School gymnasium opened after refurbishment

On April 22 an opening ceremony of the rehabilitated physical training hall of Tbilisi Public School No 198 for Disabled Children was hosted by the Government of Japan. The ceremony was attended by H.E. Masayoshi Kamohara, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Georgia, First Deputy Education Minster Irine Kurdadze and the school’s Director Teona Kacheishvili. The rehabilitation of the hall was conducted as part of the “Grassroots and Human Security and Grant Assistance Programme.”

The grant agreement for this project was concluded between the Embassy of Japan and Parent’s Bridge on 31 July 2008. Its aim was to provide disabled children enrolled in Tbilisi Public School No 198 with facilities for physical training in order to enhance their integration into society in future. The project cost USD 81960.

“It is a great pleasure for me to open the new training hall, and I want to do it on the behalf of all the Japanese people,” Ambassador Kamohara stated. 44 such rehabilitation projects will take place throughout Georgia.

Speaking to The Messenger Kacheishvili said that for the last 50 years the school has had a physical training hall, and now it has been rehabilitated 149 disabled children will be able to use its equipment and enjoy excellent conditions in which to achieve good physical development. She added that several years previously the Georgian Government had provided the school with new windows, desks and other necessary items.

First Deputy Minister of Education Irine Kurdadze expressed her gratitude to the Japanese Embassy and stated that such projects are very important for the healthy development of disabled children and their further integration into society.

About 95% of the school’s children are disabled, the remainder being children who are not financially provided for. The pupils and their parents were extremely happy with the new hall and equipment.