Story about Siprashvilis

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

7-member family of Siprashvilis lives in extreme poverty in Anaga village in Sighnaghi district. The children do not have cloth and shoes and cannot go to school because of it. Very often the children are hungry. The house, which Georgian Charity Foundation “Iavnana” assigned to the large family, is in poor conditions.

The walls of the house are cracked; the rain is leaking into the roof; the floor is damaged in the rooms. The Siprashvilis have only 4 damaged beds, a table, two damaged chairs and a black-and-white TV-Set.

“Two years ago, when they assigned the house to us, the house was already in poor conditions. We told the representatives of the charity foundation that life in this house was dangerous but they told us we could return to our old house if we did not like the new one. I was talking with Teona on the phone (I do not remember her surname) and asked her to help us because the house was ruining but nobody cared about it,” said the mother of many children Maia Siprashvili.

The seven-member family receives social allowance in the framework of the state program for socially disable families but the mother said 220 GEL is not enough to buy even bread for children throughout the month.

“I do not have bread now. The neighbors gave me potatoes and I am boiling it for children now. The neighbor gave us the treacle and made Tatara (sweet porridge) with it. Today we will have boiled potato and Tatara at dinner. I have not bought washing powder for three months already and cannot wash the cloths, which neighbors gave to my children. I have debts at every shop in Anaga village. None of my children have shoes. We do not have beds and linen. So, at night we sleep in cold,” said Maia Siprashvili.

Avtandil Siprashvili, the father: “We cannot buy firewood and I have to fetch branches from the forest every day that is enough only for several hours. We collect cardoons and tires in the rubbish to burn them at home. The children are smutty because of smoke coming from the burning rubbers and it is difficult to breath in the room.”

Despite many problems, the parents are against the State Fostering Program. “They are cold, they walk without shoes; I am very poor but will not allow anybody to give my children for fostering; I will not leave them at the orphanage either. I will feed them what I have. If I find a job, I will work and buy at least bread for them,” said Maia Siprashvili.

The local authority assisted the large family with food, firewood and necessary items only after we called Sighnaghi district governor.

Art-director of the charity foundation Teona Jorbenadze denied the information about assigning damaged house on the Siprashvilis.

“Sighnaghi district office of Social Agency informed us about the Siprashvilis. They described living conditions of the family in the letter; the children lived in Bodbe boarding school by that time because there was only one room in their house. Everybody knows that the main program of the charity foundation “Iavnana” is to assist parents to take their children from orphanages and we started working to purchase a house for this family. A local social worker and the family members actively worked together with our representatives and the family chose that house among those who were on sale at that time. The Iavnana purchased that house based on the request of the family members.

“As a rule, after we purchase a house for a family, we try to assist them in future too. Based on our recommendation, the UN assisted the Siprashvilis with food for one year (they received 2 kilos sugar, 5 liter of oil, 50 kilo wheat flour per month).

“Unfortunately, the Siprashvilis could not further develop. In summer of 2010, their neighbors called us and informed that the children were living in terrible dirt and the hygiene was serious problem in their family. The neighbors added that in summer they have enough water at least to bathe the children; so, they asked us to take the children back to the orphanage.

“The charity foundation did not want to make the information about the Siprashvilis public in order not to discourage people to assist other poor families too,” Teona Jorbenadze added.

The Kakheti News Center prepared a photo-reportage about the Siprashvilis. On March 3, 2011, the national TV-Company “Rustavi 2” released a telecast about the Siprashvilis. The journalists stated that the parents wasted the social allowance unreasonably and left children hungry.

On March 4, the representatives of the Sighnaghi district office and Kakheti Coordinating Center of the Social Agency visited the family. Maia Siprashvili alleged that the social workers tried to take her children away all day long. Police officers and ambulance were mobilized in Anaga village. The scared mother, though she was ill, refused to accompany them even to hospital.

“I have virus and I have to be in bed. The agents from the Social Agency told me I should have warned them about my problems and they could take my children to the orphanage. They said children should not live in similar conditions. They threatened me with police. They called ambulance to take children initially to hospital and then to the orphanage. Should they take my children away only because I am poor? They should first kill me before taking my children away. I will not allow them to do it,” said Maia Siprashvili.

Head of the Sighnaghi district office of the Social Agency Zurab Zurabashvili denied the accusations of the mother. “We are not taking children away from them,” said Zurabashvili.

Natalia Nadikashvili, doctor at the Sighnaghi district medical emergency center. “Zurab Zurabashvili called the ambulance. Maia Siprashvili had high temperature. We examined her seven children too and four of them had virus. The mother also had virus in a complicated form. She said she had been ill for four days already. A family doctor was in the family when we arrived. She recommended us to take the mother and her children to hospital. We provided her with medical assistance at home but diagnose and medical treatment shall be carried out at hospital. However, the mother refused to go to hospital because she is afraid.”

Shorena Zazadze, sister of Maia Siprashvil: When they came from the agency, they offered her to take to hospital but outside the house they told each other after recover they would take children to an orphanage. I heard it and immediately told them we would not allow them to take the children away. After that, police officers came and finally you also arrived.”

Tea Darchiashvili, the neighbor: “They should not take their children away because of poverty. The neighbors and other people also assist them with food and cloths. The children shall not be taken away from mother because of poverty. It is incredible. I have never seen their children beaten.”

After the journalists and representatives of the Human Rights Center arrived in Anaga, the social workers denied their intention to take the children away with the support of police officers. However, the police cars were standing at the Siprashvilis’ house for several hours.

Later, the ambulance took Maia Siprashvili and her children to Tsnori hospital. On the same evening, national TV-Channels reported that because of unbearable conditions in the family the children got ill, had pneumonia because of acute virus infection and social agents took them to hospital for treatment. In fact, on March 5, everybody was dismissed from hospital. “Only mother and one child were ill. The rest had neither virus nor temperature. Three doctors examined them and concluded that they should not stay in hospital,” said doctor of the Tsnori hospital Nana Tamazashvili.

The Human Rights Center published a statement about the Siprashvilis. The human rights organization protested the activities of the representatives of social agency in regard with underage children of the Siprashvilis.

“Police officers and brigade of emergency medical aid were mobilized near the Siprashvilis’ house in Anaga. Social agents threatened the mother to seize her seven children from her. The children also witnessed the agents to threaten their mother and were crying loudly because they did not want to part with the mother. Although the Siprashvilis live in extreme poverty, the main purpose of the social agency shall not be to restrict parents’ rights and take children to an orphanage. They can do it in case of urgent necessity. The Agency had information about extreme social problems of this family for a long time but social agents never worked with the parents for the improvement of their conditions. Raiding the family with the support of police officers and threatening them in presence of underage children breaches human rights and is absolutely inadmissible,” the statement of the Human Rights Center.

Currently, the center for children’s care within the Social Agency works with the Siprashvilis. According to the Agency, they will do their best to leave the children with their biological parents.