Street Children – State Burden or Responsibility? (Part one)

Street Children – State Burden or Responsibility? (Part one)

In June 2006, the ‘Children’s Social Adaptation Centre’ was opened in Tbilisi. The aim of the centre was to take care of orphans and street children, integrating them into society. However, the director of the centre was fired within three months after a scandal. The same almost happened with the new director as well. The public thinks that centre is not working for the children and the heads of the organization care only about money. The fact is that state policies do not address the issue of what will happen to street children in the future, proving the doubts people have.

What is happening in the ‘Children’s Social Adaptation Centre’, why was it created and why it is not working properly? These are the questions to which the Human Rights Information and Documentation Centre tries to find answers.

The building in Gldani, where the centre is now located, used to function under the Ministry of Internal Affairs as a distribution centre for children. However, the Ministry closed the centre, because it was not effective. The Tbilisi Municipality became the new owner of the centre. The President and First Lady attended the opening ceremony of the centre, yet only a few months later, the director of the centre, Giorgi Tavadaze, was fired.

According to Tavadze, the reason behind the confrontation was the fight for the top job. Other people also wanted to be head of the centre and this caused friction between them. The present director, Ketevan Kobaladze, initiated the set up of the centre after the Ministry of Internal affairs relinquished control. Kobaladze wanted to make something new.

“When the Ministry of Internal Affairs said it would not run the centre, my deputy Nino Chubabria and the present director, Ketevan Kobaladze, managed the transfer of the centre to the Tbilici municipality. Zaza Gorozia, the previous Chief of the Civil Health Service of the Municipality, decided to take on the centre. Meanwhile, different organizations expressed their desire to help the children at the centre”, says former director Tavadze, who was assigned to his post in 2005. He was previously working as a Head of Department in the Civil Health Service.

The centre was financed by the state budget in 2005. 200 thousand GEL was transferred to the center’s account. According Tavadze, only salaries for staff and taxes were foreseen in this budget. Not a single tetri from the budget was allocated for food. Now the budget of the centre is 350 thousand GEL.

Resistance 

According to Tavadze, friction started the day he was nominated as a candidate for the post of director: “Neither Chubabria, nor Kobaladze, who were involved in the creation of the new centre, liked me. They wanted to be directors themselves. From that moment, the fight for the centre started”.

Journalist: What was their interest? I’ve heard that they could make money with the help of donor organizations?

Giorgi Tavadze: Probably that was the interest. We had information that donor organizations wanted to finance the centre. Chubabria and Kobaladze were controlling my every step. Chubabria was appointed as my deputy without me even knowing her. They were causing me problems, sending letters to different people. After two months of working, the commission came for a check up. The reason for that were the complaints, written by the two of them”.

The General Inspection of the Municipality checked the centre first. According to Tavadze, financial violations were not stated, however the conclusion states: “…Instead of 12,831GEL, 15,920GEL was spent on salaries. The difference of 3089 GEL is covered from the budget of the next month. Gaps have been made in staff salaries.”

The second commission to check the centre was from the Sanitary Station. Tavadze says that they were arguing about trivial things, such as: why was the garbage container standing on the asphalt, why were dry products and conserves stored together, etc.

A letter from the Ombudsman served as a main reason for Tavadze’s dismissal. Sozar Subari sent a letter to the Tbilisi Mayor. According to the letter, only one teacher was working in the centre; the taps were not working properly; they did not have enough shampoo, tooth paste, brushes or soap. The children did not have clothes, they were not involved in any kind of activities and nothing was being done to make them feel part of society.

The Ombudsman gave recommendations on improving the situation. After that, Tavadze was fired and a criminal case was launched against him.

Ketevan Kobaladze was working at the Ombudsman’s Office at that time. Tavadze says that she was fighting against him from the Ombudsman’s Office and even used Sozar Subari to attack him: “Kobaladze prepared her conclusion and made Subari sign it. Every single word in that conclusion is a lie. When a commission goes to an organization to check it, both sides have to sign an agreement. And I knew nothing about this.”

Ten months have passed since the investigation was launched, but answers still do not exist. Tavadze wants to know why the final decision was postponed. “The General Prosecutor’s Office still do not know if am I guilty or not. No conclusion has been made yet. They say that I was involved in financial machinations; however this conclusion has not been prepared. If I am guilty, they should arrest me, if I am not, they do not have the right to ruin my name. Ten months have passed since my dismissal, but none of the things which the Ombudsman found me at fault over have been improved.”

Almost one year after the center’s foundation, it became involved in scandals. Meanwhile, nobody is thinking about the children. A month ago, the present director, Kobaladze, thought about leaving her post. She said that there is no need for the centre to continue on like this and it is better for her to go. Tavadze thinks that the reason for this decision is that no money was received from the various international foundations.

Ketevan Kobaladze says the former administration of the centre has turned the children against her. Kobaladze made this comment after the TV Company ‘Imedi’ showed a film about the centre, in which the children talk about their terrible living conditions and mistreatment by the director. At the same time, the present director talks about financial problems. (to be continued)

Eka Gulua