“I enjoy leading an active lifestyle, connecting with others, and initiating various activities. I first learned about the 60+ Club from a television programme, and I immediately decided to join it” - says Eliso Vashakmadze, 64.
Eliso resides in Temka, a district of Tbilisi. A chemist-biologist with her background, she has dedicated her professional life to educating school children and currently works as a primary school teacher. As one of the first members of the newly opened 60+ Club at the Temka Mediathek, she also encourages her friends and acquaintances to join. Despite her demanding schedule, she devotes time after classes to meaningful and productive engagement with her peers.
“I know such clubs are common in Europe, and I’ve always admired the way older people spend their later years in the company of like-minded individuals, engaging in age-appropriate and physically suitable activities,” she says, adding that, unfortunately, in Georgia, many people over 60 find themselves without employment, social networks, or a sense of purpose. They often lack the financial means to engage into something interesting" - she says.
That is why she is happy that the new 60+ Club, with its educational and wellness-oriented initiatives and activities, will take care of both physical and mental health and wellbeing of elder people.
The “60+ Club for Healthy and Active Living” is an initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office. The programme supports the implementation of active ageing policies and seeks to enhance the quality of life for the elder population. The 60+ Club offers a wide range of educational, artistic, and physical wellness activities including dancing, visual arts, and physical exercise.
Jemal Khukhunaishvili, 65, has been a member of the first 60+ Club, located in the Mirza Gelovani Library, for the past three years. With a longstanding interest in music, he was drawn to the club upon learning it offered singing lessons near his home.
“I learned that there was an excellent singing instructor and thought I had to take advantage of it. I also learned that they had a talented visual arts teacher, and since I’ve always enjoyed sketching, the opportunity to learn from a professional really appealed to me” - Jemal explains.
He emphasizes the importance of expanding such services, stating that every district in Tbilisi should have a 60+ Club so that elder people can access these opportunities close to where they live.
“These clubs are transformative. After a singing session, people leave energized and positive energy is contagious; there’s less aggression, and everyone’s mental wellbeing improves” - Jemal says.
For the UNFPA, supporting demographic resilience is a strategic priority. Healthy and active ageing is recognized as a vital precondition for achieving this objective. In today’s context, being over 60 implies staying engaged in professional, familial, community, and social life.
“The population of Georgia is ageing at a significant pace. This means the proportion of people aged 60 and above will continue to grow. But today, people over 60 have more opportunities. They have the ability and desire to leave their homes, to leave the confines of unpaid domestic work, and do what truly interests them. They want to acquire new skills, whether it's painting, dancing, or singing, make friends, and feel like active members of society” - Head of the UNFPA Georgia Country Office Mariam Bandzeladze explains.
The municipal service “60+ Club for Healthy and Active Living,” already implemented in Tbilisi, Rustavi, and Kutaisi, serves exactly this purpose. As of April 2, a new club has been added at the Temka Mediathek.
According to Sopho Sikharulidze, Head of 60+ Clubs established in Tbilisi, great care was taken in 2022 when launching the first club to ensure the activities aligned with the interests and needs of the older residents of Tbilisi.
“The first club was defining. We quickly realized how essential it was for the socialization and happiness of individuals aged 60 and over. We’ve worked hard to cultivate a warm, welcoming environment, and the club has come to feel like a second home for many” - Sopho says.
This success laid the groundwork for the expansion of the programme. The establishment of a second club in Tbilisi was a natural next step, providing grandparents and elder persons with the opportunity to step out of traditional caregiving roles, engage in fulfilling activities, form new friendships, and reconnect with the wider community. In this way, the 60+ Club has emerged as a vital space for connection and social engagement.
The 60+ Club in the Temka Mediathek - the fourth 60+ club in Georgia - was established through a collaboration between Tbilisi City Hall and the Union of Tbilisi Municipality Multifunctional Libraries, in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
