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Various Information about the Rights of Child

March 23, 2007

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Twelve-year-old Irakli Sichinava walks two kilometer-long-path every day. The narrow path among fields, plots and valleys leads him to the “Red Hill”; so he calls the place where he walks to with empty sack on his back. He has to fetch half-sack of red clay from there and walks almost five kilometers to get back to his small wooden hut. He lives with his brothers, little sister, parents and grandparents. Nobody works in the family. Children do not go to school because they do not have books.

Irakli is in the sixth grade at school, but unlike his classmates he goes to the red hill instead of school. At home he makes various figures with the clay. He has only two books-Georgian Literature and history. Most of his figures are historical heroes. “I love history; I read a lot and then make figures of kings and warriors. Sometimes I dream of my figures in advance,” said Irakli. He does not remember what he had made for the first time; but he remembers that his first figure was made of mud.

He makes figures of red clay because his parents cannot buy other modeling tools and materials for him. “We cannot buy even drawing note-book and pencils for my son. He does not go to school because he is ashamed to go to school without books,” said the mother, Ia Chitaia.

There is no non-governmental organization that works on the rights of the child in Zugdidi. Consequently there is no information about the real situation of the children in the district.
Irakli Beraia, the chairman of the “Georgian Democratic Principles and Human Rights in Samegrelo Regional Union” said that nobody has applied to their office regarding the violation of the children’s rights for last six years. “Our organization started its activities ten years ago in Samegrelo Region and several people have applied to us regarding the children’s issues. However, we cannot claim that children’s rights are not violated in Samegerelo Region. The children do not apply to the human rights organizations because they do not trust them,” said Beraia. He said that his organization carried out a survey among juveniles. Most of the children who took part in the survey said that they do not rely on NGOs. Twenty-seven children have applied to the organization during the ten years. Mostly parents applied the office and asked for social assistance.

“There was one occasion when a resident of one of the villages applied to us and asked to buy a sewing machine and some other tools for their daughter. Their daughter had skills in sewing, knitting and embroidering but the family could not buy necessary equipments for her. In one occasion, illiterate children applied us, it happened in 2000 and their number was particularly considerable. We prepared a special project for 44 children who had applied us and asked Bondo Jikia, that-time Governor, for help. Unfortunately, he refused to fund us,” said Beraia.

Like above-mentioned organization, office of the Public Defender’s Representative is seldom applied to in Zugdidi. However, in those seldom occasions the aim of appeals is social assistance. Bagrat Kiraia has been a representative of Public Defender in Samegrelo region for two years already and said that children have no information about their rights. “The fact that they do not apply us does not mean that their rights are not violated. The reason is the lack of corresponding information,” said Kiraia.

Irakli Sichinava has not applied to any NGO. He recalls the day when one of the villager presented him modeling tools, drawing note-book and pencils. “He could not sleep the whole night. He was sitting, painting, and modeling. I wish I always saw my son as happy as he was that day,” said Ia Chitaia.

“I believe my son is talented. Today we are very poor, but I know that one day he will be a famous artist and our life will change for better,” said the mother.


Nana Sajaia, Zugdidi

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