Ani for Children: A Charity Foundation for Palliative Care Children
On April 12, a presentation of the activities of the recently established charity foundation ‘Ani for Children’ took place on the premises of the National Education Center under the Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Affairs of Georgia.
Ani for Children gives aid to children in palliative care, giving material-financial aid to those with psycho-motoric and other chronic diseases who are in need of rehabilitation and adaptation to the surrounding environment.
Together with the respective authorities, representatives from business circles, as well as those of the medical and insurance system, attended the presentation. Among the invited guests were also a number of celebrities.
The charity foundation was founded in October 2016 and bears the name of Ani Chkhaidze, one of Georgia’s first Child Life specialists and a psychologist of the Tsitsishvili Children’s New Clinic who was killed in a well-reported car crash last summer.
“The charity foundation ‘Ani for Children’ focuses on team care for children who are in need of lengthy psycho-social rehabilitation,” said Davit Sergeenko, Minister of Health, Labor and Social Affairs “These are children with special needs, indeed. We do have similar state programs, however, they cannot fully satisfy the demand. Therefore, such charity involvement is of utmost importance in order to develop and to perfect the team approach, a concept comparatively new for our healthcare system. I would like to wish this foundation much success. The Ministry of Health, as well as me personally, as an ordinary citizen and doctor, declare full readiness to support the foundation and promise to always stand by its side”.
“We are focusing on one concrete population of children: that of the Tsitsishvili Children’s New Clinic,” said Mamuka Chkhaidze, Ani’s father and the Founder of Ani for Children. “These are 36 children who are in a chronic critical state, the majority of whom are bed-bound. Ani is the name of the psychologist who used to work in this clinic. This is where we started our aid from. Our aim is to also promote the specialty of psycho-emotional development and rehabilitation, which does not exist in Georgia. This medical direction is just being started, Ani was one of the pioneers in this field, and we hope to promote such specialists to develop via trainings so that the Child Life service is established in all children's hospitals, while also supporting the existing services”.
“I’ve been a friend of the foundation since the very first day,” actor Giorgi Bakhutashvili, told GEORGIA TODY at the presentation. “I try my best to be involved in all of its activities. I’m sure that all those material or spiritual efforts that are accumulated here will serve the kindness and the wellbeing of others, and the more people who get engaged in this ‘kindness circle,’ the more we’ll be able to do.”
If you would like to donate to 'Ani for Children,' you can attend an exhibition of paintings for sale by well-known Georgian artists Zurab Nijaradze, Levan Kharanauli, Mamuka Tsetskhladze, Vano Abuladze, Keti Matabeli, Keti Melkadze, Toto Mirzashvili and Liziko Chkheidze.
WHERE: 13 Rustaveli Avenue, Tbilisi
WHEN: Saturday April 15, 12- 8 PM.
Alternatively, you can donate to the fund here:
"საქველმოქმედო ფონდი ანი ბავშვებისთვის“ ს/კ: 405169696
Bank of Georgia
GE27BG0000000680562800
BAGAGE22.
For related articles about the Tsitsishvili Children’s New Clinic palliative care children, click here (success of a Fundraiser) and here (training the nurses).
By Maka Lomadze