Don’t Expel Us - Autism

One, two, three, Four... hardly counted the numbers 5 years old Dato for himself, but as soon as he recognized that his parents where looking at him, Dato stopped counting at once and concealed himself in the corner of the room, as if he wanted to be invisible from them.
Dato was 3 years old when the neurologist Gia Natriashvili diagnosed him Autism. He said that little boy had serious developmental disability. 
“Still that time I started to treat Dato more tenderly not to damage his psychic. Now I and his Father are trying to follow his wishes all the time” Says Tea Manjgaladze, mother of the child. 
According t mother, Dato was always capricious and nervous child; he could not socialize with different environment and preferred to seclude himself from others. Even he never tried to hug with her by his own initiative. But parents never thought of autism, so did doctors at first. 
“Diagnose for Dato’s disease become challenge for doctors. Only after one year of ineffectual treatment, doctors came up with the correct diagnosis. I wish they could diagnose it earlier. But I see autism people don’t care government, I just want to say: “Don’t expel us” Says Manjgaladze.
According to Qetevan Abdushelishvili, psychiatrist, mental health head instructor at Iashvili Clinic, there is a lack of adequate treatment and management for the prevention of this disease in Georgia.
”At Iashvili clinic we use diagnostic questioner ADI-R and ADOS, which contains 89 questions about children’s habits that makes possible to diagnose the disease. But this technique is used only in certain clinics; most polyclinics do not use this methodology. Says Abdushelishvili.
 Pediatrician Maia Kherkheulidze talks about the ineffective management of the prevention of autism in Georgia. She says that there is a lack of guidelines and the resources for this disease, like diagnostic methods, rehabilitation centers, parents training or intervention services in Georgia. 
“Every baby from 2 month takes special diagnostic service in polyclinics in developed countries, while we have not such services and can’t discover the disease until 18 month child.” Says Kherkheulidze.

 Lika Tushishvili -Psychotherapist maintains that child ill with autism must have special care, and the parents need special trainings to learn how to relate with their

children.

 

“In US and Europe there are special funds for such families, so they are able to take the long term psychological treatment. For example in US there is 3 to 5 million dollars fund of services throughout the lifetime of child with autism. But we don’t have any analog situation here, more if parents want to take a psychologist, they must pay 25 lari in an hour, which most of families can’t effort- she says. 
The exact reason of the appearance of this disease is not asserted yet. It may caused while the pregnancy period. 
“Autism is a disease which has not exact reason to exist. Also this is psychiatrist problem and it can’t be cured. One thing doctors can do is the adequate treatment and management of this problem- says Eka Tushishvili.
Concerning to this issue Georgian Association of Child Neurologists and neurosurgeons has made a project screening and diagnose methods of Autism. Project was granted by Open Society Georgia Foundation and GNSF in 2009 Juny17th. There was held trainings for doctors how to discover disease. Also they observed three region polyclinics in Tbilisi: Saburtalo, Digomi and Vake and set the results, that there is not any supportive service for children with autism there. 

Autism has become a worldwide problem. Approximately 17 percent of children have some type of developmental disability including autism. Experts estimate that every six child out of 1000 has autism. The biggest number of the disease has been discovered in Great Britain. According to the www.emedtv.com, one of the reliable web sites in Britain. 

 Autism signs and symptoms include difficulties with social interaction, problems with communication, and repetitive behaviors. A baby with symptoms may be unresponsive to people or focus intently on one item to the exclusion of others for long periods of time. Symptoms may include engaging in repetitive movements, such as rocking and twirling, or in self-abusive behavior, such as biting or head-banging.

 

People ill with autism can improve their abilities. Many of them have some special talents Famous musician Mozart had autism too.
 Autism was investigated and discovered by the professor Kaner after World War II. He asserted all the symptoms of this disease and named it as Autism, which comes from Greek Auto and means itself.

gypsy family in Tbilisi

Clothing-line was almost full of the cloth, but a gypsy or a Romani woman- barefooted and unwashed, was still swilling some clothes in a cold water flowing from the tap in the yard. Then she put them into the oozy dark grey plastic box and entered the house speaking something in her mother language in an anxious way. 
Though the surrounding houses where quite damaged and old, they still seemed to be a nice compared to the gypsy’s home. Partly wooden, partly iron plated and also cemented walls of gypsy house looked like a stumbling tree in a terrible storm. Without a floor and with a holed ceiling, the house was hosting sixteen member of a gypsy family in it.
16 years old Bela is one of the Romani family members, who speak in Georgian. She is going in a kind of educational centre and learns Georgian reading and writing there.
“My family came from Azerbaijan to Georgia 20 years ago. We like being here and are not going to move from Georgia. ”-Bella says. As she says, her family has lead a beggarly life all time along and this is how they keep their family in Georgia. 
“Sometimes people treat us roughly and impolitely, they don’t like that we beg, but mostly we are not discriminated from Georgians, even we have good relationship with neighbor Georgian families”-She says.
In the sixteen member gypsy family, some of them are couples, sisters and brothers, uncles and aunts.
A 12 years old gypsy boy, playing with a little, nice but a dirty baby with a Georgian name Vaxo says: I am not begging, because my father works, he is fixing cars.
None of gypsy men begs in Georgia and the situation is same with this particular family. Vaxo’s and Bella’s relative men don’t beg, some of them gather scrap-iron and buy, other fix cars.
None of the gypsies have a passport or any kind of identification card. They have no financial support from the Georgian government, no pensions, and no discounts. Because of a lack of money, mostly gypsy women give birth to a child in a home, without doctor’s help. Though if they have money, they are not against by the doctors and visit hospitals with no obstacles, according to Bela.
An aunt of Vaxo a 35 years old Romani woman, with an infant, wrapped up on her back says that there have never been journalist talking with their family and none of their acquaintances have ever had touch with them.
“ journalist doesn’t interested in our life in Georgia, maybe they had covered our history and life style article, but me and my friend gypsies have never been asked for interview by them”- this gypsy woman says.
Gypsy people are also known as a Romani people. Wikipedia says that “they are an ethnic group living mostly in Europe, who traces their origins to medieval India. The Romani are widely dispersed with their largest concentrated populations in Europe, especially the Roma of Central and Eastern Europe and Anatolia, followed by the Iberian Kale in Southwestern Europe and Southern France, with more recent Diaspora populations in the Americas and, to a lesser extent, in other parts of the world. Romani language is divided into several dialects and mixed languages”. 

Coming Soon: Center of Contemporary Art -Tbilisi

Everything started in Bucharest, on a big conference. It was 2007 then. Seeing amazing Cultural exhibitions and centers in Europe, Artist Vato Tsereteli got inspiration to found alike Center of Contemporary Art in Tbilisi.   Building near river Mtkvari where                                                      the center of   contemporary                                                          art will be situated     

After six month 27 Georgian Artists had exhibition near Amsterdam. There were presented big companies too. Though Vato’s desire was deeper and superior at that time, he had no finances to implement it himself. So he talked to PR manager of TBC Group there and soon it came out that he had already have a foundation on which Vato could built his dream Cultural Center soon.

“I believe in private initiatives, in step by step projects. With my 10 years experience in organizing the cultural events, I am sure Center of Contemporary Art in Tbilisi will justify my hopes and it will definitely serve the aim for what it is building now”- Vato says.
TBC group approved the idea of Art Center. They gave two floors building to Vato and therefore Tsereteli started to found different sources from different countries to bring grants for his project and he did bring. The highest finance he has got now is 10 thousand Euros, which Vato got from Swiss development Agency.
Library, cinema screening place, Three Exhibition and three class rooms, reception, resting and bath rooms. In two floors building which is under thorough repairs now will serve students of different age and education to develop their personal skills and initiatives in contemporary art soon.
“We believe it is of crucial importance to have an independent and open institution, which will work on the development of contemporary visual culture and help artists to effectively address their creative products to local and international audiences” says Tsereteli.
As The Artist explains, Georgia cultural education is behind the east and west culture of middle ages. Even Tbilisi Art Academy does not teach the students the values of contemporary art, which means private ideas and initiatives realization in free and independent art life.
Video Art, Photography, Painting and sound Art. 9 month courses in these spheres of Art will start from October. Teachers from local and foreign countries will introduce to students their knowledge and experience. Each month will cost 350GEL and in return of diploma, graduated students of Center of Contemporary art will gain exhibition and concept based realized private ideas.

Tbilisi's new pedestrian bridges

Pedestrian Bridge standing on the crossing of Vaja pshavela and Gamsaxurdia Avenue on Saburtalo.Bridge is metal and contains 40 step leader up and and 40 step leader down. It was constructed in he end of 2009.

Two young school pupils with well packed knapsacks on their little backs ran across the iron bridge over Gamsakhurdia Avenue recently, and followed the steps down laughing in loud voices.

“Happy kids, they don’t know how strict life is yet, I wish I were a little girl too,” mumbled an old woman watching as the little girls swept by merrily.
She looked up to the bridge and whispered something. Then she moved on the road slowly to the red sign of stoplight. Resting upon the crutch with her right hand and holding a little bag with some medicines in it on the other hand, old women slowly pulled herself up the metal stairs and crossed the street at last.
Crossing the busy, chaotic streets of Tbilisi is no easy challenge, as nearly 4,500 people were injured and 667 died while crossing street during the last three years. Recent surveys show that only 55 percent of 1,500 respondents say that they follow road rules. The other 45 percent just ignore them, according to research conducted by the Association of Safe Driving in 2010 January.
To reduce the number of traffic-pedestrian accidents, Tbilisi City Hall built 20 bridges in different regions of the city in 2009, and plans to build another 20 by the end of 2010. Each pedestrian bridge costs 100 000- 150 000 lari and the light signals will be removed. Starting in 2011, government transportation officials say they are going to install lifts to bring elderly and disabled people up the stairs more easily, but they don’t have a concrete budget yet, or a construction start date.
“We see this problem is one of the most painful issues for Tbilisi inhabitants. That’s the reason why did we start building these bridges. Each of them is done in order to ensure the safe transportation of the people on the streets,” says Akaki Joxadze, the head of the Transport Municipal Department.

The bridges have met with mixed results residents, according to an informal poll conducted in February. On a recent day in front of the bridge standing on the crossing of Vaja Pshavela and Gamsaxurdia Avenue in Saburtalo, 120 respondents were asked if they liked the new bridges. The majority, 50%, said that they liked the bridges, 30% said they disliked them and 20% answered they didn’t care.

Same bridge with another view. There is iron veneer in the end of 10 metre long pedestrian bridge, which covers the window of the flat, where people live.

Those who like the bridges say that this is the best way for safe crossing the streets and they appreciate it.

In general and not surprisingly, the vast number of people who did like the bridges were under the age of 30.
“I use bridges frequently and I guess it is very nice job done for people,”-says Bella Beradze, a 26-year-old medical student.
But the older respondents got, the more they were likely to complain about the bridges – probably because it’s difficult for them to climb up and down the metal steps, such as the Gamsakhudia Bridge, which has 40 steps up and 40 steps down.
Middle aged respondents were less likely to care, but more likely to question whether building bridges was the most important spending priority for the city government.
“Bridges can’t fill in my empty stomach. Authority should think about our vital interests, rather than wasting money in unnecessary things,” says Manana Dumbadze, a 56-year-old woman. She thinks that government should spent money on making new job places, rather than building pedestrian bridges.
Some opposition members claim the bridges are simply visual public relations for the upcoming direct mayor’s election on May 30, and don’t address the real problems.
“Main obligation of Tbilisi City hall is to provide researches about the most vivid issue for the citizens. They must have discussions with NGO-s, experts and after all assert the project, these rules are just ignored -“says Petre Mamradze, president of the Just for Georgia political party.
One of the oppositional political parties, which entered the parliament after the parliamentary elections,-Christian Democrats contends that though the rate of car accidents was high, making so many bridges was “just absurd.”
“I see some of bridges stand on strategic places and I appreciate it, but most of them are constructed in a wrong way, where there aren’t needed,” says Giorgi Axvlediani- member of the political party. “Ninety nine percent of this project is simply P.R. They want us to look like the European Countries, but forget to solve the real problem- unemployment,” Axvlediani says.
Governmental side doesn’t agree with oppositional parties, contending the bridges have saved lives.
According to the Tbilisi Police statistics conducted in 2010, the number of car accidents has decreased by 30% during 2009 in comparison with the last three years, says police officer Guja Gviniashvili.
“We made big changes in a little time. I’m certain, that people will get used to and be satisfied with the bridges,” he says

My profile by Katie tutberidze

When Tako was a little girl, she longed to be a professional journalist. She was fascinated with this job for the colored and lovely microphone the journalist held in her hand. But when she grew older and guessed that journalism isn’t only the big and lovely microphone, covered with a yellow or orange pattern, she was disappointed a little bit. Still, she has chosen this job and is enrolled at the GIPA journalism school.


She remembers two problems from her childhood. The first is that she couldn’t pronounce the letter “R” till thirteen. She did some exercises to improve her speech speaking rhymes and sayings until she could pronounce the symbols.

She also remembers her piano classes as the other problem of her childhood. For seven years her parents forced her, to play piano, but Tako didn’t like it. Maybe , this is the reason she doesn’t like classical music and always prefers to listen to alternative rock, like Coldplay, but sometimes she plays piano, when she’s alone.
Tako is keen on Japanese culture and her dream is to travel around this amazing country, wondering from small town to town, from Nagasaki to Tokyo.
“I’m fascinated with Japanese architecture, amazing bridges and Pagodas. And I’m definitely sure I’ll travel around this country someday“, – says Tako.

The biggest discovery in Georgia

The biggest discovery in Georgia. Ioseb Alaverdely grave has been found in Kakheti. 
After fifteen century from his death, Georgian archeologists has found Ioseb Alaverdeli grave in Alaverdi church.
Thirteen Assyrian holy fathers came in Georgia in VI century. They built churches in different parts of Georgia. They prayed for Christianity and for Georgians there. Ioseb Alaverdeli, One of the thirteen Assyrian holy fathers, prayed in Alaverdi chuch.
Georgian orthodox church is happy for founding Alaverdeli grave.

Swine Flue

According to the official data, approximately 400 people are ill with the swine flu in Georgia. Experts say that the disease will reach its peak in January. People are in Panic.
40 years old Manana Dumbadze has flu and high temperature for more that one week. She has heavy heath condition, though Dumbadze doesn’t visit the doctor, because she is afraid that doctors will diagnose her Swine Flu. 
National Centre for Disease Control and Public Heaths reports that every heavy flu is identified as Swine Flue and needs accurate treatment.
 ,, according to the official facts, about 400 people are ill with Swine Flu, but we expect three times more ill people, who has not registered in our system’’-says Shota Caava- Main assistant of the National Centre for Disease Control and Public Health.
Georgian Ministry of Health reports , that they have enough vaccines and are ready to cure this disease.
Situation is too much alarming in Gali. People has no vaccines and are in a big trouble. 
Georgian Health Ministry is going to solute this problem. They are going to send the vaccines to Gali soon.
Swine flu is the second pandemic disease after Chicken flue, which was spread all over the world last year. Nowadays the whole world stands in front of this problem. World Health Organization sends vaccines and veils to the countries , which need support. 
Swine flu spread in Ukraine a month ago. thousands of people were ill with this disease and many people were died too.
There are not any accident of the death by Swine Flu in Georgia. Though four patients, ill with this flue, have especially heavy health condition.
Georgian Ministry of Health advice people to wear veil and to visit doctors as soon as they appear to have complicated flu.