UNICEF in Georgia NEWSLETTER, November #2 2011 (#15)
Introduction
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
The government has allocated more financial resources to education, health and social protection, mainly at the cost of reduced defence expenditure. As a result, the share of social expenditure within overall public spending has increased, as has the share of social expenditure in relation to gross domestic product. However, Georgia is still one of the lowest social spenders in the Central and Eastern Europe/Commonwealth of Independent States region. Consequently, major challenges remain – challenges that we must tackle in the next five years if we are to adhere to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, meet the Millennium Development Goals and attain the vision outlined in the Millennium Declaration by the year 2015.
The Government of Georgia is in the process of submitting its fourth periodic report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, reporting on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). This provides a good opportunity to reflect and review progress towards fulfilling the rights of all Georgian children. The evidence from independent quality studies and surveys is clear: a child born in Georgia today is significantly better off than a child born in Georgia 10 years ago, particularly if that child was born into a poor family, a family from an ethnic minority, or a family living in a rural village. A decade ago, a child born in Georgia had lower chances of surviving, being registered at birth and accessing basic services. The government has made impressive strides in addressing inequities with the expansion of multi-lingual and easy-to-access civil registry systems, better parenting materials, and guidance on how the poor and ethnic minorities can access essential childhood services. Young children have a better start in life and are receiving more opportunities that were previously only available to well-off families.
The fact that more than one quarter of Georgian children live in poverty makes ongoing reforms in the social protection system critical. For example, additional equity-based investments in pre-school education are required to address the problem that children in the poorest families are significantly less likely to attend pre-school than their peers in the richest families. Promotion of healthy life styles among teenagers – through sport, good nutrition and the values of teamwork - is an urgent priority to combat smoking and drug use. Rural sanitation requires additional attention. Social exclusion needs to be addressed, especially for children with disabilities, who tend to be excluded and isolated. Timely identification and response to violence against women and children is also a priority. The commitment to equity that has born results in recent years must be maintained. We will continue to update you on the progress of the Government of Georgia/UNICEF programme in future issues of the newsletter. Roeland Monasch UNICEF Representative in Georgia
UNICEF in Georgia
Barriers to Access to Social Services – study reveals why not all poor families get social benefits and services
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
implemented efficiently by the SSA. Very few respondents (4 per cent) who applied to the database experienced any delay. Nearly all applicants (96 per cent) were visited by an SSA agent in order to complete a declaration form, and nearly all of them within three months of submitting an application. Seventy-seven per cent of the respondents rated the social agent’s work as ‘normal’, ‘good’ or ‘very good’.
According to the 2009 Welfare Monitoring Survey, nearly one quarter of households in Georgia at the time were living in poverty. Children were disproportionally represented among the poorest households (28 per cent). The study also revealed that pensions and targeted social assistance (TSA) play an important role in reducing poverty. However, at the time of the study, over one third of officially poor households were not receiving social assistance of any kind. The Barriers to Access to Social Services Survey (BASS) was developed to gain a better understanding of why a significant proportion of poor households in Georgia were not accessing their entitlements. For this purpose, the respondents in the bottom consumption quintile from the 2009 survey were revisited and interviewed. A report of the study has been launched by UNICEF and key findings were presented to the government and civil society stakeholders. The study revealed that 96 per cent of respondents had heard about the united database of socially unprotected families (the mechanism used by the government’s Social Service Agency, SSA, to distribute cash assistance and health insurance) and 76 per cent had actually applied to it. However, there are some remaining challenges. Among the 24 per cent of poor families that had not yet applied to the database, many did not know how to apply, or were misinformed about the procedures. For a much smaller population, the distance to the Social Service Agency office and documentation were problematic. The application and review function of the united database of socially unprotected families is
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However, the socio-economic situation of the majority of families that applied to the database – about 66 per cent – was rated above the ‘cutoff’ score to receive cash assistance and one third did not qualify for health insurance. An elevation of the ‘cut-off’ score should be considered to increase the reach and impact of these social benefits and services. The study found that the free health insurance programme for the poor is effective, and should be expanded. The main barrier to accessing health services for those without insurance is related to cost. The second challenge, while much less significant than cost, relates to the physical distance to a health facility. The burden of health-related costs is very heavy on people who are uninsured. Another recommendation of the survey report is that poor families with children should be more likely to be covered by the social benefit system, as they are less likely to benefit from the universal pension system. This would also have a positive impact on the broader child care reform process, as poor families with children who receive social benefits will be less likely to place their children in residential institutions. An information awareness campaign to ensure that every family in Georgia knows where and how to apply, with outreach to areas that are particularly difficult to reach, is also recommended. In response to the study, the SSA has already translated the database application forms into minority languages to facilitate application by ethnic Azeri and Armenians. Contact: Tinatin Baum, UNICEF Social Policy Specialist, +995 99 74 77 33, tbaum@unicef.org
NEWSLETTER, November #2 2011 (#15)
Improved parental care through SMS text messaging •
Congratulations on the birth of your baby! During the first six months, exclusively breastfeed your baby; always lay your baby on his or her back; always keep your baby away from cigarette smoke.
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Let your baby listen to folk and classic music as soon as possible after birth.
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Contact your doctor if your baby has rapid or difficult breathing; temperature above 38°c or below 36°c; redness or yellowness of the skin; vomiting; diarrhoea or constipation.
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It is time to carry out routine vaccination! Take your child to the doctor for routine vaccination.
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If your baby cannot keep his or her head up at the age of three months, contact your doctor immediately.
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Start to read books with your baby. It is desirable that the books are attractive to look at and to touch. Put your baby on a rug to play with toys. Do not leave him or her alone.
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Congratulations! Your baby is eight months old. He or she should be able to sit independently and lie down with help; clap when asked to do so. Upper front teeth should appear. Your baby may begin to be shy. Do not leave your baby alone.
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
Examples of SMS messages sent
Since late 2010, maternity facilities have been registering newborn children directly in the central database of the Civil Registry Agency (CRA). The CRA database includes the mobile phone number of the mother and/or other principal caregiver of the child. And since March 2011, automated computer systems have been used to disseminate vital information relating to child care, early childhood issues, and appropriate practices for parents and caregivers via SMS. The box box in the next column contains examples of messages sent to parents or caregivers depending on the age of the child. During the first ten months of 2011, over 1,470,000 SMS messages were sent to nearly 63,000 new mothers via the three major telecoms providers (MAGTI, GeoCell and Beeline). Contact: Tamar Ugulava, UNICEF Health Specialist, +995 99 92 90 09, tugulava@unicef.org
Vaccine management assessment before new vaccines are being introduced in Georgia In the coming years, Georgia will be introducing rotavirus and pneumococcal vaccines in the National Child Immunisation Schedule, using GAVI co-financing mechanisms. In order to prepare for the introduction of the new antigens, UNICEF and WHO experts carried out an assessment of vaccine management in July 2011. The main goal of this exercise was to assess and improve the management, monitoring and supervision of the country’s immunisation supply chain. According to the assessment, vaccines are exposed to a relatively low risk of damage during handling and storage, and the quantity and qual-
ity of cold store equipment is satisfactory at all levels. However, there are some challenges. The main problem is that irregular and unpredictable vaccine supply can result in stock outs of vaccine, and deficiencies in stock management and distribution. Recommendations on how to improve vaccine management and ensure regular vaccine supply were shared with the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs. Contact: Tamar Ugulava, UNICEF Health Specialist, +995 99 92 90 09, tugulava@unicef.org
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UNICEF in Georgia
The Government is continuing the reform of the pre-school education sector in collaboration with UNICEF and civil society partners. The reform is aimed at strengthening access to inclusive pre-school education, as well as its quality, and promoting improved school readiness, academic performance and learning outcomes in schools. In 2011, UNICEF supported the National Curriculum and Assessment Centre (NCAC) of the Ministry of Education and Science in the development of a pre-school education curriculum; a national manual for pre-school caregivers; guidelines for administrators of pre-school institutions; and forms for assessing pre-school age
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Pre-school services are a critical investment in the long-term development of Georgia. Unleashing the cognitive development potential of children early on in the life cycle is key to maximizing the development opportunities for every child. There has been a significant increase in pre-school attendance in recent years. In 2005, pre-school attendance was 47 per cent for five year olds. In 2010, nearly two-thirds (63 per cent) of five year olds were attending preschool. However, children in the poorest families are significantly less likely to attend pre-school than their peers in the richest families. Equity of opportunity begins in early childhood – and the Government of Georgia has the responsibility to ensure that every Georgian child receives the essential building blocks to make a meaningful contribution to economic, social and political development.
UNICEF/Geo-2011/Khizanishvili
Pre-school education for all children
children. The guidance materials were distributed to all municipalities and kindergartens countrywide. Furthermore, an innovative methodology for teaching Georgian as a second language at pre-school level has been developed. A special textbook is now being piloted in eight preschool centres in Kvemo Kartli and Samtskhe Javakheti. About 120 Armenian and Azeri children have started learning Georgian using the new methodology. A two-year project on providing access to quality early education for disadvantaged children in Georgia started in September 2011, with financial support from IKEA and the participation of two local NGOs, Civitas Georgia and the Centre for Educational Initiative. The project envisages the establishment of 40 alternative pre-school centres in remote rural areas of Samtskhe-Javakheti, Kvemo Kartli and Shida Kartli, where presently there are no pre-schools. The centres will be established in existing municipal or school buildings, then refurbished and equipped, and staff recruited and trained. Local municipalities will take over the centres once the project is completed.
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Amurvelashvili
Additionally, 24 model kindergartens in Tbilisi, Gori, Lanchkhuti, Batumi and Lagodekhi municipalities now have trained caregivers to support the enrolment of children with disabilities and improve their early stimulation, play and recreation. It is expected that a total of 4,500 children and 440 pre-school teachers will benefit from the project.
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Contact: Maya Kuparadze, UNICEF Education Officer, +995 99 21 30 39, mkuparadze@unicef.org
NEWSLETTER, November #2 2011 (#15)
New services for children with disabilities launched in Georgia
The new centres were inaugurated by the founder of First Step Georgia, Nino Zhvania; the Minister of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, Mr Andrew Urushadze; Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy in Georgia, Ms Bridget Brink; Head of the Social Service Agency, Mr Irakli Nadareishvili; and UNICEF Representative in Georgia, Mr Roeland Monasch.
© The new day centre will cater for 35 children and adolescents with disabilities, aged 3-18. A special programme for children with autism and spectrum disorders will also be implemented. A second day centre for children with disabilities will be established in Kutaisi by the end of 2011. Currently, 25 government-supported day centres for children with disabilities are functioning in Georgia. Contact: Aaron Greenberg, UNICEF Child Protection Chief, +995 99 91225290, agreenberg@unicef.org
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
The early intervention centre will serve up to 100 children aged 0-6, providing them and their families with psychosocial, medical and educational support. Through the centre, parents can
have consultations with various specialists such as psychologists, social workers, paediatricians, occupational therapists, and speech therapists. The centre aims to prevent infant and early childhood abandonment, identify developmental delays early, and provide quality services.
UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
A new early intervention centre and a new day care centre, both for children with disabilities and their families, were opened on 11 October in Tbilisi. The centres are managed by the NGO, First Step Georgia, and are part of the ongoing ‘Strengthening Child Care Services and Systems’ partnership initiative between UNICEF, USAID and several NGOs - EveryChild, Save the Children, First Step and Children of Georgia. This initiative is in support of the Georgian government’s Child Care System Reform Plan of Action, 2011-2012. This Action Plan stipulates the closure of all remaining large scale institutions in the country; strengthening of social work; expanding the quantity and quality of foster care; scaling up the number of small group homes, each catering for no more than 8-10 children; and strengthening of services for the prevention of child abandonment.
UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
Children with disabilities are frequently placed in institutions because families do not have appropriate support to care for them. Day centres are critical for ensuring that children remain in safe, supported family care.
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UNICEF in Georgia
A National Youth Policy for Georgia A comprehensive National Youth Policy is currently being developed by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs of Georgia with the support of UNICEF and UNFPA. The National Youth Policy aims to provide a long-term vision and identify appropriate mechanisms to address the situation and needs of young people and to optimise their potential.
environment. Each workshop had up to 20 participants. In this way, facilitators collected information about young people’s needs, challenges, desires and the priorities they would like to see addressed by the government. In total up to 70 such workshops took place in the different regions of Georgia, involving around 1400 young people.
The policy seeks to institutionalise mechanisms for dialogue between youth and the government on the realities of young people in Georgia, and on the government’s responsibilities vis-à-vis young people. It will also assist the government in meeting relevant European and international standards and in optimising existing youth resources.
A special web page (www.youth.gov.ge) was created to extend the outreach of the consultation process. Anyone wishing to participate in the discussion and debate on the process of the National Youth Policy can go to the website to join the discussion forum and access useful information. The first draft policy paper was presented during a national youth conference on 15-16 November 2011. The National Youth Policy paper is expected to be finalised and adopted in early 2012. Contact: David Gvineria, UNICEF Child Protection Officer, +995 99 91225291, dgvineria@unicef.org
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Khizanishvili
Photo provided by the Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs
In order to ensure the broad participation of young people in the policy development process, a series of youth consultations were held in August - October 2011. About 35 trained facilitators met with young people across the country, using a specially designed “World Café” methodology which encourages free and open discussion in an informal and conducive
Disaster Risk Reduction:
Moving towards a culture of safety and resilience Georgia is in a highly natural hazard-prone region, with annual floods, landslides and mudflows. It is often the poorest and remotest communities that suffer the most, as they tend to live in greater density in badly-built houses on land at risk. They possess limited resources and capacity to deal with the risks they face.
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Children, women and youth living in natural hazard-prone areas are particularly vulnerable, as they often lack the knowledge and life skills that would enable them to be better prepared and to respond adequately to disasters. Children in Georgia are now better prepared for natural hazards thanks to a partnership initiative
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UNICEF/Geo-2011/Blagonravova
NEWSLETTER, November #2 2011 (#15)
between the Ministry of Education and Science of Georgia, the National Curriculum Centre, the Emergency Management Department, Caucasus Environmental NGO Network (CENN) and UNICEF. From September 2011, every child in grades 5-9 throughout Georgia will learn about the issues of environmental protection, climate change and disaster risk reduction within the framework of the Head of Class Hour programme and acquire basic life-skills on how to behave before, during and after a disaster. This initiative has been a part of a bigger project, ‘Supporting Disaster Risk Reduction amongst Vulnerable Communities and Institutions in South Caucasus,’ funded by the European Commission Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection. Some of the key project achievements include: piloting of the new disaster risk reduction programme in 25 schools throughout Georgia; development of the teacher training methodology and interactive learning materials for teachers and games for schoolchildren; implementing community awareness-raising campaigns on
disaster risk reduction and mine risk education that reach 7,000 children and 35,000 community members throughout the country; and strengthening disaster preparedness capacities of schools in areas highly prone to natural hazards. In addition, UNICEF has supported the National Curriculum Centre in developing a first ever national educational web portal on disaster risk reduction (www.sicherheit.ge/Disasters). The web portal contains useful information for all target groups (schoolchildren, teachers, school administration and general public) on natural hazards and safe behaviour practices before, during and after a disaster. The project has also supported the establishment of a network of most active children from schools throughout Georgia, promoting the exchange of ideas and good practices in disaster risk reduction.
Contact: Dragan Markovic, UNICEF Georgia Emergency Specialist, +995 99 517 614, dmarkovic@unicef.org
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UNICEF in Georgia
An update on the situation of children in Georgia GEORGIA and the Convention of the Rights of the Child
An update on the situation of children in Georgia 2011
In support of the reporting process to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF has prepared an independent report providing an overview of key issues on children related to the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Following the outline of ‘Issue’, ‘Action’, ‘Impact’, and ‘Next Steps’, it provides an update on progress for children, using evidence from a series of recent national household surveys and other studies. The report contains disaggregated data on a range of issues to capture both the successes and the remaining challenges in ensuring that all Georgian children, regardless of ethnicity, family income, or any other factor, are provided with equal opportunities to grow and contribute meaningfully to the development of the country. Copies of the report can be requested from: ndzotsenidze@unicef.org; Tel: +995 99 574750 Electronic copies available at www.unicef.ge
Media monitoring for more ethical reporting on children An initiative to monitor how Georgian media reports on children was launched in early 2011, aimed at ensuring that children’s issues are covered in a more responsible and ethical way. Since March, trained experts and lawyers have monitored Georgian media in relation to their coverage of children’s issues. Where a violation of national and/or international standards occurs, a special appeal is sent to the existing media selfregulatory bodies, such as the Charter of Ethical Journalists and the National Communication Council. In total, 79 media outlets (65 national and 14 regional) are being monitored on a regular basis until the end of the year. Media monitoring is one activity of a partnership project implemented by the Civic Development
Institute with the support of UNICEF. Another outcome of this project is the production and dissemination of ‘Standards for Journalists on Reporting of Children’ to all the major media outlets. This publication compiles all the existing ethical and legislative norms, both international and national, on reporting on children. Furthermore, interesting and lively discussions were held with well-known media experts and journalists in 10 cities countrywide. These highlighted practical examples of good or bad reporting on children, and demonstrated the considerable interest of regional media in achieving more ethical reporting on this issue. Contact: Maya Kurtsikidze, UNICEF Communication Officer, +995 99 533071, mkurtsikidze@unicef.org
Editorial Note The Newsletter of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF in Georgia, is published in English and Georgian. Our publication aims to provide information on UNICEF activities in Georgia. This is the fifteenth issue of the Newsletter. Your remarks and recommendations concerning the publication will be appreciated. Please let us know if you wish to obtain any additional information on UNICEF and its work. We welcome any feedback, suggestions or contributions. If you wish to obtain a copy of the Newsletter or any other information, please contact Maya Kurtsikidze, Communication Officer, at the UNICEF Office in Georgia. Telephone: (995 32) 2 232388, 2 251130; E-mail: mkurtsikidze@unicef.org
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