A
group of children with disabilities from Zestaponi in west Georgia were given the rare chance to express their view of the world by sharing their photos at a recent exhibition in the capital,
Tbilisi.
The 'world in eyes of a special child' exhibition, supported by World Vision in Georgia, featured some 75 photos shot by 22 children with scenes of their everyday lives, landscapes
and loved ones.
'I filmed my family, friend, my yard and people around me. For me it was a very interesting activity and I hope in the future I will have a professional camera to take good
pictures. I am very glad that so many people came to see our photos today', said nine-year-old Dato, who is keen to get involved in any and every activity, despite being confined to a wheelchair.
World Vision has been working with Dato towards rehabilitation for more than two years as part of its 'Children in Especially Difficult Circumstances Program'.
'The children were
very happy to visit Tbilisi and feel people's interest in their work. They took pleasure in taking the pictures and were very enthusiastic about it. This exhibition is the result of their hard work
and sense of responsibility', said Revaz Chinchaladze, World Vision's Strengthened Social Rehabilitation Activities for Children with Disabilities (SSRCD) project manager.
The exhibition
was held through the Teaching Photography to Children with Disabilities (TPCD) project, designed for children with disabilities aged ten and upwards. Aimed at teaching the art and skill of
photography, the project also gave these children, many of whom have grown up in difficult circumstances, the chance to appreciate the beauty and dignity of their own expression.
The
project involved teaching digital camera basics, lighting, composition, development of point of view, editing and sequencing for narrative during regular, weekly workshops, conducted by professional
photographer Agnes Montanery who was amazed at the children's skill and imagination.
Some 12,000 children with disabilities live in Georgia according to a World Bank survey. Despite some
progress in their social status and care, many of Georgia's children with disabilities still live in isolation at home where they are unlikely to receive the specialised care needed to help
rehabilitate them or enable them to lead a full life.
For those families of children with disabilities that live below the poverty line, especially for those in rural areas, their
children's disabilities are an added burden that sometimes drives them to placing their children in an institution where they have even less opportunity of integrating into society.
World
Vision and its partners are addressing these issues through a range of projects and activities that seek to promote family and community-based care and assistance.
-Ends-
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
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