The fourth stage of the environmental clean-up series, with the participation of schoolchildren and teachers, took place on May 10-15. The event was organized by Sadagi, the Georgia Cleaners’ Guild, an environmental charity. The program is supported by the USAID Georgia Civic Education Program, along with their partner schools.
In this stage, 48 schools from Guria, Samegrelo, Svaneti and Racha-Lechkhumi participated, involving a total of 965 pupils. In total, combining all four stages, the project has seen the participation of over 7000 pupils and teachers, of which 6635 were pupils.
A memorable event took place at Chokhatauri First Public School. Despite May 10 being a holiday, four teachers and 62 pupils, led by Tamuna Megrelidze, teacher of Civic Education, gathered to clean up their town. Pupils from The Netherlands, Kenya Strang and Ramsay Strang, also joined the local students in cleaning-up the streets of Chokhatauri. The children had a picnic after the cleanup, enjoyed freshly picked mulberries, and engaged in lively conversations.
This was not the first such civic activity for the Chokhatauri pupils. With the support of their committed teacher Tamuna Megrelidze, and the teaching staff, the students have successfully established self-governance, and regularly engage in civic activities to maintain their environment.
On May 15 and 16, the Sadagi team visited two more schools in Guria. Although bad weather on the day prevented the planned clean-up activities, a productive meeting was held with pupils of Tskhemlishkhidi Public School in Ozurgeti municipality, where they discussed environmental issues and showcased the trees they had planted and grown.
On May 16, the team visited Laituri School in Ozurgeti municipality, welcomed by teacher Tsatsa Kviloria. Instead of the 30 expected pupils, the entire school came to take part in the clean-up! The villagers were overjoyed to see the children, wearing clean-up stickers, making Laituri more beautiful.
The Jvari First Public School in Tsalenjikha municipality takes pride in running several clubs, including an Ecoclub led by Saba Patsatsia, who stands out for his patriotism and volunteer activities, and civic education teacher Nana Gogokhia. The school also boasts an Ideathec featuring useful books and modern literature. It displays numerous student achievements in academic subjects and sports, fostering a sense of camaraderie, and striving for results among pupils. The Ecoclub members had painted a large trash can, positioned in front of the school, with Marvel characters. Both the Ecoclub members and Sadagi team believe that those who pick up waste can become superheroes.
We express our heartfelt gratitude to our supporters, including the Georgia Lawyers Association, which administered the grant from GIZ for this stage. Many thanks also to the USAID Civic Education Program, the primary partner of the “I Tidy Up Georgia” project. This initiative began with the joint efforts of the Teacher’s National Award team and numerous dedicated teachers and Sadagi members.
We would also like to express gratitude to GIZ, Germany, a major supporter of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education, and the Georgian Young Lawyers’ Association for funding the third stage of the cleanup. Our appreciation extends to the sponsors of “I Tidy Up Georgia”. Platinum supporters are Procredit Bank Georgia and Diplomat-Georgia. Silver sponsors are Nikora, Financial Bureau, and Elite Electronics. Media support comes from Palitra L and Georgia Today.
By the Sadagi Team
