"Caution! Slow down! Stop! Danger!” Probably it is safer to walk in a minefield than in this house. Having worked for many years at the Fund and having seen the primitive living conditions, we sometimes think that we got already used to such houses. But alas! It is impossible to get used to this.

Four babies, four children, four angels live in this "minefield": Lizi, Lika, Luka and Lile. Do they live or do they survive? Or do they just exist?

The only joys they have are a rusty broken bicycle, a one-eyed doll and a TV that lives its own life and turns on only when it wants to.

These poor children have nothing. We’d like to address you, friends! This is no longer the tragedy of one family - this is the tragedy of a nation! There are not many of us left, and this is how the whole country is dying out one by one.

This is not just one mother ‘s cry - this is the howl of entire Georgia. Let’s hear it! Don't be deaf and blind! Tomorrow they may not hear you and me...

“Sometimes there is not even a piece of bread at home. Older children still manage to endure hunger somehow, but the younger one cannot so she cries."

There are five room in the house but only two of them are suitable for living.  The rest have no floors and have holes in walls.

Monika: We don’t live - we survive... How else our existence can be called? Just look at this house! The floors are all rotten, when it rains, water flows from the ceiling. There are five rooms in the house, but only two of them are suitable for living. It is absolutely impossible to stay in the rest of them: everything had collapsed a long time ago, there are no floors, the walls are in holes. This is the way we survive. It is very cold in winter, it blows all the time, no matter how much we heat.

- The conditions here are really terrible. Is there at least water or gas in the house?

Monika: This house is not ours - we rent it. When we just moved to this place, there was absolutely nothing here. Not even furniture. We bought everything ourselves. We bought used furniture; we had no money to buy a new one. There was no water in the house either. My husband installed water piping himself. Our toilet is in the yard, we have no bathroom, and we bathe in the house in plastic basins. And we never got gas in our house. We asked the owner of this house to help us with this issue, but he refused to. He says he is going to sell this house, so he does want to take any extra expenses for gas installation.

- It means that you will possibly find yourselves in the street?

Monika: Yes! We have no idea where to go. We have nowhere else to live. And we have no money to rent another house. I keep thinking about that all the time. anything!

- Did you address the state authorities for help?

Monika: You know, I am a little bit afraid of asking for help. By the way, the social allowance we used to get was much higher than we get now. As soon as they assigned food voucher to us, they immediately reduced the amount of our allowance. And if I ask for help? I'm afraid that they can cut it even more.

- Monika, what do you live on?

Monika: Social allowance - 380 GEL and food coupon - 120 GEL.
I am also paid 150 GEL being a mother of many children, but this will only last while my youngest daughter Lile is under two. After that we will be left without this source of income.

An old broken TV only turns on when it wants to.

- What is this money enough for?
Monika: Almost for nothing! If our parents would not have helped us from time to time with food, we would be completely stranded. We pay 100 GEL for the rent, plus utilities. Nothing is left.

- Does your husband work?

Monika: Before the pandemic, he worked, he used to install waste-water disposal systems. But there is no work now. He takes some part-time jobs occasionally - plowing a field, chopping wood. He helps me around the house.

- Monika, how can we help your family?
Monika: It is extremely hard to live in such conditions, especially when you have little children in your arms. You know, we have neither fridge, nor washing machine. Every day I cook several times a day so that the food does not go bad. Sometimes I store foodstuffs at my neighbor’s place - she offered me to use her refrigerator. But I am embarrassed to bother her all the time. If you could help us with the refrigerator, it would be our salvation.

We also really need a washing machine. Now I wash everything with my hands. Sometimes there is too much laundry that I wash all day long and when everyone goes to bed at night, I continue to wash again. When there are four children in the family, laundry never ends. Because of this, my hands often hurt, my skin gets irritated. It’s hard.

- What is happiness for you?

Monika: To know that your children are not hungry, that nothing hurts them. To know that your children have grown up worthy Georgians. My husband and I are making every effort to ensure that our children are well-educated and well-mannered.

- A good, kind person - what kind of person is he? Could you continue the phrase?

Monika: It’s one who believes in God and acts according to conscience. The Lord gave us commandments. They must keep them. Of course, none of us is saint. But God is merciful. He sees our good deeds. The more good deeds we do, the closer we are to God.

- Monika, could you please tell us about your children? I would like to talk to them if it is possible.

Monika: All of them are very shy. But you still can somehow talk to the older ones - Lizi and Lika. Once they get used to a person, they then talk freely to them. But Luka is completely shy. You are unlikely to be able to communicate with him.

Both Lika and Lizi go to school. I deliberately did so that they studied together in the same form. Lika and Lizi always help me! Of course, I try not to overload my children with work around the house. But my girls are very active - they are always eager to help both mom and dad. Even little Luka, seeing the efforts of his sisters, also tries to help.

By the way, Lizi is a very sensitive girl. She takes everything so close to her heart. Therefore, when my husband and I discuss any problems, we try not to let the children, especially Lizi, hear that. She starts to worry very much.

A damaged bike is the only joy of little Luka.

- Guys, what kind of toy would you like to have?

Lika: I want to have a big, plush toy that is taller than me. I really love stuffed toys, but I only have this old one.

Lizi: And I would like to have a phone so that I can watch cartoons. We have a TV, but it's old and often goes out of order. You can't watch cartoons there.

- Girls, can you share your dreams with me? What do you want to become?

Lizi and Lika (together): Doctors.

Lizi: I will be a dentist. I will cure sore teeth of adults and kids. Children are afraid of doctors, but they will not be afraid of me.

Lika: And I will be the attending physician. I do not know what it is called correctly. Well, in general, I will be a doctor. If someone gets sick, they come to me. And I will heal them so well that they will never get sick again!

- Why did you choose such a difficult profession?

Lika: Mom says that the doctor is a messenger of God. And I want to do something good that God will see.

Lizi: I want to become a dentist to give people beautiful teeth and they will smile more often.

- Do you believe in God, Lika?

Lika: Yes, of course! Mommy and daddy taught us how to pray, how to address God.

- Would you like to ask him for anything?

Lika: Mmm (she fell into thoughts) So that everything is alright to us.

Lizi: Also, so that mom never cries, because she cries when it's hard for her. I don’t want to see my mommy crying.

***

Dear friends, we will help this kind and sweet family, right?
We will not leave these wonderful people? Let's all together lend a helping hand to the Jikia family! They really need food, a washing machine and a refrigerator. But the most important thing for them is your attention and kind heart!

You can also get to know this family in person and provide them with all possible help. Their address is: Zugdidi, 32 Vakhtang Gorgasali Str.

Please repost this story. Let your friends know about the grief of the Jikia family! It’s extremely important!

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 Jikia family).

You can also transfer money from our website.

It is also possible to transfer money from 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 ).

We have already helped many disadvantaged people! Let’s support this family too! And who knows, maybe someday we ourselves will need help of strangers!

One call saves life - 0901 200 270.