Final photo project

Lorem Ipsum

Life of Old and Homeless in Tbilisi

Fatma Babayeva MA Journalism and Media Management Photojournalism Class: Final Project December 27, 2017

Lorem Ipsum

2

Old and homeless people of Tbilisi find shelter and food everyday at Catharsis, Tbilisi. Here, they spend most of their days with their peers: sing, play and have fun.

Up to 500 old people has been registered in Catharsis. Everyday, around 200 people come to this place to have lunch at 1 p.m. Lunch lasts until 3 o’ lo k. They a ha e soup, salads a d other meals at the cafeteria.

Catharsis is an international humanitarian network, which was established in 1990. The place is for the protection of socially vulnerable population.

Catharsis has 6 ra hes i Georgia’s to districts. Donors fund it.

a d

Lorem Ipsum

3

Leisure time activities in Catharsis for its daily visitors and inhabitants After having lunch, visitors of Catharsis go to the second floor to spend time together. Here, they play backgammon, chess or domino. Their voices can be heard all over this floor. They get excited about winning the game, make jokes and laugh together.

They each have a formed group of friends.

Every day the same group members sit at the same tables or on the same sofas and play the same games with the same mates.

The most heated game among Catharsis elderly visitors definitely is backgammon.

Lorem Ipsum

Library of Catharsis In addition, some of the elderly can go to the library to spend their time in silence and read recent publications and a variety of fictional and scientific books.The librarian, 81 years old Leli Gordeladze has been working at Catharsis

for last 9 years. She registers when visitors borrow or return books and newspapers at the library every day till 6 p.m.

4

Lorem Ipsum

Enjoying life as elderly in Catharsis

Reading and playing are not the only leisure time activities at Catharsis, at the evenings elderly visitors and inhabitants there play piano, sing and dance in the evenings. They sing mainly national Georgian songs and perform national Georgian dances.

5

Lorem Ipsum

6

We do ’t a t to e alled Nishiy the Poor .

80 years old Valentin Omelchenko o plai s a out the a ou t of the pe sio they re ei e. The go er e t ut y pe sio o the asis that I a alo e ut ho a I lea e o 300 Gel. The edi i e that the do tor pres ri ed e osts ore tha 300 GEL , he says. No e of us a ts to e de lared to be poor he e get registered to Catharsis ut hat a e do .

Omelchenko used to be a pilot in the army. He is a reserve officer and veteran of the Abkhazian war that took place 28 years. ago.

The elderly can also spend time with animals at Catharsis.

Lorem Ipsum

7

We lost our apartment to the bank as we could not pay back the loan. My son will take me back home when he buys a new apart e t .

We lost our apart e t to the a k as e ould ot pay back the loan. My son will take me back home when he buys a e apart e t , says Na a.

Her son is a professor and brings materials for his mom to edit while visiting her.

In total, 11 women live on the third floor of Catharsis. Most of them lost their homes because they could not pay back the loans they took from the banks. Most of them have been li i g here for years. They lo e li i g together. They say, We are peers, it is easier for us to spend time together. Living here as our o de isio . Their hildre isit the at weekends mostly. Sometimes, they go to stay with their children and relatives as well.

Lorem Ipsum

Former KGB officer without home Sasha Chumbridze, 50 years old, has no pension. He mostly spends his time in the computer room at Catharsis.

Chumbridze was prisoned between 2008-2013 for political reasons. The shape of his eyes was distorted when he was hit in the head in the prison and not symmetric anymore. According to him, he worked in former KGB during the USSR and later in the State Security Service of Georgia. He says he also as the i ti of Saakash ili’s harsh poli y agai st his oppo e ts.

Whe they i priso ed e, they also took y apart e t a d o , I do ot ha e a pla e to li e. I stay ith frie ds I gai ed i the priso .

Ca you i agi e an officer sharing the same camera at the prison with code-bound ri i als? I lost all y pre ious frie ds, a d ade e a d stro ger frie dships i priso .

8

Lorem Ipsum

Free clothing at Catharsis People bring old clothes to Catharsis and elderly in need can take them after Leyla Metreveli, 75 years old tailor, repairs them.