American Friends of Georgia Rolls up its Sleeves
Little Heroes Sandro and David Make it Personal
25 years ago Constantine Sidamon-Eristoff, a Georgian-American lawyer, an environmentalist, and a public figure, established American Friends of Georgia (AFG) as a vehicle to send aid to his ancestral homeland during the difficult post-Soviet transitional period.
From then until now, AFG has implemented and funded a wide range of projects, including assisting children with leukemia, cancer, and TB; opening the ‘Parents House’ – a rehabilitation center for children suffering with leukemia to be with their parents; launching initiatives for cervical and breast cancer prevention; creating a palliative, hospice, and home care program; rehabilitating disabled and homeless children; creating and rebuilding the Dzegvi shelter for the homeless; developing vocational education programs for IDP children and adults; building a school in Nikozi; establishing daycare centers for vulnerable children; launching environmental education programs; providing humanitarian goods and medical equipment; and much more.
Today, AFG has become a catalyst for much-needed innovative programs in Georgia to assist and empower children, the elderly and other socially vulnerable groups. This has been made possible by the longstanding support of Georgians and the many Americans who care for Georgia. These include several of the former US Ambassadors to Georgia and their wives.
We are responding to the crisis in Georgia by contributing to the purchase and distribution of critically needed supplies including food, medicine, hygiene items, hand sanitizers, and protective gear to high risk populations.
AFG has begun by donating facial masks and food to the children suffering from leukemia and cancer in the Oncology and Cancer Department of the Children’s Central Hospital and to the nurses and elderly patients in the Hospice and Home Care Program. The nurses in the Cancer Department (in photo) are pleased with the quality of the masks.
Driving restrictions have been severe during the pandemic but just recently AFG has been able to obtain a permit to deliver food and supplies to the Cancer Center. Among the patients at Children’s Hospital is 8-year-old Sandro (in photo), who is suffering from a relapse of Lymphoid Leukemia and Andria, 2 1/2. He lives with his father and eight siblings in two rooms in Sartichala on the outskirts of Tbilisi. His father is the only man among 40 parents who are taking care of their children at the hospital during treatment. David (in photo) has a 5-year-old sister at home. His parents are divorced and his care is left to his mother during treatment.
AFG’s long-term response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 outbreak and economic fallout will focus on local production and small enterprises such as farms, greenhouses, and factories. Production through such initiatives will help to create jobs for those left jobless by the pandemic.
During the pandemic, American friends of Georgia is appealing for donations to AFG’s COVID-19 Georgia Relief Fund – both for immediate and long-term humanitarian needs resulting from the pandemic. AFG is committed to generating projects that help Georgians recover from the devastating economic fallout of the pandemic. Donations to the COVID-19 Georgia Relief Fund may be made here.