"Little Prince" – performance in Georgian by refugee children
By Mariam Chanishvili
Monday, December 17
"The Little Prince" was presented through the play with the participation of refugee children on December 10, within the context of the International Human Rights day, on Kote Marjanishvili State Academic Drama Theater Stage.
Refugee children from Ukraine, Iraq, Egypt, along with Georgian kids prepared the play in the Georgian language.
The participants stated that they found out about this opportunity through the Integration Center is functioning in Georgia and they decided to participate. They also noted that these types of activities are very useful and interesting for them.
The performance was attended by the family members of the participating children, as well as invited guests from the government or non-governmental sector.
The performance was directed by Onise Oniani, Marjanishvili Theatre Actor.
Onise Oniani noted that the working process was very interesting because the children were very motivated throughout the whole process.
“The process was a bit challenging due to the language barrier and it is not surprising. But somehow, all of them managed to learn the script. These children are very friendly, full of humor and good vibes.
For me, this project was useful, because I got a chance to communicate with children from different countries and different cultures. It was a very good experience for me,” said Oniani.
"The Little Prince" is a novella by the French writer and poet Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
It explores the question of what is truly valuable in life. An ode to the insight and innocence of childhood, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s best-seller is cherished by children and adults alike, around the world.
The play was staged within the frames of “Supporting Durable Solutions for Refugees and Humanitarian Status Holders in Georgia” program.
Non-governmental organization “Public advocacy” in cooperation with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office is implementing “Supporting Durable Solutions for Refugees and Humanitarian Status Holders in Georgia” program.
The main goal of the project is to help empower the persons of concern through a greater focus on economic integration, through increased preparation for and facilitation of access to employment opportunities.
Since 2017 the Integration Center is functioning in Georgia aiming at providing integration assistance to Persons granted International Protection.
The children involved in the center’s activities and projects attend various classes and workshops at Georgian National Youth Palace as well.
UNHCR established its presence in Georgia in 1993, to provide emergency humanitarian assistance to internally displaced persons (IDPs) who had fled armed conflict in Abkhazia in 1992-93. Ever since UNHCR Georgia has been operational in protecting rights of persons of concern – asylum-seekers, refugees, the internally displaced and stateless persons - and was gradually extending its program to address their needs as they arose over time.
The focus of UNHCR's efforts is on durable solutions for refugees through naturalization and local integration and for IDPs through local integration pending return, as well as on the reduction of statelessness in Georgia.
