The Street Kids of Tbilisi

Feb 24, 2016

Khanim is a young girl who can often be seen sitting alone begging on Tbilisi’s Pekini Avenue. Her elder relatives identify themselves as Kurds from Azerbaijan. The problem of children living and/or working on the streets is not specific to any ethnic group © Onnik James Krikorian 2014

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty has just published a photo story as part of my long time personal project on social vulnerability in Armenia and Georgia. It’s been going on since 2000 or 2001 and I’ve written countless articles and produced many more photo projects that at some point I need to upload to this site. Anyway, for now the RFE/RL photo story. 

This photo documentary was started in 2013 by Onnik James Krikorian. It grew out of another project documenting the problems of children deprived of parental care and sent to institutions in Armenia and Georgia during the years between 2000 and 2010. Georgia has initiated reforms of its child protection system, but many children still can be found living or working on the streets.

Despite reforms in the area of child protection, the number of children living and working on the streets has increased. And contrary to general perceptions, not all have chosen to follow this path.

 

Ruslan, for example, lost his leg when a drunken security guard accidentally shot him on an abandoned construction site. Lacking documents such as a birth certificate, he was unable to have access to education or social services. Since this photograph was taken at the Gldani Crisis Centre (now closed), World Vision has assisted children such as Ruslan, and he now has a passport © Onnik James Krikorian 2013

Although many claim that street children are only from minority groups, Caritas Georgia say that 50 percent are ethnic Georgian. The problem spans a wide range of ethnic groups including, in recent years, ethnic Kurds from Azerbaijan © Onnik James Krikorian 2013

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