CAC Improves Social Assistance Services for Vulnerable Populations in Mtskheta-Mtianeti

116 year-old Eter Bedoshvili moved from Dusheti to Rustavi to live with her daughter a year ago. After moving, she was removed from the government’s list of socially vulnerable citizens and stopped receiving social assistance payments. She now lives in harsh conditions with four members of her family in a room of an old kindergarten. Eter’s story is typical of those the Civic Activities Center (CAC) is advocating for in the Mtskheta-Mtianeti region.

In February 2012, the CAC, in cooperation of Mtskheta-Mtianeti Information Center, started implementing its project to assist socially vulnerable people in-cluding large families, people living alone, and those with special needs.
“We provide consultations and technical assistance to families living below the poverty line in Mtskheta-Mtianeti to help these people to apply to the State Program to Eradicate Poverty to get social allowances,” said Ekaterine Pirtskhalava, the project director.

116 წლის ეთერ ბედოშვილს მას შემდეგ შეუწყდა სოციალური დახმარება, რაც ის თავის ქალიშვილთან გადავიდა საცხოვრებლად. ორგანიზაცია CAC ეთერის მსგავს ბევრ ადამიანს დაეხმარა მათთვის კუთვნილი სახელწმიფო დახმარების მიღებაში. /116 year-old Eter Bedoshvili stopped receiving social assistance payments when she moved in with her daughter. CAC helped people like Eter receive the benefits they are entitled to under the law.

CAC began by conducting field visits to those in need and collecting relevant information and documentation for the Social Service Agency. At the same time, reporters from the Mtskheta-Mtianeti Information Centre prepared several re-ports and articles to publicize the problems of socially vulnerable people in the region. In addition, the CAC developed recommendations to improve the imple-mentation of the State Program to Eradicate Poverty.

Over the course of the project, CAC provided consultations and technical as-sistance to 16 households (31 people). As a result of their efforts, three families were added to the state assistance list, three more families received medical insurance packages, and one family started receiving the monthly benefits that they had not been receiving. Additionally, 29 families received legal assistance. CAC’s work also revealed violations of beneficiary rights, which led to the firing of the Head of the Dusheti Region Social Service Agency. For more information about the project, visit http://www.icmm.ge.

EWMI G-PAC funded CAC’s project through the Citizens’ Advocacy Grants Program. EWMI G-PAC also assisted CAC by providing a mentor, Dimitri Gugushvili, an expert on disadvantaged populations in Georgia. Mr. Gugushvili helped CAC with project planning, establishing partnerships with other Geor-gian CSOs working on the same issue, and fundraising strategies.

Advocacy Ensures Assistance for Impoverished

Natela Jachvadze, a 77-year-old pensioner, was removed mistakenly from the list of socially vulnerable citizens. For seven months she did not receive any social assistance. She tried to communicate her problem to various governmental agencies, but with little success. In March 2011 she discovered that supposedly she was a student employed in the local forest agency.

When she learned that the G-PAC funded Civic Activities Center in Kakheti was helping citizens like her to claim their right to social assistance, she requested support. Following the Center’s advocacy, the errors surrounding Natela’s social assistance status were corrected and she began receiving benefits.

“The organization helped us in every issue,” Natela said. “If it wasn’t for their help, we wouldn’t be able to solve the problem.”

More than 70 socially vulnerable citizens like Natela have received similar assistance thanks to advocacy by the Civic Activities Center (CAC) in Kakheti.

Administrative errors affecting Natela’s right to social assistance were resolved thanks to the Civic Activities Center’s advocacy efforts.

A group of lawyers and journalists concerned by poverty in their community formed the Center in February 2011. Soon after, they received $15,000 from the G-PAC Citizens’ Advocacy Grant Program to advocate for impoverished citizens in Kakheti region.

CAC also assisted the nine-member Zavrashvili family. Although they received social assistance regularly, they still lived below the poverty line. Since family members had lived temporarily with other relatives, the state reduced their social assistance. Thus, when they were together, the nine-member family received only GEL 102 per month (roughly $60 USD), hardly enough to purchase bread and medicine. Following CAC’s advocacy, the authorities reexamined the Zavrashvili family’s case and increased their social assistance. In addition, the Agency of Social Services gave Zavrashvili’s five–year-old child special needs status.

“The Civic Activities Centre helped us, and today my son has social assistance,” his mother said. Now their family receives an additional GEL 70 per month.

The dedicated lawyers and journalists working for the Civic Activities Center will continue advocating for citizens’ rights on a voluntary basis after the project ends. They hope to secure additional funding to expand their successful initiative to other regions.