"Life stopped when my Vaska was born with this severe disability," said Veriko, mother of seven-year-old Vaska.

Fortunately she was brave enough to keep her son and has devoted her life to him since.
Veriko was 21 when she gave birth to Vaska. The inexperienced mother anticipated many difficulties.

"Every second, every moment, I had to be with my son, helping him to stay seated in an erect position, to protect him from injuring himself," said Veriko. She would hold Vaska in her arms and would sometimes cry when she thought about her inability to change anything in the seven years of their life together.

This equipment helps my child to entertain and stimulate himself and now I have more free time to think about his development

It was hope that helped Veriko endure the pain and feeling of helplessness and that hope was recently strengthened when a gift from the Adaptive Equipment Workshop Project enabled her son to finally sit erect at his very own special table in a specially designed corner chair.

Watching him playing with his favorite cars was a joy. Veriko has never been as happy as when she sees Vaska acting independently.

"This equipment helps my child to entertain and stimulate himself and now I have more free time to think about his development", said Veriko with hope in her eyes.

Vaska is one of the children benefiting from the Adaptive Equipment Workshop, established through World Vision’s Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances programme in Georgia.

Funded with the assistance of USAID, Eurasia Foundation, World Vision United States and World Vision Austria, it is the only project in Georgia that produces special adaptive equipment to help children with disabilities increase their mobility and find ways of participating in society.

In just one year it has already changed the lives of many children and their families.

...parents were not aware that furniture could be ‘adapted’ to give children more mobility and independence

Vaska has become more active and independent through using the adaptive equipment. The adaptive chair affords him the correct support to stay seated, as opposed to his ‘former life’ when he spent significant periods in bed.

Adaptive writing equipment, spoons, bath chairs, and a toilet system enable him to gain more independence in basic daily living activities and to gain more self-esteem.

The adaptive equipment workshop is perceived far more as hope for families rather then just an ordinary project but because Georgia had never produced any special adaptive equipment for children with disabilities in the past, parents were not aware that furniture could be ‘adapted’ to give children more mobility and independence and in the process improve the lives of children and their caregivers.

Raising wider awareness of the existence of adaptive furniture is therefore key to the project, which also promotes the establishment of community-based adaptive design workshops to serve as resource centres for information and training in design and development of customised equipment.

...it was a chance for my child to become happier and assured in her own abilities

An expert from Armenia was invited to provide assistance in equipping the workshop. He trained three local craftsmen on how to make equipment such as adaptive tables of various models, chairs, walking frames, special corner chairs and other appliances for children with disabilities.

Trained Georgian Craftsmen work closely with Occupational Therapists to guarantee the quality of adaptive furniture made according to individual orders.

Twenty-eight-year-old Eka found out about the adaptive furniture through a workshop booklet distributed to different health points.

"By chance I saw the brochure about the Adaptive Equipment Workshop in the polyclinic and understood that it was a chance for my child to become happier and assured in her own abilities", said mother of adorable 7-year-old Mariam who was born with Cerebral Palsy.

The equipment changed everything for Mariam and her mother. Mariam learnt to sit independently in the chair and use the special table for different activities, helping her to realise her abilities and talents. Although she is unable to stand erect independently her mental abilities are exceptional. She amazes everyone with her knowledge of long poems and her strong mathematical abilities.

"Mariam is a very talented girl but I couldn't give her the chance to exercise her talents in Gori", said Eka regretfully.

One workshop is not sufficient to serve Georgia’s children with disabilities, not to mention the adults

From an Adaptive Education Workshop booklet Eka found out about a kindergarten, established by local agency, "Child and Environment", that offers special treatment for children with disabilities through appropriate equipment sourced from the Adaptive Equipment Workshop.

Eka finally left Gori and moved to Tbilisi to enable Mariam to go to the kindergarten, to meet with other children and by using the adaptive equipment begin to gain her independence.

Mariam has progressed leaps and bounds since attending the kindergarten. The special adaptive chairs and tables enable her to remain secure, and improve her concentration. The former shy, nervous little girl is now a self-assured soon-to-be student who can now read and draw independently.

Marina Mchedlishvili, Workshop Project Manager feels very optimistic about the project and is striving to further develop a brand new service for Georgia that will enable children with disabilities to increase their independence and support their integration into the rest of society.

"One workshop is not sufficient to serve Georgia’s children with disabilities, not to mention the adults", says Mchedlishvili who hopes that the project will be given the chance to expand with branch offices in three or four more regions across Georgia.