UNICEF launches large-scale youth volunteering programme for adolescents amid COVID-19 pandemic in Georgia

Over 150 adolescent volunteers will take part in a newly launched project to gain professional experience and knowledge, develop fundamental skills, create new friendships and, most importantly, plan and implement effective volunteer activities in their communities. 

The project “Youth Volunteering Engagement in COVID-19 Response in Georgia” will unite the young volunteers from all over the country and offer them online trainings and skill-sharing exercises, after which each volunteer will plan a specific activity in his or her community, to help others. “Volunteerism is a powerful tool for young people to gain a strong sense of civic engagement and drive positive change in their communities”, says Dr. Ghassan Khalil, UNICEF Representative in Georgia. “We hope that as a result of this new initiative, young people will acquire new skills and knowledge and become leaders and agents of change in their communities. UNICEF, in cooperation with the Youth Agency of Georgia and other partners, will also support the development of the national youth volunteering strategy and contribute to establishing a culture of youth volunteerism in Georgia”, Khalil added.

Part of the project is the establishment of a new web-based platform, youthvolunteering.ge, allowing young people to learn about volunteering. At the final stage of the project, the most successful volunteers will receive the National Volunteer Award in two age categories (adolescents and young people), according to the thematic areas.  The project will last until the end of 2020.

Georgia does not have a well-developed and institutionalized culture of volunteerism. Although there are a number of examples where young people have acted as volunteers in crises - such as floods in Tbilisi a few years ago - they have not, as of yet, been able to harness their full potential and contribute to the democratic development of their country.