Our Mission:
To support families in the Republic of Georgia affected by the August 2008 Russia-Georgia War by providing scholarships and other valuable educational opportunities to students and youth from the Gori Region.


08/16/10
Fall 2010 IWA Fellowships Announced

Gori, Georgia - GREF is pleased to announce the continuation of its partnership with the International Women's Association (IWA) of Tbilisi, Georgia. The IWA has made a generous contribution for the Fall 2010 semester. After reviewing numerous applications from many qualified and deserving candidates, GREF has selected the following five students as fellowship award recipients. As always, the winners were selected based upon merit - academic achievement, community involvment, and need. Many thanks to IWA and congratulations to the student winners!

Khvicha Kvirikashvili, Mejvriskhevi. An aspiring young entreprenuer in the Business Administration program, Khvicha opened a small shop in his home village to help support his family in the difficult aftermath of the August '08 war. He is a very active student, and participates in many business trainings.

Jana Goginashvili, Tirdzini. Jana is a member of the Humanities Department, focusing on Georgian Language and Literature. She currently works for a local media group as a reporter, in addition to participating in various clubs. She has initiated numerous projects in her community, notably working with socially vulnerable and physically challenged children. Jana plans to pursue a career in journalism.

Andro Merebashvili, Tortiza. Andro is a student in the Information Technologies program. A very active, responsible student, Andro also studies foreign languages and would like to continue his education in the field of International Relations.

Elene Jirkvelishvili, Kere. Also a member of the Humanities Department, Elene has an excellent academic record and is a member of the Faculty-Student Council at Gori University, having been elected by fellow students and faculty. In the aftermath of the war, Elene volunteered at the International Rescue Committtee (IRC) in emergency response programs.

Tatia Gugutishvili. Tatia is a student in the Business Administration program. Tatia is a Student Council member and actively takes part in many youth activities, including conferences, seminars, trainings, and student camps. She works part-time at a local bank, where she is gaining practicial experience. She plans to pursue a career in the banking sector.

05/01/10
GREF Completes Entrepreneurship Training
Gori, Georgia - GREF recently completed its first "Entrepreneurship Training," held at Gori University. The project aimed to introduce Gori University students to concepts relating to entrepreneurship, to promote new methods of learning, and to encourage a cross-cultural business dialogue. 

Project participants included GREF, the Net Impact Chapter of the University of South Carolina, Moore School of Business (USC), and students at Gori University.

GREF received over 35 applicants for the training, which was open to all university students at Gori University. 16 participants were selected, based upon applications and an interview process.

The training consisted of 6 sessions, covering topics such as developing business ideas, market research, cost and price analysis, and supply vs. demand. Throughout the training, students formed teams and designed their own business plans, which they presented at the end of the training. In addition, using a new web platform, teams from Gori University collaborated with mentors from USC. Each member of the winning team received the prize of a new book on marketing.

Three teams submitted written plans considered for the final competition. The plans included:

Team: "Minders"
Business Concept: Nursing Home
Team Members: Tiko Barjadze, Tsisia Khanishvili, Vano Razmadze, Manana Sreseli
This team proposed opening a nursing home for the elderly. In addition to providing a secure, comfortable environment, the team proposed numerous services. A very unique idea for Georgia, this team was awarded "Most Creative Plan."

Team: MLGM Group (Award Winners)
Business Concept: Night Club
Team Members: Maia Gogichaishvili, Lasha Maisuradze, Guram Kristesiashvili, Mari Makhatadze
The business would be a place for entertainment in Gori, in a pleasant, welcoming environment. The team impressed the judges with their thorough plan and impressive presentation, including a comprehensive market analysis and financial planning.

Team: "Leaders"
Business Concept: Future Technologies
Team Members: Mari Tinikashvili, Tatia Gugutishvili, Teona Baliashvili, Nino Samadalashvili
The plan consisted of a business to renovate and design offices and homes in Gori. The plan was very well put-together and was recognized as the "Most Well-Written Plan."
02/25/10
GREF/Net Impact Entrepreneurship Training Set for April

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11/13/09
Gori University Students Lead Educational Excursion

Kutaisi, Georgia - Student leaders from Gori University led a trip to Gelati and Bagrati Monasteries in Kutaisi as the final componenent for their winning project proposal following a GREF Project Design & Management training. The project leaders selected these sites due to the current archaelogical excavations taking place there and the significant cultural heritage of the locations. Notably, historians recognize Gelati as the site of an ancient educational institution. The group participated in a short informational seminar and outdoor team-building activities. Participants also received encyclopedias.

11/01/09
Eurasia Foundation Partnership Training: Project Design & Management
Gori, Georgia - GREF staff members Kakha Gordadze and Nana Berdzenishvili successfully completed a training on Project Design and Management for GREF volunteers and Gori University students. As part of the 5-day training, participants designed three project proposals. The project team selected one winner, to be financed by an 800 GEL grant obtained from the Eurasia Foundation. For the project, student leaders will organize and lead an excursion for displaced youth from the Berbuki IDP Settlement on November 13th.
10/28/09
Gori University Recognizes GREF Fall '09 Scholarship Winners
Gori, Georgia - GREF is pleased to officially recognize Fall 2009 Scholarship winners. The scholarship competition, the second held by GREF, was again extremely competitive. Thanks to the many impressive candidates who applied. The five awardees come from varied backgrounds, and provide great inspiration through their motivation to succeed and perseverance during difficult times. Thanks again to our donors!

2009 Scholarship Recipients:

Tinatin Barjadze, Gori. Tinatin is a Business & Law student. She is an active member of the student government and was co-chair for an initiative to support war refugees at Gori's "New Park."

Roma Tskhovrebashvili, Kareli. Roma is a member of the Business Administration Program. He has also been an active member in establishing a career center at Gori University, and is also a member of the school's soccer team.

Sopo Kirimeli, Gori. Sopo is a master's candidate in Education. She is very active in youth projects including GLOW clubs and summer English language programs, as well as a member of Model UN. Sopo is also a member of Gori University's Student Representatives Council.

Mariam Tinikashvili, Gori. Mariam is a student in the Hospitality Department. She is a volunteer at Society Biliki (NGO for disadvantaged youth) and served as a group leader for the Assocation for Protection of the Rights of Children and Youth.

Bela Taturashvili, Akhaltsikhe. Bela is a law student. She is an intern at the Georgian Young Lawyers' Association and a volunteer at the Law Clinic at Gori University. In addition, Bela volunteers at the United Nations Association Public Defender's Office in Gori and as an observer for national parliamentary elections.

09/21/09
GREF Arranges Book Donation for Society Biliki
Gori, Georgia - GREF has arranged a large donation of children's books from a private collection in the United Kingdom. The books will be given to Society Biliki, an NGO located in Gori whose mission is to assist impovershed children, including Internally-Displaced Persons (refugees) and street children, through educational programs. For more information on Biliki, visit www.biliki.ge.
09/01/09
GREF Selects 5 Scholarship Winners for Fall '09
Gori, Georgia - GREF has successfully conducted its second scholarship competition and is pleased to announce that five semester scholarships will be awarded for the term beginning in late September. The competition was extremely competitive, with many noteworthy and deserving candidates. An awards ceremony will be held in early October at Gori University to officially recognize the winners. As always, thanks to our donors!
04/13/09
GREF Announces Fall '09 Scholarship Competition
Gori, Georgia - GREF will hold its second scholarship competition in June 2009, awarding semester scholarships for Fall 2009. Applicants must complete a written application and finalists will be selected following personal interviews. GREF Scholarship recipients are chosen based upon the following criteria: academic performance, community involvement, and need. Both undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. To ensure fairness, decisions are made by an independent committee selected by GREF. Five winners will be chosen. Many thanks to our donors!
04/13/09
GREF Announces "International Women's Association Fellowship"
Gori, Georgia - GREF is pleased to announce a new partnership with the International Women's Association (IWA). The service organization, based in Tbilisi, will fund merit-based "IWA Fellowships," to be awarded to previous GREF Scholarship winners. As part of the IWA Fellowship program, 5 students will receive full-tuition scholarships for the remainder of their studies at Gori University and will receive the awards in exchange for their involvement in Gori University and community activities. As their first assignment, Fellows will serve as group leaders for the "Youth for Civil Development of IDP Communities" project led by GREF lawyer Dato Makhviladze. Fellowship winners will be announced in May at a formal ceremony.
04/06/09
GREF Changes Structure
Gori, Georgia - GREF recently underwent small changes to its organizational structure in preparation for its expansion and continued success in meeting the needs of the Gori community. GREF Founders and Board Members voted to create a Governance Board, which will provide oversight for the organization and an Executive Committee responsible for day-to-day operations. In addition, GREF has expanded the mission of the organization to not only offer financial assistance to those hard hit by the August 2008 conflict, but also to provide innovative educational opportunities for students and youth in the Gori region. GREF also welcomes the addition of two new volunteer staff members: Dali Muzashvili as "Scholarship Coordinator" and Sophio Nonikashvili as "Finance Assistant."
04/01/09
April '09 Featured Scholarship Recipients

Giorgi Metreveli, 28

Hometown: Gori

Faculty: Science/Medicine

Giorgi is a medical student at Gori University and has served as a volunteer at Gori's Central Hospital. After a debilitating car accident, Giorgi was forced to leave school, but has recently returned, motivated to continue towards his goal of pursuing a medical career. Facing difficult economic hardships, Giorgi was struggling to pay his university and tuition fees. To GREF donors, Giorgi has the following message: "First of all, thanks a lot. Also I'll add, we [scholarship winners] will justify their [GREF] hopes and prove that their choice was right."

Maka Jolbordi

Hometown: Gori

Faculty: Modern Language & Literature (German)

Maka is in her third year of study and is one of Gori University's most active students. She has won prizes in calligraphy, dance, and Georgian language and literature competitions. She has also trained young people in Gender Equality, AIDS, Poverty, and Women's Rights. Maka has also participated in Model UN, winning 1st prize for Best Speaker and Debater in 2008. Maka's family relies on agriculture as their sole source of income and faces hard times as a result of the August war, as they were unable to harvest their crops. Maka's goal is to continue her education in language and to study abroad.

03/20/09
GREF Chief Officer Attends Harvard Training
Athens, Greece - GREF Chief Officer, Kakha Gordadze (red chokha), recently participated in an executive training course hosted by Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government and focusing on "Strategic Managment for Leaders of NGOs." As part of a small group from around the world selected to attend, Kakha also won a tuition scholarship due to his leadership and contributions to GREF and his community. During the sessions Kakha presented strategic challenges faced by GREF and received professional advice from participants and Harvard faculty. Soon, GREF staff plan to organize a strategic planning workshop to revise and update the organization's strategy in response to new challenges and opportunities from donors and beneficiaries.
02/10/09
GREF Initiates Youth Civil Development Project
Gori, Georgia - GREF Lawyer Dato Makhviladze will lead a project entitled "Youth for Civil Development of IDP Communities," after being awarded a Eurasia Foundation grant. The project aims to equip youth with the necessary skills to be leaders in their communities. Through activities focusing on a "Practical (Street) Law" training course, the participants will learn how to locate and find solutions to problems. Participants will include IDP (internally-dislaced persons) and Gori youth, with an emphasis on supporting IDP integration into their current communities following their relocation due to the South Ossetia conflict. As "Members of the Community," the participants will take part in a 5-day training course in project management, fundraising, and strategic planning. Participants will form teams that will write and present community-based projects to a selection committee that will select one project to be financed from the Eurasia grant (up to $500).
02/01/09
February '09 Featured Scholarship Winners

Gori, Georgia - This month's featured students:

 

Giga Kotuashvili, 18

Hometown: Kareli

Faculty: Business Administration

Giga is a second-year student in Business Administration. His village, Kareli, was hit directly by Russian airstrikes. His family relied on his father's small business as their sole source of income, but because of the war, business has been slow and their family is struggling financially. Giga hopes to follow in his father's footsteps someday by starting his own business and serving as a business consultant. An active student, he has participated in student research conferences at Gori University and the Akaka Tsereteli University in Kutaisi, Georgia. He is also an athlete. To GREF donors, Giga has the following message:"Thank you for your support and realization of this project. Your support helped me greatly and motivated each student. Thank you very much!"

 

Maia Doliashvili, 20

Hometown: Gori

Faculty: Education, Exact & Natural Sciences

Maia is a fourth-year student studying to become an Elementary School teacher. She is from Gori and, after her father passed away, has been relying on her mother's income to support her family. Unfortunately, her mother worked at the military base as a cook, but lost the job after the base was damaged during airstrikes. In addition, her house was burnt during the bombings. Maia's goal is to work as a teacher at a secondary school. She is currently a member of the student government at Gori University and the student in charge of public affairs.To her supporters, she says:"Thank you!"

01/21/09
GREF Supports IDP Teacher Training
Tbilisi, Georgia - University of Georgia professor Ken Goff will conduct a series of training sessions for IDP (Internally-Displaced Persons) English teachers from South Ossetia and the conflict zone during the month of February. Implemented through GREF with a grant awarded by the US Embassy, the project intends to introduce teachers to modern teaching practices. As Ken notes, "Students in these regions are still being taught using outdated methodologies, slowing their progress as compared to students in the rest of Georgia." The trainings will be held at the University of Georgia in Tbilisi.
12/09/08
GREF Awards 10 Scholarships for Spring '09 Semester

Gori, Georgia - GREF is pleased to announce that 10 full-tuition scholarships have been awarded to Gori University students. A ceremony was held in conjunction with the opening of a US embassy-sponsored lecture hall at the University. The application process was highly competitive as GREF received 136 applications for the scholarships, which are awarded based upon academic performance, community involvement, and need resulting from the recent conflict over South Ossetia.

Gori University Rector Zaza Tsotniashvili stated, "During the last administrative registration we faced a very bad situation. Most of our students could not register because of hard social and economic situations in the region.They lost harvest or stopped business and also the possibility of paying education fees. In this hard situation the support of GREF has a great role for us."

 

We would also like to extend our gratitude to our many donors!

 

 

Student Profiles

 

To give a better understanding of the situation facing many students at Gori University, we will periodically showcase scholarship winners.

 

Ia Mchedlidze, 19

Hometown: Gori

Faculty: Humanities (Liberal Arts) Specialty: English Language & Literature

Course Level: Bachelor II

Ia's family was forced to flee from their village outside of Gori during the recent war and has been unable to return. Both of her parents are unemployed and continue to live in temporary refugee housing. Despite these hardships, Ia completed the Red Cross training in "Premiere Medical Urgency" and has served as a volunteer during the past months. Ia's goal is to study abroad and have a successful career. She would like to say "thank you very much" to those who have helped finance her education, and added: "The chance to win a scholarship makes students happy, motivated, and eager to study well."

 

 

Nino Beruashvili, 21

Hometown: Eredvi

Faculty: Education, Exact & Natural Sciences

Course Level: Master's I

Specialty: Georgian Language & Literature

Nino is a Master's student who wishes to also pursue a PhD upon completion of her coursework. Her family's house was burnt down as a result of Russian airstrikes. Her parents lost their jobs and have moved to Tbilisi. Nino is an active member of the student government and is on the board of the Humanities Faculty. In addition, Nino has participated in the "Tankhmoba" Association of IDP Women's trainings on Human Rights and the Rights of Refugees. To those who supported her and her fellow students, Nino would like to say: "I can't express my feelings by words. After the war this is the first time when I feel like I'm not alone and that there are people who support me to gain my goals."

11/01/08
"10 Lari Project" Conducts Fundraising Activities
Tbilisi, Georgia - "10 Lari Project" Conducts Fundraising Activities October 28-November 1, 2008 Tbilisi, Georgia Univeristy of Georgia student teams visited a number of universities in Tbilisi, such as the Caucasus School of Business, Georgian Technical Institute, and Chavchavadze State University, to raise awareness about the difficulties facing Gori University students and to collect donations. Each faculty at the University formed a team as a part of a friendly competition to see which faculty can raise the most money for GREF Scholarships.

 

In addition, the Student Affairs' Committee, in participation with the "1o Lari Project," and support from GREF staff, hosted a Halloween Party at the University of Georgia. A portion of the ticket sales went to the "10 Lari Project's" fundraising campaign.
10/21/08
GREF Announces Spring '09 Scholarship Competition
Tbilisi, Georgia - GREF is pleased to announce its scholarship program for the Spring Semester 2009. Many thanks to our donors who have made the scholarships possible! Both graduate and undergraduate students are eligible. During November 2008, participating students must complete an application and interview, and will then be selected by GREF based upon academic performance and need. Recipients will be announced December 1st, with an awards ceremony to be held Decmber 5th. Scholarships are awarded each semester and cover the cost of tuition.
10/17/08
University of Georgia Officially Launches "10 Lari Project"
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09/03/08
Gori University Students, Alumni, and GREF Staff Hold "Mini-Camp" For Refugees in Gori
September 3, 2008

Gori University students and alumni, along with GREF staff, arranged a day of sports and activities for the approximately 250 children living at the refugee tent camp in Gori, located at "New Park." The kids received instruction in baseball and basketball, and also enjoyed participating in an art contest. The day's events provided much-needed entertainment for the children, who have already been displaced from their homes for nearly a month.