there are opened the intensive courses of web-design and English language, DFID helped us to open the training courses on computer and bought all necessary equipment for the trainings. Also, Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation helped us to found the small business management course.

Besides, we have the cooperation with the municipality of Tbilisi and our association is involved into the project within the “Program for Rehabilitation of Socially Vulnerable Children”, also we participate at cities project of municipalities of Tbilisi and Saarbrucken, coordinating children problems in Social Problems Coordination Team.

The Public Defender of Georgia has founded the children rights coordination group we are the members of; the president of our association – Giorgi Chahava, is the capelin of the prison and he visits the children in the unit. Besides, we have made an application to penitential system commission group, where we require the membership of a commission near the Women and Juvenile unit # 5.

“Caritas Georgia” offered their building to host Association “Mkurnali”’s Workshops. The members of International Women’s Association are supporting Association “Mkurnali” beneficiaries on regular basis. IWA also has funded the purchase of sewing workshop equipment. At the present moment we have to implement the program “Working places for socially vulnerable children” and we have prepared other project also – “Legal defense of street children”.

The detailed list of projects implemented by our organization is given in the Attachment.

Our beneficiaries (homeless children that came from the shelters) have presented to us their friends that, unfortunately, were remained out of shelter. They asked us to help also these children and youth. Our organization has begun to supply the street children with food, clothes and sleeping bags, using the income of our Ltd. Every evening, Saturday and Sunday included, we use to visit the children and we give them objects of personal care and food. With this our activity, we have caused the interest of the IWA (International Women Association), and also - of our own friends. The members of IWA and other persons use to visit the children together with us and all of them distribute among the children the objects bought on their own expenses. The “Press-Café” makes us a present twice a week, giving the cakes and pies for the children. Every year we organize the Christmas party and the birthday of each child uses to be celebrated by a little feast.

We have confronted a quite new problem, working with the street children. As a rule, they used to earn their everyday bread begging in the streets. Becoming older, they found this activity much more difficult, and they were forced by circumstances to begin to steal. There were observed a lot of cases when some criminal persons were trying to involve the children into their activities; sometimes it happens even that they get retained and imprisoned being innocent. They don’t know their own rights and use to consider themselves peculiar, as they live in the street. As a consequence, the need of their legal defense arises, without an official advocacy the children haven’t any hope to succeed fighting for their truth; our organization does such a voluntary work for them.

We organize the crime prevention in the children and, if it becomes necessary, we defend their rights at police departments, courts and prisons. In case of their illness, we help them in the hospitals too, during the treatment process.

For the present moment, our organization has two focus groups: the first group consists of the street children, the second – of some children conflicting with law, and the third one is represented by the girls that “work” in the streets at night. They make a great risk in order to gain money each time, being absolutely defenseless.

We do want very much to keep these youth away from the risky activities. Together with the workshops created already for boys, now our sewing workshop in opening for girls. If they acquire sewing skills and become able to earn the necessary living sum delivering their products, in such a way, they won’t be forced any more to sell flowers etc. We are going also to open learning workshops at the youth colony.