Socially Excluded Seek to Escape Poverty, “One Fine Day”

Shorena Kakabadze, Kutaisi 

The number of people living below the official poverty level has dramatically taken an increase in the same country where the government claims to have unleashed a never-ending war against poverty. Many promises have been made but again people have been deceived (especially in light of the many pre-election promises that the National party made to get votes). Jobs were promised as well as finding solution for many other pressing social problems. Despite the State Program for Overcoming Poverty, socially excluded people in Georgia are still complaining about extreme poverty they face and negligence on the side of the government. Moreover, the State Program is alleged not to be working properly and it has has fallen far fall short of expectations.

Manana Khundadze has been bed ridden for already ten years and no hope is in sight. Her husband died a year ago. Now she is living with her 15-year-old child in very difficult conditions.  This family, which lives under the poverty level, used to receive 54 GEL of social aid from the government. Then they were cut-off “one fine day” and they stopped receiving this assistance.

“The government allocated aid to my family only when my husband became bed-patients. I am also confined to bed. My husband had gone to Kutaisi Healthcare Department to ask for help before he became ill. The head of Department was very not pleased to see him and even asked my husband to not come back again as they could not help us with anything. I had not been asking for anything special or out of the ordinary.  I am a physically disabled person, having no one who could support my child and me, and on top of all my problems. I am also a single mother. Is there no way out of this situation? Does my child have to suffer all throughout childhood? If only I could walk. I would then be able to visit the Social Agency each and every day in obtaining some kind of help from there,” says Manana Khundadze.

The house where the family lives is very reflective of the situation that the family experiences. Poverty can be seen everywhere: an old bed, an even older wardrobe and a TV-set that has seen better days, which will soon cause a problem for them; they cannot replace it with a newer one.

“We used to receive social aid for some months because we lived below the poverty level. Then the social agents from the Agency of Social Subsidies came and inspected our living conditions. When the social agent looked at the TV-set, I understood that it would not end up well. The TV-set was a gift from a relative. She thought a woman who cannot get up from bed should not be entertained by being able to watch TV from time-to-time. The TV-set broke down soon. Moreover we lost social aid over this TV-set,” says Mrs. Manana.

This single mother managed to send letter to the State Minister who was on his visit to Kutaisi. Manana Khundadze’s mother personally gave the letter to Davit Tkeshelashvili. Their request was very simple- the mother who could not get up from bed was asking for reinstate the social aid of 30 GEL.

“Nothing significant happened. We check families periodically. This woman was inspected by the control commission in December, 2007. She received a score of 50,570 points. Therefore, she was again enrolled in the social assistance program for a second time. A beneficiary can receive social aid from the government within the Program for Overcoming Poverty if he/she gained points below 57 000,” states Khatuna Gogiberidze, the main specialist of Kutaisi Department of the Agency for Social Assistance and Employment.

Ms. Khundadze explained that Manana Khundadze will receive medical voucher from August and therefore, she has nothing to worry about. However, Manana Khundadze goes beyond this and demands the compensation of the money that she did not receive during the period that assistance was cut-off. This amount of money would bring a big relief for her daughter. “She sowed some wheat before Easter and expects to sell the harvest. I feel very sorry that my daughter who is only 15 years old has to struggle for survival instead of thinking about her studies and living an entertaining life. Saakashvili states repeatedly that social aid must not be taken away from poor people, but what would you call our situation then? We must have at least bread and a cup of tea so not to die from hunger.”

Kutaisi Department of the Agency for Social Assistance and Employment states that the government does provide assistance to Manana Khundadze as much as it is able. She receives 30 GEL of social assistance. As for the 6-month gap when she did not receive social assistance at all, it will not be compensated, even if she would make an appeal to the court.

The same was declared by Kutaisi City Department. Archil Mukbaniani, head of the Department stated: “We help Manana Khundadze with medicines, sometimes with various provisions. If there is any chance to help her within the Program for Overcoming Poverty, we always try to take advantage of the opportunity. For now we can not do anything more than what we have already done.”

Apparently, our government struggles with poverty, unemployment and other social problems by declaring that they struggling. However, in spite of the rhetoric there is a divide with the reality. There are no active steps behind the fine words. The reality is much more dramatic. In order to see and admit the reality more sensitivity is needed, as well as “action instead of talk”.