About Disabled Cared Alliance
Tbilisi, Georgia (Southern Caucasus)

by Temuri Zhorzholiani

Editor's note: The language, opinions and sentiments are entirely those of DCA, reflecting the social environment in which DCA operates, and are not necessarily supported by the Independent Living Institute

Disabled Cared Alliance (DCA) is a non-governmental, humanitarian organization, which leads its activity according to its own charter and standing legislation of Georgia. According to above mentioned rules, the principal directions of DCA are as follows:

1. Security of equity for disabled and veterans, inhabiting Georgia, and members of their families in social, economic, cultural and political life;
2. Defense of human rights of disabled and veterans;
3. Improvement of social-economic conditions of disabled and veterans

In previous years, under the leadership of present president of DCA Temuri Zhorzholiani, the following programs were enacted:

• "I shall be able", which involved learning labor habits of disabled inhabiting Tbilisi and special re-preparation of ones in accordance with labor market demands (The program has been financed by the Soros foundation);

• "Employment of disabled" which involved participation of disabled in the production of horizontal and vertical metal curtains for which venture has specially been established (The Program has been financed by "Save the children" foundation).

Since 1998, DCA has been involved in the following programs:

• Security of disabled by hospital medical assistance for the fulfillment of which the insurance company Nabati LTD was established by DCA which holds principal responsibility for the program. The first stage of the program has also been done: 46000 disabled throughout Tbilisi have been secured by hospital medical assistance. DCA and Nabati LTD cooperate with the State Department of disabled affairs. Now the second stage covering whole territory of Georgia has been made on the organizational level;

• Security for disabled and members of their families by drugs for the fulfillment of which the pharmaceutical supply base Abe-glukoza has been established by DCA through which disabled, veterans and members of their families are supplied by drugs free of charge and, in some cases, with discount of 30-40%;

• On purpose to educate Georgian society information obtained through Internet is translated by our specialists for further publication;

• Within entertainment program meetings and concerts are periodically held.

DCA also intends to start another already prepared program titled "Invalid-farmer". The program aims to employ as much disabled as possible in the agricultural sector because on the one hand, about 60% of disabled are inhabiting rare districts of Georgia and, on the another hand, in view of economic situation in Georgia, agricultural labor is much suitable for social-physiological rehabilitation of disables than any other kind of labor activity.

For the purpose of fulfillment of main goals, current and future programs we would be happy to make contacts with various international and national organizations. It would be very useful for DCA to receive assistance of informational and consulting character. We hope that we can have helpful co-operation in the fields of mutual interests.

Yours faithfully,

Temuri Zhorzholiani
President of DCA
6, Dgebuadze St.
380002 Tbilisi
Georgia (Southern Caucasus)
Tel: (995 32) 95 58 74 or 94 02 36/39
Fax: (995 32) 94 29 94
E-mail: nabat@geointer.net