As the saying goes – “life is a journey, not a destination”. It has certainly been the case with YMCA Georgia. Born at the dawn of Nineties, when the dust from the ruins of Soviet Union was still in the air – the organization has gone from strength to strength ever since, milestone after milestone…
There were many obstacles and challenges too, for sure – but this story is not about them…
It all started with Baseball – the sport that Georgia knew almost nothing about. This was the situation when the coach and trainees had to learn everything from scratch and to do it together.
But it did not take long for the boys from a YMCA program to become European Champions on Junior level… twice!
Then came the local YMCAs – town after town. From working with Orphanage House & Streetball tournaments that attracted thousands in the main squares of Tbilisi to English immersion programs and IDP rehabilitation projects in Telavi; Kutaisi YMCA with Youth parliament and buzzing arts school – generations touched and impacted all over the country…
Followed by the YMCA Europe Roots – a real Game Changer! The project that took YMCA Georgia to a totally new level in all aspects: enhancement of human and material capacity & resources, knowledge base, visibility & outreach… And the icing on the cake – Camp Orange! Two entirely different organizations – before and after…
The year of 2020 was difficult all over the globe and YMCA Georgia was no exception. And yet, there still was a room for another Milestone – another YMCA Europe initiative called Generation Next!
A new opportunity to keep making the difference in the lives of young people, this time providing access to higher education and critical life skills for those that most need it – socially vulnerable, minorities, displaced…
And we are excited to give it a big go in 2021 – 10 young people have already been selected as the recipients of Generation Next Stipend to pursue their dream for a brighter future! And dozens more will soon follow the suit as Camp Orange will be hosting the “Summer School” this August – the space to learn, to grow, to thrive… The story still goes on!
This journey could only be made possible with true friends – Metro Atlanta YMCA, YMCA Europe, YMCA of the USA, YMCA Germany… And the people that represented them. The list is long and we cherish every name on it!
