Monologue of Fatima Robakidze

Fatima Robakidze is a mobilizer of Tkibuli Women Support Center.

The center was opened in April of last year and is one of ten ones that are actively working in 10 municipalities within the framework of the project “Strengthening of Women's Rights in Western Georgia”.

In this story, we present a monologue of the mobilizer of Tkibuli Women's Support Center.

This is how Fatima Robakidze turned from an ordinary teacher into a civil activist.

“I am a teacher and believed that I should have the only focus - the educational process and the organization of the educational environment in my class together with the parents of my students. I thought I shouldn't waste time on other issues. The first window opened for me when I was asked to teach a lesson in civic education for a certain period of time.

In the same period, I got acquainted with the work of the Women Fund "Sukhumi" and began to understand that everything that I consider sacred - creation of a favorable climate for children to study and educate, depends on many factors.

I began to understand that I have a responsibility not only for how they understand the material that I explained to them, but also for everything else that happens around them. And you understand more and more how many “red signals” are around. This is the culture of relationships in the family, the psychological climate at school, in the street, the level of aggression, life standard in general.

After some time, a proposal to open a Women Support Center in Tkibuli was received from the Fund "Sukhumi" and I agreed to become a mobilizer of the center, to organize work at the local level.

Now, when I meet with mobilizers from other centers who have more experience, I listen to my colleagues, I see that they have a wider scope of advocacy, impact and serious results. I am not so competent in this regard, but I also have strengths: I can build informational - educational work with parents, teachers, I have a platform and a target group that trusts me and can listen to the issues that I arrange a dialogue about: the problem of domestic violence / violence against women, its social consequences, the danger of bullying, the issue of interpersonal relations, civic values.

I gradually “leave” the circle where I was, I communicate with representatives of local authorities, I am already a member of the Gender Equality Council of Tkibuli Municipality.

Being a good teacher means being a good citizen – and I am very grateful to the Women Fund “Sukhumi”, which helped to expand my civic possibilities.

I can be useful not only to my students, but to many vulnerable women who look to our organization with hope. It is important not only that one of the women victims of violence received a mobile phone, or another one spent some time with their children in the Rehabilitation Center of the Fund "Sukhumi". But the feeling that they are taken care of, they have right to enjoy life.

I want to express my gratitude to my colleagues - mobilizers of the Women Support Centers, employees of the Women Fund "Sukhumi", who come to Tkibuli and hold meetings, consultations, work a lot with women and youth. They show me new perspectives, and I sincerely admire them”.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

Social Networks