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UNICEF says that 77, 000 children under16 are living in extreme poverty in Georgia. How easy is it to raise children in Georgia and how should the government help children live in better conditions?

Thursday, July 19
“First of all parents should have normal income to satisfy their children’s minimal needs. Half of Georgia should not be killed with hunger and having a baby must not be ‘punishment’ as having too many children is connected with increased expenses and most of Georgian families live in poor conditions.”
Tato, Student, 21

“Certain educational and entertainment centers should be created for children and the price of such places should not be high. Parents would be able to bring their children there.”
Giorgi, IT specialist, 27

“There should be a special social package for children and not GEL 24 the government gives them currently. For example, in Sweden, pregnancy is encouraged by the government so much, that pregnant students even can study without attending lectures, and all living conditions are ensured for young couples by the government. When you have no financial resources, pregnancy is a big load and raising the baby is connected with problems as well.”
Nino, Social worker, 24

“Parents should have job opportunities and better educational control should be over those children so that they could have a better future. There are so many more ways to fix this issue but it needs time and specialists, but the sooner this issue is solved the better.”
Keti, Lawyer, 24

“Enough money should be allocated for solving this problem, and secondly, smart people should take the responsibility over this issue. If a person is really sensitive and cares about children, he or she would have better results.”
Meriko, Language Specialist, 31

“If I were a mother I would have a better answer to this question, but actually it is really hard to bring up children in Georgia nowadays because of the poverty in the country. There are too many homeless children in our country and probably that’s because there are many single mothers who abandon their babies hoping that they would find better parents. So in my mind, this issue is related to several other stories on the family and state level and it will take time to reduce the alarming figures presented by UNICEF.”
Tamar, Manager, 34

“Yes, I definitely agree. Poverty among children under 16 in Georgia is commonplace. I think the government pays more attention and funds to irrational parliament buildings, prosecutor’s offices, police and the army rather than to the problem of poverty in the country.
Goga, sociologist, 32

“The social assistance package is extremely poor. The government has different priorities, and unfortunately undue attention is paid to kids, the most vulnerable part.
Margaret, musician, 38