Nino Goksadze Nino, younger sister of Natia, moved out of the Etseri orphanage in summer, 2007, and wants to become a hairdresser. In Georgia and most other countries in the region, this is a highly respected profession that is learned mainly by paying a private tutor for an apprenticeship. She is shown here between Chuck Lampman and Cecil Fike of Ga2Ge, with her instructor and a customer.

2007 saw many changes in Georgia, as noted elsewhere. Many orphanages were closed, and as an attitudinal carry-over from the paternalistic Soviet system, the local District Administrators (roughly equivalent to County Commissioners in the US) maintain awareness of the locations and conditions of these children. In an effort to adapt quickly, this year's visiting Ga2Ge team contacted the Samtredia District Administrator, who had two students in mind as the most immediate priorities. Both are University-level girls.

Mary Gegeshidze Mary is beginning her 4th year and final year at the Georgia Railway Institute, studying networking. This is equivalent to a university degree, and she’ll graduate next spring. Her mother has unable to work for the last few years, and lives on a small government pension; the money to finish her education has run out. Her father was killed in the civil war. We visited her home, and the living conditions indicate that she is indeed in need of financial assistance.

Salome Adeishvili Salome is a very bright sixteen-year old who speaks excellent English, and who has been accepted into the law school at the University of Tbilisi with a 50% government scholarship. Her current need is to get her through this year. She confidently said she will probably not require assistance next year, as she intends to make good enough grades that she’ll get a 100% scholarship next year. (We'll stand by, just in case!) Salome’s mother is an attorney, but is disabled and unable to work; her father survived fighting in the civil war, but was killed in an auto accident seven years ago.