Kelvin and Gil Jullien traveled to Georgia in November 2007. The purpose of our trip was to spend a week at the orphanage in Saguramo (a village about 25 km outside of Tbilisi) so we could assess the conditions of the children’s home there and prepare a scope of work for needed repairs. We were also scheduled to meet with nine different Georgian contracting companies to solicit bids for Phase 1 of the repairs.
After spending a day inspecting the building, taking pictures, and speaking with David, the director, we determined that the first priority was the building shell. The stucco and brick have significant water damage, largely from water pouring out of downspouts 12 to 15 feet above the ground (the bottom sections have been removed). The windows and doors all need to be replaced; there is no hot water, no showers, and the bathrooms are in terrible shape.
We met with nine contractors to discuss the renovations. The electrical system was in immediate need of emergency repairs, which Gil accomplished, although it’s an incomplete fix and he will continue his work on a later trip. The attic was full of old asbestos roofing materials, so we hired a local contractor to get that cleaned up before we left.
We visited with the children, who seem happy and mostly healthy despite the lack of heat and other creature comforts. We told them about the plans for renovation, and they agreed to clean up the trash outside the building (there are no trash cans and no trash pickup service). We heard some of the details of the children’s lives and why they are here. Broken families, poverty, stepparents who don’t want them in the home. Perhaps saddest are the children who have siblings still at home while they are here in an orphanage. We can’t fix that, but we can make their living conditions much more comfortable.
