Children of Saguramo Eucational Institution Greeted with Modern Conditions for Their Physical Development
Young Georgian children now have brand new sports facility stocked with modern sports equipment.
Saguramo, Georgia, November 12, 2009 --(PR.com)-- U.S. Ambassador to Georgia, John Bass, cut the ribbon marking the opening of the brand new sports facility at Saguramo Educational Institution for Orphans and Care-Devoid Children on November 4th, after its complete renovation. Thanks to the generous support of the U.S. Department of State Office of the Coordinator of U.S. Assistance to Europe and Eurasia (EUR/ACE), Counterpart International (Counterpart) was able to implement this important Small Reconstruction Project (SRP). Before the renovation, the children did not have a safe place to play during winter months. This newly renovated facility will improve the physical development and health of these vulnerable children.
After the opening ceremony, the representatives of Physicians With Heart (PWH) delivered assistance in the form of quilts, sheets, hygiene and school kits, toys, vitamins and sports shoes to all the children. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy, DoS, PWH, U.S. DoS Grantees based in Georgia, Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region Administration, local NGOs and Counterpart were in attendance.
Less than a year ago, Counterpart first proposed renovating the Saguramo Educational Institution sports facility. PWH also expressed its readiness to provide co-financing in the amount of $5,000, which would be applied to the purchase of sports equipment and school supplies. In September 2009, Counterpart staff in Georgia began the renovations after DoS approval and allocation of $12,000. Counterpart completely reconstructed the sports facility, which now includes brand new locker rooms and a small storage room for equipment; replaced the electric lines; renovated the water supply, drain and waste systems; laid new floors; replaced old doors and windows; and repaired and repainted ceilings and walls. The total project cost reached $17,000.
The Saguramo Educational Institution serves 41 orphans and children from the Mtskheta District. This institution has been functioning since 1961. Since August 2005, the institution has been dedicated to caring for orphans and care-devoid children. The institution recently bought and converted a well-maintained three-story school building into a dormitory; Divine Child International then financed the repairs to the roof and windows. For the last 25 years, however, no major repairs have been done to the original buildings, so they were in need of serious renovations.
The gym had been completely out of service, due to unsafe conditions, leaving the kids without any appropriate physical development facility during winter months. Counterpart’s renovations will have a positive impact on the physical development of these children. Even before completion, the project had positive results: the repair work was completed by Internally Displaced Persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia residing in the nearby areas, thus providing them with jobs those two months.
The Physicians With Heart partnership is an international humanitarian project sponsored by a coalition of two organizations: the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (AAFP), and Heart to Heart International (H2H). The generous support of pharmaceutical companies and transportation provided by the U.S. Department of State has enabled Physicians With Heart to deliver much-needed medical aid to the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.
CHAP has been operating in Georgia since 1995. Through its network of 960 partner organizations, CHAP has imported and distributed over $158 million worth of humanitarian assistance to nearly 2.5 million needy Georgians.
Established in 1965, Counterpart International (Counterpart) has forged strategic partnerships in more than 65 countries. With 350 staff currently operating in 25countries, Counterpart’s programs encompass humanitarian aid and relief assistance, health care, democracy and governance, natural resource management and feeding the impoverished. Though Counterpart’s projects are diverse, they share a common objective: improving the lives of those in need by empowering people and local institutions to develop innovative, holistic, and lasting solutions that address social, economic and environmental challenges. Learn more at www.counterpart.org.
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After the opening ceremony, the representatives of Physicians With Heart (PWH) delivered assistance in the form of quilts, sheets, hygiene and school kits, toys, vitamins and sports shoes to all the children. Representatives from the U.S. Embassy, DoS, PWH, U.S. DoS Grantees based in Georgia, Mtskheta-Mtianeti Region Administration, local NGOs and Counterpart were in attendance.
Less than a year ago, Counterpart first proposed renovating the Saguramo Educational Institution sports facility. PWH also expressed its readiness to provide co-financing in the amount of $5,000, which would be applied to the purchase of sports equipment and school supplies. In September 2009, Counterpart staff in Georgia began the renovations after DoS approval and allocation of $12,000. Counterpart completely reconstructed the sports facility, which now includes brand new locker rooms and a small storage room for equipment; replaced the electric lines; renovated the water supply, drain and waste systems; laid new floors; replaced old doors and windows; and repaired and repainted ceilings and walls. The total project cost reached $17,000.
The Saguramo Educational Institution serves 41 orphans and children from the Mtskheta District. This institution has been functioning since 1961. Since August 2005, the institution has been dedicated to caring for orphans and care-devoid children. The institution recently bought and converted a well-maintained three-story school building into a dormitory; Divine Child International then financed the repairs to the roof and windows. For the last 25 years, however, no major repairs have been done to the original buildings, so they were in need of serious renovations.
The gym had been completely out of service, due to unsafe conditions, leaving the kids without any appropriate physical development facility during winter months. Counterpart’s renovations will have a positive impact on the physical development of these children. Even before completion, the project had positive results: the repair work was completed by Internally Displaced Persons from Abkhazia and South Ossetia residing in the nearby areas, thus providing them with jobs those two months.
The Physicians With Heart partnership is an international humanitarian project sponsored by a coalition of two organizations: the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation (AAFP), and Heart to Heart International (H2H). The generous support of pharmaceutical companies and transportation provided by the U.S. Department of State has enabled Physicians With Heart to deliver much-needed medical aid to the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union.
CHAP has been operating in Georgia since 1995. Through its network of 960 partner organizations, CHAP has imported and distributed over $158 million worth of humanitarian assistance to nearly 2.5 million needy Georgians.
Established in 1965, Counterpart International (Counterpart) has forged strategic partnerships in more than 65 countries. With 350 staff currently operating in 25countries, Counterpart’s programs encompass humanitarian aid and relief assistance, health care, democracy and governance, natural resource management and feeding the impoverished. Though Counterpart’s projects are diverse, they share a common objective: improving the lives of those in need by empowering people and local institutions to develop innovative, holistic, and lasting solutions that address social, economic and environmental challenges. Learn more at www.counterpart.org.
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Counterpart International
Mary Angelini
703.236.1200
www.counterpart.org
Mary Angelini
703.236.1200
www.counterpart.org
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