What an eventful start to our new season we've had with many new members joining IWAG and wonderful & diverse activities to keep us engaged, enjoying and expanding our horizons. You'll find more details in this issue.
Our very sincere thanks go to our new member Wenbin Zhou, who presented us a splendid glimpse of Chinese culture and tradition at our last GBM With kind support from the Chinese Embassy and Mr Giorgi Giorgashvili, Director of the Georgian-Chinese Tea Center, we were introduced to the origins & symbolism of the Chinese Tea Ceremony We also enjoyed typical music, dance & delicious food It was an unforgettable morning that delighted our senses Thank you once again for making our GBM so wonderful
If you haven't already done so, this is a kind reminder for new & returning members to update your yearly membership. Please contact Nino Gvasalia, gvasalia n@yahoo.com of our Membership Team who will make this season’s registration as easy as possible.
We look forward to seeing you at our Christmas Celebration on 3 December and our many other upcoming activities.
Maria Fischer President
CHRISTMAS CELEBRATION
A Conversation with our Multitalented Member, Tamariko Tsintsadze
by Kelly Chaib
We sit down with Tamariko Tsintsadze, a longstanding IWA member IWA, who is the founder and Charter President of the Rotary Club of Tbilisi Academia and the Society of Friendship between Georgia and China. A PhD expert on African-American literature, she is also a prolific author currently working on a bilingual book on Chinese culture (Georgian and English). The conversation unfolds in the inspiring setting of Tamariko’s Art Gallery, an 80-square-meter space showcasing her collection of Chinese artefacts, contemporary works by Georgian artists, and French and Russian artefacts from the 19th century a testament to her passion for art, history, and cultural exchange.
Kelly Chaib: If you could describe yourself in three words, what would those be?
Tamariko Tsintsadze: A certain triple formula is in this question If a person has more than an average education, various triple formulas apply to him/her. Regarding myself, I can say: emotional, but reserved. Also concentrated, well-disposed, forgiving. Reading, writing, and thinking as well. And curious, friendly, hardworking and so on.
KC: What is the personal achievement that you are most proud of?
TT: My greatest attainment is my former students, alumni of the Diplomatic Academy, which I ran for 15 years (as Vice-President and professor) and some of the Institute of Foreign Languages, where I worked earlier. Many of them are very successful, working as diplomats, Parliament Members, ministers, researchers, are public figures; many are abroad in these capacities. I am in contact with many of them. Their success is the best proof of my productive work with them.
Tamariko Tsintsadze
KC: How did you first learn about IWA, and what motivated you to stay involved?
TT: I learned about IWA from a wonderful lady Lali Conlan, who recommended me to IWA Unfortunately, she is no longer with us. I dedicated an article to her and gave copies to our ladies at the Coffee Morning at my Gallery.
KC: Name three of your most memorable moments at IWA so far
TT: Broadly speaking, socially oriented charity has always been a passion of mine—it was what drew me in from the very beginning With 25 years as a member of the Rotary International system, in 2009, I founded the Rotary Club of Tbilisi Academia, which continues its work to this day. Even before that, I established a small Ladies' Club dedicated to charitable initiatives.
A memorable moment was meeting my former student Nini Sanadiradze as a guest speaker at one GBM. She is the Director General of the Union of Tbilisi Museums. This also was indirect proof of our productive relationship as teacherstudent
For sure the Coffee Mornings which I organized at my Art Gallery. They were well organized and looked more like lunches, than just meetings over coffee and sweets. They were very well attended, the whole space was full of IWA ladies and invited lady ambassadors (Hungary, Turkey).
KC: What are the opportunities that IWA have to improve?
TT: To facilitate closer relations between its members by cultivating a warm atmosphere at all events, make ladies feel they are equal in IWA, that the share each of them is appreciated and welcome; and to follow closely the suggestions of its members aimed at improving the work of IWA. IWA does all that, but improvement is always possible.
KC: If you could give any women new to IWA advice, what would that be?
TT: Be open, friendly, cooperative, constructive, ready to give and take, be ready for interexchange, for mutual enrichment.
Adapting to New Challenges in Our Charity Work
By Marianna Sofianou
It was with a truly heavy heart that IWA’s Board decided not to organize our legendary Winter Fair this December It is not just the fact that the Winter Fair is at the heart of our yearly activities, an event that is treasured by our members, the vendors and our supporters. Above everything else, it means that we will be unable to generate new funds for the CPC at the start of 2025. While being optimistic about organizing our next fundraising event in the spring, this delay is making it necessary to adjust our CPC approach for the time being.
The Charity Project Committee has decided to focus the allocation of our limited funds on healthrelated cases, such as support for cancer treatments, surgeries, and rehabilitation. Despite the challenges we currently face, we shall continue to review applications as they are submitted and remain dedicated to our charity work and to supporting Georgian society and those who need us most
In line with this new policy, the following donations have been approved for November:
Alexandre Z - Alexandre is 4 years old and suffers from spastic paraplegia and motor retardation He recently had an operation (myofasciotomy) and needs physiotherapy to recover after his operation.
Daniel C - Daniel is 2 years old and he is the brother of Marita whom we supported earlier this year for a hip replacement operation. Daniel was born premature and underweight and his development has been difficult. He has been diagnosed with spastic diplegia. He can sit on his own but cannot stand; he needs additional support He needs long rehabilitation and special exercises and IWA will fund 60 sessions of his rehabilitation.
Nata M - Nata is 47 years old and was recently diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. She is currently in Turkey. She needs chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. IWA's funds will go towards her treatment.
Mariam O - Mariam is 34 years old and suffers from ptosis of the upper lid on both eyes The condition interferes with her vision and limits her capacity to work. As we are writing these lines, Mariam has already had a very successful operation! A big thank you to our member, Marina Ramazashvili, for her help and support during the process of this case and above all for offering to help Mariam at no extra cost!
Anna S - Anna is an 8-year-old Ukrainian refugee in Georgia She has suffered 3rd degree burns on her face and body. She was home alone when she poured boiling soup all over her. She is currently in Turkey undergoing further treatment. Anna’s family raised a substantial amount of funds for her treatment while World Vision has also supported them covering the cost of the hospital in Georgia This project is a Special Case project for IWA Georgia.
With new members joining our family, interest in the Spanish language has blossomed!
This enthusiasm is being channeled by Silvia, our favorite Spaniard. Many of you already know Silvia, our dynamic Public Relations Chair, for her outstanding leadership during the First IWA Spring Fair at the Paragraph Hotel in April 2024, and for her lively contemporary dance classes last season.
I’m Angelika Kaydash from Russia. My friends Gamze Atak and Lily Beer introduced me to IWA in 2022, and I’m thrilled to be here for my third season. I’m passionate about sharing practical knowledge that can help members improve their health and that of their families.
My mission is to provide tools and tips that can be applied anywhere in the world, focusing on clean, bio water and supplements to remove toxins from the body.
In our group we will address two key challenges we face today:
Excess of Toxins: These accumulate internally from bodily processes and externally through water, food, household chemicals, medicines, and electromagnetic radiation.
2.
1. Lack of Essential Nutrients: Many of us miss out on vital building blocks such as proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals needed for cell function and renewal.
Celebrate Sustainably: Turn Fallen Leaves into Eco-Friendly Confetti
As autumn winds down and the trees shed their final leaves, it’s the perfect time to prepare for festive celebrations with an eco-friendly twist. Instead of using traditional confetti— which is nearly impossible to recycle and clean due to its tiny size—why not turn nature’s bounty into something fun and sustainable? Fallen leaves can become the star of your endof-year parties, bringing a touch of creativity and care for the planet to your celebrations.
All you need is a simple hole punch and some fallen leaves to create your very own biodegradable confetti. Not only is it easy and fun to make, but it’s also 100% eco-friendly! After the party, there’s no need to worry about cleanup just sweep the leaf confetti back into the park or garden, where it will decompose naturally. With this small but impactful change, you can host a celebration that’s as kind to the Earth as it is joyful for your guests!
The Room at Ezo
By Theresa Weinheimer
I have been working with the kindergarteners at “The Room at EZO” creating an art project with them once a week. The children are awesome and the kindergarten is run by some fantastic young teachers. I have been working with Nina Areshidze, Victoria Jalaghonia and Nini Khachapuridze. They have a very creative approach and they make a different arrangement of the rooms each time there. So, I decided to share this experience with you.
Here is a little bit of the history of this wonderful space. It was founded by Tamar (Koko) Uchaneishvili. The building that they are in is owned by a Swiss family and occupied by the restaurant called ”EZO”. The kindergarten was given the two rooms that they occupy by the family and we often do our projects in the restaurant courtyard. By the way, EZO means courtyard in Georgian.
The Room at Ezo
The space was originally used as a gathering place for special needs children and then expanded to cater to the elderly, bringing the elderly into society and connecting them with children. They bake and tell stories together. Now they are providing basic skills for the children. On weekends they provide for a gathering of special needs young people. I attended one of these gatherings recently and was delighted with the company. We played Uno and generally had a great time together. Two of the girls in the group are doing dramatics and will be in a play in December which I plan to attend. These are led by the vibrant, Tamar Mdivani.
The philosophy of the teachers and the kindergarten is one of inclusion and was influenced by the theories of the psychologist Carl Rogers. He developed the concept of humanistic and personcentered psychology and the concept of learner-centered teaching. Student’s experiences become the core of the course. Open mindedness is helpful in engaging the student in learning. Open, friendly environments in which trust is developed are essential to learning. Their goal is to make society more quitable and sensitive to the needs of others.
Koko and Tamar have published a wonderful tale of a child who searches and eventually finds the key to a magical room that is the “Room at Ezo” with a story by Koko and beautiful illustrations by Tamar!
Sponsorship Packages
We have four categories of sponsorship considered as bronze, silver, gold and platinum
Packages
Company’ s name is mentioned at the website, Facebook page and IWA’ s newsletter
Company’ s name mentioned in all IWA’ s activities (with physical presence or on line)
a chosen IWAG
Video on website and Facebook page promoting the company
GOLD sponsors PLATINUM sponsors
SILVER sponsors ANKARA STYLE
THE BODY SHOP BEST ELECTRICS
BRONZE sponsors
IS BANK GEORGIA
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Disclaimer
The IWAG does not take responsibility for, nor does it endorse, any of the services or associations mentioned here. The opinions contained in the newsletter reflect the views of individual contributors and do not necessarily represent those of IWA Georgia.
