Impoverished Families vs. Agencies for Social Subsidies

Nana Pazhava, Zugdidi

Impoverished families in Zugdidi district who were not granted with allowances are now in opposition to the Agency for Social Subsidies. Extremely poor people blame social agents for showing partiality in how they distribute benefits. Most of them fell just 2-3 points short in qualifying for allowances. In all, 5,500 families are registered in data base of Socially Excluded People in Samgrelo-Zemo Svaneti region. However, their number is artificially being reduced.

Robinzon Gabliani has a family of five members and they live in Didobera district in the village of Chakvinji in Zugdidi district. Social agents awarded the family with 60,000 points and they missed by a mere two points in being able to receive an allowance of 30 GEL a month.

Since September 6, 2006 Robinzon Gabliani’s family enjoys only medical card based on their initial rating score of 69, 000 points. However, they are not able to buy medicines with that card. They need expensive medicines for the ten-month-old Murman who was prematurely born and needs long-term medical treatment.

The Gablianis settled in Chakvinji 22 years ago after natural disaster in Svaneti Region; there they lived in the village of Mulakhi in Mestia district. The landslide and avalanche destroyed their house; Robinzon Gabliani and families of his four brothers were saved from the grasp only because of what may be best described as a miracle.

Gablianis had to fight the natural disaster in their new location too. They were settled in the landslide zone in the village of Chakvinji. Because of periodical landslide the space of their residential area is reducing. A wooden house with one room is in poor conditions.

Larisa Tibua-Gabliani: “The house is leaning more and more back with each passing day. The roof is collapsing the singles plates are broken off on the roof and snow and rain are falling on us in the room below. Five of us, my husband, me, my son, daughter-in-law and grandchild are living in one room. We cannot complain of small living space because now we are worried about bad roof and windows that are without glass. In winter we cover the windows with cellophane and we cannot stand frost because of that.  We find ourselves living in the most unbearable of conditions.”

Alongside poor living conditions the Gablianis also suffer from abject poverty. The mother of the family is blind in one eye and cannot work. Other family members also cannot work hard because of their poor health condition.

Larisa Tibua-Gabliani: “I am just 47 but look like an old woman of 70. My husband and I cannot get pension because we are not at the age as of yet. If such a situation lasts for longer time we will never be able to get a pension because we will not live long enough to qualify. We are half hungry; everybody of us wants to feed only the child. We spend all the money we get from harvest of hazelnuts to provide for the nutrition of the child. Sometimes our neighbors give us some food assistance.”

Mzekala Gabliani, the daughter-in-law: “When social agents came to our family they wondered how we lived in such a house. Anyway they awarded us with high points. How could they make such a decision after having observed our severe poverty?! That’s why we do not trust them; they grant allowances to those families that actually do not need any assistance at all. Such families take their furniture out of the houses to pretend that they are poor to the social workers.  Maybe the agents have been bribed in order for them to have positive decisions for those that can qualify”

The Gablianis applied to every opportunity before the local authority and it asked to repair their roof. However, they have not received any reply from the Samegrelo-Zemo Svaneti regional administration and district municipality board. Social Service Center of the district board promised the family to give some construction materials but only after the budget is confirmed at the end of August.

Another impoverished family lived in the four-storied residential building ten meters away from the Municipality Board office. Neither Tsitsino Khvichia received allowance from the Agency for Social Subsidies. The only woman is 54 and she cannot receive a pension either. Social agents estimated a total of 104 000 points as rating for her social conditions.

Tsitsino Khvichia: “I live in one-room flat; I have two windows which are covered with cellophanes. The wallpaper in my house is 50 years old; the floor is damaged.  I have two iron beds and one wardrobe. I have only one pair of linen… I have no gas-cooker or a stove. I could not pay electricity bill for one year and the debt reached 472 GEL. The energo-company felt sorry for me for a long time but it finally cut off the electricity supply ten days ago. Now the neighbors are helping me out as they can. They boil tea for me and warm water; sometimes they give me food. I have not eaten anything for two days already; I cannot buy even bread. District administration gives me 50 GEL every year but that money is not enough. I have nervous and cannot walk in the street alone. I am weak because of illness and hunger.”

Both socially excluded families think there is no sense to appeal against the agency for social subsidies because nothing will be changed. Zugdidi office of the agency still waits for some changes. Inga Koghoshvili, main specialist, stated the starting rating point for money allowance might be increased up to 65,000. Only in this case the Gablianis and Khvichias will receive any social assistance.

The administration of the agency does not doubt about impartiality of the social agents. Because, the conditions faced by socially excluded families are introduced into a data base according to the assessment that is made by the social agent and this is done in the presence of family member.