Do you also sleep on the floor? It’s fun!

Maka, a little beauty asks me naively, and goes on chatting without waiting for my response. “Mommy hugs me at night and wraps me up with the blanket, as I wrap my doll. I feel so good and warm, but mommy is freezing and something hurts her! Can you imagine that, ma’am? When she wakes up in the morning she barely gets up and that’s why she cries a lot. She says it’s impossible to live like that and kisses me many times! And I feel good...”

Children... Everything in life seems to be toys to them...

After their house burned down, they started to live in a henhouse. You heard right. Mother, father, 10-month-old Gabriel, 3-year-old Maka and 8-year-old Mariam live in a space where they used to have hens before the fire.

- My mommy also says that you are very kind, - continues the baby, - and I will have my own room soon. How?

- It will be a room with windows, it will be warm there, - I respond to her and think: - God, please let that come true soon!

- I will draw a Sun on the wall with rays like in summer! Will you come to visit me again?

- I will...

- Bring a cake then. It is my biggest dream and don’t forget about Gabriel! Look, he is so sweet! He needs diapers. He pees right on me... But I forgive him.

Friends, there is no need in words now. Just look at the photos. It breaks my heart! How can little children live in such conditions? Don’t they deserve a happy childhood? Do they deserve the trial which never ends?

- Natia, how do you live in such conditions?

Natia: It can be called survival but not the life. Especially, when we recall our happy life before the fire in 2019.

- What happened then?

Natia: It was 11th of June. My husband, I, and our children left, and my father was alone at home. Late at night that day fire started. As they said later, the short circuit caused sparks, and they grew into a strong fire that involved the entire house. If not for our neighbors, the Shonia family... I dread to think! They noticed the smoke coming from window and called the rescue service. If not for them one more tragedy could have happened that night - my father would not have survived. But the tragedy happened anyway. The experiences made my father sick. He had a stroke two months later and he died. He was 74 years old. (Cries)

You know, my parents used to work hard their whole life. I was their only child and they did their best to give me everything. But in one short nigh we lost everything we had!

- How do you live now?

Natia: Next to the house which burned down we had a small annex - we called it a henhouse. Just bare walls, nothing more. Only 15 sq. m. We moved here after the fire. There are no proper living conditions here. My husband managed to refurbish these two rooms. We had no money for more. Everything we have in this so-called house - is what stranger gave us - an old TV, fridge - that’s what they gave us. We have a tiny sofa where the girls fit somehow. My husband, I, and the baby sleep on the floor. We try to get warm, but it is freezing here.

We try not to lose hope. We dream that one day everything will work out. I worry for my children most. Gabriel is still a baby, he understands nothing. But Maka and especially Mariam... They worry so much! When it was the fire, Maka was still baby, but Mari realized everything, and witnessed our tears and our worries. After that fire and the tragedy that followed it, my daughter often had nightmares, she cried in her sleep, and sometimes during the day too, so that we could not calm her down... She still worries a lot.

– Natia, does anybody help you? Maybe friends, or parents, or relatives?

Natia: They help, of course! If not for them I don’t know how we would have lived in such conditions. They sometimes bring us food or clothes. Both my dad and mom died - I’ve already told you about my dad. And my mother... I lost her long before the fire. She felt sick and we took her to hospital. When doctors told me that she had the last stage of a lung cancer my world collapsed. You won’t believe - my mother died in 32 days. She was only 52. (Cries) Who knew that our troubles would not end there? I have husband and kids and they support me, and I feel their love. My husband has wonderful parents, sister, and brother. They do their best to help us, but they still have their own problems. My spouse, Akaki, is a wonderful person!

- How did you meet your husband?

Natia: (smiles). We met in a social network - I was a student then. Once he visited my page, I liked him and added him as a friend. We started texting each other. Then we started dating - so our love began. Then we started our family. My Akaki is the kindest and gentlest person in the world! He understands me, supports me, never gets angry and never offends me. Such men are rare. I am lucky to have him.

- Does your husband work?

Natia: My husband is a jack of all trades. He is good at everything he does. Now he is employed by the Senaki city improvement service as a worker. But at this moment my husband is on a sick leave. He has problems with his spine, we are now undergoing examination, trying to find out what is wrong with him. Therefore, he does not go to work due to his health.

- What is your family income?

Natia: We get 400 GEL as socially disadvantaged family, plus my husband’s salary - 280 GEL. This is our whole income. Maybe someone will think that we have nothing to complain about - we have at least some income. But this money is not enough when you have young children and when your house is not suitable for living. We keep thinking about what to do. I would be happy to start working, I will take any job. But with whom can I leave little Gabriel? He is still a baby. He needs mommy now.

- Did you address anybody for help? Does the state help you?
Natia: We applied for help many times. The local administration helped us a lot. The annex where we live now had neither roof, nor windows. It felt like we lived in the street, everything was open. The rain was falling on our heads. My husband and I collected all the necessary documents and took them to the local administration - so they allocated about 3000 GEL for us. That money helped us a lot! We installed windows and a door and made the floors. We created at least some conditions for our children. Mr. Demuri Gabelia, the owner of a construction company helped us with the roof. He built it. If not for these kind people, I don’t know how we would have survived. I am immensely grateful to them! But we still have a lot of problems. I keep thinking about what we should do next.   

- What are you dreaming about?

Natia: I dream that my children do not starve, that they live in warmth. It would be great to have the opportunity and funds to slowly, step by step, renovate at least these two rooms. I no longer dream of having our big house back. The main thing now is to make life comfortable for our children in this two-room house. And my husband will be happy to work! We will renovate it ourselves, if only we had funds for it.

- Natia, what do you need most now? How can we help you?

Natia: First, we need beds. This is the main problem now. It is very difficult to sleep on the floor, especially together with the baby. A little sofa where the girls sleep is about to fall apart, so the girls will have to sleep on the floor too (sighs). I don’t know what else to say. I’d like to have a washing machine. But I am embarrassed to ask. If not for the extreme need, I would have never bothered your fund and all the kind people who will hear me. You know, I still can endure washing by hands, nothing will happen to me.  But sleeping on the floor... I can’t stand that anymore. (Cries)

- Natia, please calm down! Don’t worry! You are not alone anymore, you will get many new friends after this interview, you’ll see. Do you believe in the kindness of strangers? In what do you see the salvation?

Natia: I do! I believe in God! I know that that kindness, love and all the best the human has comes from God. I know that God will not leave my family and he will send us kind and empathetic people. Because kindness is the salvation.

❤️❤️❤️ “Goodbye! Mommy says you that are good people we are good too! Come to visit us again!”

- What would you like to tell our readers?

Natia: I’d like to thank everyone who helps and empathies to those in need. You are great people! And those who are in a difficult situation like us - please, don’t lose heart, don’t fall into despair, don’t give up - God is with us!

I hope that your Fund and the kind people will help us because we have no one else to ask for help!

- How often can you afford buying sweets for your children?
Natia: It hurts to admit that I never bought candies to my children since this misfortune happened to us - no funds are left for that. Our main diet is a liquid food - more water, less foodstuffs, to get a greater volume of food.  How can we think about sweets when we don’t always have enough bread?

- Tell me more about your children. What do they like, what are their hobbies?
Natia: My children are very talented, I am very proud of them! Mariam attends ballroom dancing classes. You should have seen how she dances! She dreams of dancing in the Sukhishvili ensemble. She says she will travel all over the world, get rich and will help her family. Maka is a painter. She paints well. She is very talented!

- Natia, you have wonderful children! Could I please talk to the girls? So, little ladies, with whom to start? Mariam, you are the oldest, let’s start with you. Do you help your mother?

Mariam: I do my best. I am always ready to help her because I see how hard it is for her. I babysit my brother after school. I love my sister and brother very much! I will always protect them!

- Mari, what is your favorite toy?

Mariam: I don’t have any. I used to have, but I have nothing left after the fire. And my parents can buy me nothing now.

- What toy are you dreaming about?

Mariam: I want to have Barbie doll and a toy kitchen. Sometimes I imagine how I will play and prepare food for my doll. And when I will have another doll it will be a big family, like ours.

- Maka, what are you dreaming about?

Maka: I want toys too. I never had them. I don’t remember myself playing. But I dream about the cake most! It is so sweet! I tried it once.

Mariam leans over to my ear and quietly whispers to me:

You know, I save money. When my parents send me to pharmacy to buy diapers for my brother, I sometimes ask my parents to give me some tetries. I save money. Do you know why? It’s Maka’s birthday in April and I want to buy her a cake she is dreaming about. Then she will treat me and daddy and mommy. But don’t tell anybody, especially Maka. Ok? It will be a surprise (she smiles cheerfully).

***

While I listened to the children my eyes got wet. The family lives in terrible conditions, children need coziness and food, they dream about sweets. But their hearts are full of warmth and kindness! How can one remain indifferent?

Friends, I ask you not to be indifferent. As you see the large Kakhadze family lives in dire need. It is impossible not to help them! They need foodstuffs, home appliances, clothing. Let’s help them, let’s show our mercy, let’s give the children a chance to live normally. Let each of us imagine that there might be our children who are malnourished and sleep on the floor in a freezing house.

Let’s support this poor family. You can visit Natia in person and provide her help. Believe me, she will be happy! Call the Kakhadze family and ask what they need, cheer them up and support them, let them feel that they are not alone and that we will not leave them in trouble. It’s extremely important!

Their address is: Senaki 41 Khoperia Str.

Friends, Chernovetskyi Charity Fund starts charity campaign to help the Kakhadze family. Please repost our interview. Let your friends know about the grief of this family! It’s extremely important!

God gives us chances to care about people who are unable to take care of themselves. Not all people are the same. Not all of them are as kind as we are. Do not pass by someone else's trouble! Those poor people are sent to us by heaven so that we could prove not by words, but in deeds that we trust in God!

Friends, there is one more request : if you know about the misfortune of a neighbor or friend do a godly deed, drop us an email at: office-fsp@fsp.ge.

Our Fund’s accounts are: 

#GE15TB7194336080100003 

#GE42LB0115113036665000 

#GE64BG0000000470458000 

(purpose: The Kakhadze family). 

You can also transfer money from our website.

It is also possible to transfer money from ОРРА, TBCpay and ExpressPay terminals. Find our Fund under "Charity" section (You can read more about rights and responsibilities of the Fund following the link https://goo.gl/GY2Gus).

One call saves life - 0901 200 270.