Hello! I’m Mariami Abuladze from Sakartvelo

I am 22 years old and hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. During my university studies, I completed internships at various governmental and non-governmental organisations, including youth centres in Georgia, Germany, and Finland, where I also spent one academic semester in each country. In addition, I am a co-founder of a non-governmental organisation “Zrunva Sakartvelo”, that operates in one of the small regions of Georgia, focusing on promoting positive parenting, raising awareness about child development and developmental delays, and contributing to increased access to existing state services among ethnical minorities. I chose my profession and current activities because I love children very much and want to contribute to creating an environment that will make their lives easier and more joyful.

Early childhood development is, for me, the most fascinating stage of a child’s life. I want to learn more about this process and, through active involvement, develop my communication skills with children, explore the environment, and observe how trust and connections are formed – both among children themselves and between children and their surroundings/caregivers. This is exactly why I chose this program: on the one hand, I wish to contribute to facilitating the process and being actively engaged in it, and on the other hand, I aim to learn from the children themselves and see the environment through their eyes – an environment that is so essential for their personal, social, and emotional development.

It has been a week since I arrived in Siauliai and became involved in this process, and although this is a short period, it has been very important and enjoyable for me. I feel that every day I am learning more about children, their diverse and boundless minds and thoughts. There is still a language barrier between us, but from my experience, I know that emotions and their non-verbal expression are more important than words, as they bring us even closer to the children. I believe this barrier will soon disappear, and our daily interactions will become even more pleasant and fun.

I am looking forward to this year with great hope, believing it will be filled with pleasant memories and adventures. I hope this period will be just as memorable and interesting for the children and the staff as it will be for me. I believe I will make friends not only among the caregivers but also among the children.

I am truly grateful and excited to have the opportunity to be part of this project.

Mariami Abuladze