Capital:Tiflis
Area: 69,700 km²
Population: 4.77 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Georgian, Armenian, Russian, Azeri, Ossetian, Abkhaz and various minorities
Official language(s): Georgian
Religion(s) Christian Orthodox, Muslim, Armenian Apostolic and other creeds
Currency: 1 lari = 100 tetri

SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country

Following the break-up of the former Soviet Union, social and economic conditions for families in Georgia deteriorated to such an extent that more and more children had to fend for themselves on the streets. Circumstances were further worsened by the civil-war-like situation brought about by the Abkhazian and South Ossetian conflicts of the early 1990's. Therefore, SOS-Kinderdorf International decided to become active in Georgia in 1989. A suitable site was found on the edge of Tbilisi with the help of the Soviet Lenin Children's Foundation. The first SOS Children's Village went into operation in October 1996. A year later an SOS Kindergarten was built and, two years after that, a computer room was set up in one of the local schools as an SOS Social Centre. After five years the need for an SOS Youth Facility became apparent and in 2001 it opened in the centre of Tbilisi. Construction work on the second SOS Children's Village in Georgia, in the town of Kutaisi also started that year.

Since 2005 SOS Children's Villages Georgia is running a family strengthening programme in Kutaisi. The programme provides needy families with donation in kinds (such as food, household articles, school material). Parental training, counselling and communication/relation training are offered to parents.

At present there are two SOS Children's Villages in Georgia, two SOS Youth Facilities, one SOS Kindergarten and one SOS Social Centre (family strengthening programme).

Website of SOS Children's Villages Georgia
(available in Georgian)