Like most travelers who land in Tbilisi, Georgia, it is easy to get swept away by the delights of delicious Georgian wine, cheesy bread Kachapuri, and a little ChaCha (a toast of 50%+ pure alcohol). Not to mention the abundance of cute sidewalk cafes and alluring architecture both old and new.
However, Georgia also has a dark underbelly that the average tourist wouldn’t see.
Hidden amongst the streets of such as beautiful city are Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) living in decrepit buildings where walls are riddled with mold, floors are about to collapse, and families share hallway bathrooms. Children sleep under leaking ceilings, and pregnant women navigate dark hallways and crumbling staircases.
Not only are many families sharing one bedroom, but promises of new construction have gone unfulfilled over 10 years. Further compounding their trauma, these families have fled war, lost loved ones, left homes, and vacated occupations with specific skills untransferable in an urban environment leaving them to cope with poverty and uncertainty.
After spending a week in Tbilisi trying to understand the magnitude of the IDP issue, it became clear that the problems are complex and political. Simply put, the system is broken and bureaucracy isn’t helping. Back to back meetings with civil society, international non-profits, government officials, and talking with IDPs both young and old, all agreed there is still work to do.
However, with limited resources, frequent government restructuring, inadequate programs, and the promise of reforms, priority items frequently fall through the cracks. And although the government is trying to address the issues along with civil society playing the largest role, the political nature of IDP issues, unfortunately, gets in the way.
Understanding Georgia’s underbelly as both deeply troubled and complex, I leave you with one final note of reflection: Georgia is hopeful. And as one wise Georgian remarked, “Georgians are always in a hurry.” But that hurry to develop needs to be nurtured and the past will always frame its future and its future will always be in their hands.
Also, beware of the ChaCha!
-- Sarah S., Cohort 4