Multimedia project “Youth for Social Changes” presents twelve young persons from different regions of Georgia who dedicate their actions and enthusiasm trying to change the society, achieve gender equality and contribute to creation of a healthier environment.
Nino Guseinov, 17, and Natia Guseinov, 15, from the village of Maradisi
Nino:
When we talk about the statistics of living a healthy lifestyle in Georgia - or even about gender equality - we see that very few girls are involved in various activities, especially football. We spent a month trying to organize a friendly football tournament. It was very difficult to persuade 4 out of 8 schools to agree to get involved, because the families were not ready to let their children participate. After that, I saw the girls grow more self-confident and get rid of deep-rooted stereotypes they had inherited from their families. There they saw that there might be a society that takes care of the development of girls. Now, we plan to hold grand friendly football tournaments with the participation of girls every year. My favourite subject at school is the English language and I want to study English philology at university. I like travelling and communicating with children. I want to be a teacher, but not only a teacher for children, but also their loyal friend. They should tell me what they are interested in, because I also know how it feels like when you are very interested in something, but you avoid talking about such topics in your family. Or if you talk to your family, you are afraid that they will react badly. I want children to be confident, to know their rights so they don’t become victims. This is my biggest goal. Education is the best way for young people to achieve their goals. When you are educated, you don’t care what others say. When you know something, you do it because you know it is the right thing to do. When you are not educated and you hear someone saying something, you believe it whether you like it or not. I advise my peers to get educated, at least general education. They should know their rights, never give up on their dreams and hopes. They might not come true in a year or two, but one day their wishes will be fulfilled.
Natia:
We belong to the group of girls in this village who are friends with boys. For me, it's much the same whether someone is a girl or a boy. I treat everyone the same way. Change is a necessary thing in every aspect, but it starts slowly. There is a wall erected along the way and it serves as a barrier. However, even if there is a crack in the wall, this is a great achievement for us. I really like playing football, I can’t describe it in words but it comes from my heart. Human beings are biologically constructed in such a way that we learn new things all the time. By learning new things, you acquire new potential, opportunities to do different things. For example, if there wasn’t the initiative “Youth for Social Change”, we wouldn't be able to organize a football tournament. I want to study medicine at university. I think the field of medicine is rewarding, as you save peoples’ lives. But my plan is to have a hospital of my own, where I will treat people who are socially vulnerable, who can’t afford to cover medical expenses, for free. So many people die because they can’t afford medical treatment. There are many of them in our village and I feel so sad about it. Also, when I have free time I will be able to teach children for free. There are many children who are really talented but can’t afford to attend some classes. Facilitation is needed to reveal talents. I really want to have the freedom to take care of myself. I want to have the power to do what I want to do and to have the opportunity to do so. And I want to enjoy whatever I do. If you really want something, you have to follow it and it will happen. You have to put in a lot of effort and work, without that you will not be able to find anything worthwhile in life.
“Youth for Social Change" is an initiative of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Georgia Country Office aimed to promote gender equality, eliminate gender stereotypes and harmful social norms.
It is part of the three EU-funded programmes: “Ending Violence Against Women and Girls in Georgia (EVAWGG)” programme (Kvemo Kartli region), “Addressing Gender-biased Sex Selection and Related Harmful Practices in South Caucasus” (Samtskhe-Javakheti region) as well as “EU4GenderEquality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence" (Guria and Imereti regions).
About the authors:
Dina Oganova is a Georgian documentary photographer working in Georgia and other countries on different long term projects. She has been a laureate of prestigious awards, including the EU Prize for Journalism and Litera. Ms. Oganova has been named among the best woman photographers under the age of 30. Her photo projects include: “I Am Georgia”; “My Place,” “Frozen Waves.” Ms. Oganova’s works have been exhibited in Italy, France, USA, Spain and other countries. She is an author of the first Georgia handmade limited edition photobook “My Place”, which is a part of collections of several museums, including the Metropolitan Museum in New York. Dina Oganova has cooperated with UNFPA Georgia since 2016 on different projects: “A Girl is Born” (“Silent Garden”), “Girls from the Future”, “Mothers and Daughters”, etc. Women’s and girls’ rights remain in focus of her artistic work.
Tatia Nadareishvili is a freelance Georgian illustrator, co-founder of studio “Illustrator” (2016), who writes and illustrates children’s books. One of her books “Sweet Dreams” was published in 2017 and translated in several languages. Tatia Nadareishvili has cooperated with UNFPA Georgia since 2018. In 2020 she illustrated a bestselling bedtime story “Luna and The Planet of Fireflies”, which will soon turn into a play.
