Fathers' School, first of all, is a warm and friendly environment where everyone can teach others something new, says Demetre Kubaneishvili, a participant of the first group of trainees at Tbilisi Fathers' School, who now shares his experience and impressions with other fathers.
I have always been fond of such activities and that is why I was really happy to find a Facebook ad inviting men to join Fathers' School and I registered immediately,” recalls Demetre Kubaneishvili, who was an expectant father at that time.
Kubaneishvili had his first child right after he began attending Fathers’ School and, as he notes, the knowledge gained at the meetings proved to be useful in many ways after his child was born.
[At the meetings] we discussed the role and benefits of involvement of both parents in raising children; how important it is for men to be next to their spouses during pregnancy and especially after giving birth (I was really fortunate to be able to attend my baby's birth). And my wife felt stronger knowing that she was not alone there,” he says.
He also emphasizes the importance of the practical component of the Fathers’ School, as they were taught there how to change a diaper, how to properly hold a baby, what to do in different situations, what to consider when taking a new-born outside for a walk, what items should be packed in a child's bag, etc.
Fathers’ Schools have been launched in Georgia for the first time as part of the Men Care Campaign, at the initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office and the NGO “Care Together”. Among the first partners of the Fathers’ School programme are Gagua Clinic - in Tbilisi, and a women's health centre HERA - in Kutaisi.
Lasha Cheishvili, a father of two from Kutaisi, is another participant of the Fathers’ School, who found out about the initiative through "Fathers’ Group" on Facebook. According to him, the meetings were held only in Tbilisi at that time, but the initiative to open a Fathers’ School in Kutaisi followed immediately and it was realized.
I was in the first group of fathers who attended Fathers’ School, which made me very happy; And if you ask me “why?” the answer is clear, it was all about the people I care about most, my children, their future, useful pieces of advice for dealing with them. That’s why I was happy to join the group, and whenever I come across a piece of information that I consider useful and helpful to me and to my children, certainly, I am happy to discover and apply it,” he says.
According to Lela Bakradze, Head of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office, the experience gained last year and the young fathers interest in the Fathers’ School programme "have clearly shown that our society today is much more open to innovations and changes than it was a few years ago."
Such changes, i.e. the changes that free people from harmful social norms and stereotypes form the basis for building a harmonious society,” she says.
Gagua Clinic will host another group of fathers beginning from March 26. Men who are planning to become fathers in the near future, expectant fathers, or fathers of children under the age of three form the target audience of the programme. Training is free and interested fathers will be able to participate through online registration.
Asked why we should attend Fathers’ School, Giorgi Liparishvili, who works as a facilitator for the programme, answers that “fatherhood is the most difficult job and like all jobs, fatherhood also needs to be learned.”
According to him, the participants of the Fathers’ School will learn to share ideas, will learn about fathers’ influence on development and well-being of children, how to provide first aid, about basic safety measures, about the importance of support of a partner during pregnancy and after childbirth; it can also help prepare men for fatherhood, for establishing proper relationship with their children, etc.
Liparishvili believes that “attending Fathers’ School makes us better fathers, more attentive, careful, observant, knowledgeable and wise parents, partners and persons. If we agree that learning is a lifelong journey, Fathers’ School should be considered as part and parcel of this lifelong process of learning and development.”
Niko Koridze, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at the Gagua Clinic, also notes that “fatherhood is a great responsibility, and the more prepared men are, the more fulfilled they feel as parents.”
Acquiring theoretical and practical knowledge helps us become better fathers. Fathers’' School is there to help us acquire this knowledge. I, as an obstetrician-gynaecologist, will inform you about issues related to family planning and your partners’ pregnancy and childbirth, as well as about the role you can play in the successful management of these processes,” he addresses future participants of the Fathers’ School who will meet every Saturday at the Gagua Clinic for 2 months, starting from March 26.
The Fathers’ School programme is being carried out in the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence" programme, funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA.
The goal of the programme is to promote acquisition and utilization of the skills and behaviours among men, which will help them to become more engaged and caring fathers and partners. The Fathers’ School programme will also help them learn more about gender equality, as well as about stereotypes and harmful social norms that prevent them from achieving genuine equality.
