Zaur (Oleg) Aladashvili, founder of CatharsisCatharsis in
Tbilisi
Catharsis was founded in 1990. It is one of the oldest charities in Georgia and one of the first
non-governmental organizations in the country.[1]
The founder of Catharsis is Zaur (Oleg) Aladashvili. As of 2014, Zaur Aladashvili was director of Catharsis.[1]
The organization has six branches operating in different parts of Georgia. The organization works as a "social support center for the socially deprived, homeless, and elderly".[2]
Catharis operates the Nostalgia Senior Theatre, a theatre for seniors established in 1993. The organization provides food for the poor and hot meals for the homeless elderly.[3][4][5]
Services
Canteen - serves about 310 people per day.
Medical service - serves all people. The number of people who has a medical registration is more than a thousand.
Rehabilitation - professional specialists advise and train seniors on suitable exercises and offer massage services.
Room of relaxation - includes tropical birds.
Café 'Juli'- Coffee shop for seniors for conversation, birthdays and dating. The café is named after Juli Sukhishvili - the group's former designer.
Library - Classical or modern literature and periodicals.
Second-hand clothes - Clothing is sold and a tailor serves old men without wives.
Theatre of nostalgia - Amateur seniors put on shows. About 18 plays and comic sketches were staged there from 1993, including Cripple doll, The locked gate, Khanuma and Samanishvili’s stepmother.
Internet cafe - Seniors learn to use computers.
Chapel - The chapel was painted by Georgian modern
icon-painters: Merab Chakvetadze and David khidasheli. The chapel was blessed by Georgian Patriarch -
Ilia II.
Candlestick room - The group makes all candles for religious rituals there.
Beauty salon
Brothers of virtue - Soldiers who perform alternative military services.
Volunteers - The group uses volunteers.
Shelter - Some fourteen senior women can take refuge in the group's shelter.
Cemetery - The organization manages a cemetery at Mukhatgverdi. It hosts a 7-meter-tall cross.
Projects
Dinner for everybody - offered since 2002. The event provides a meal for about 2000 people. About 97 such events have been held.
Easter and Christmas assistance - Almost 181 socially unprotected families get help on Easter and Christmas.
Grandmother and Grandfather of the year - Announced at the Christmas play-competition, which has been held since 2005. Seniors compete with each other in dances, songs, different arts. Artist-competitor winners get money, while every participant gets gift.
Old men, let’s plant saplings! - In 2005 seniors began a program of planting saplings in various areas. The first event added 150 lime-tree saplings to create a wind-protection zone in Didi Digomi.
Temporary shelter - Catharsis provides tents, hygiene and meals for more than 200 homeless people. Almost 450 beneficiaries have received such aids since December 15, 2013.