On October 29, 2016, the Hayartun Cultural Center of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia hosted children’s painting exhibition and sale under the motto: “Let’s Draw the Old City”.

This international project, initiated by Initiatives for Development of Armenia (IDeA) Foundation and NGO Georgian Educational Association (GEA) “Tanadgoma”, was implemented with the support of the Headquarters of the Armenian Diocese in Georgia, the Surb Gevorg Reconstruction Fund and the Hayartun Center. The project was implemented in two stages. At the first stage of the project, around 50 students from different ethnic backgrounds, studying at public and private schools in Tbilisi, drew pictures of the Old City during the painting competition organized in the courtyard of the Saint Gevorg Cathedral under the motto: “Let’s Draw the Old City”. The event was aimed at familiarization of the students with the example of peaceful coexistence among different nations, as well as getting them involved in charity work and supporting the development of creativity and self-expression.

Within the framework of the international benevolent project, the participants of the competition visited Armenia, the UWC Dilijan College, the capital city, Yerevan.

Within the framework of the second stage of the project, Eleonora Malkhasyan, the representative of IDeA Foundation, and Ketevan Abesadze, President of NGO Georgian Educational Association (GEA) “Tanadgoma”, presented the participants of different nationalities with certificates of participation and copies of trilingual book-album “The Martyrdom of the Holy Queen Shushanik” by Iakob Tsurtaveli.

Later the exhibition and sale featuring the best 25 paintings, created by children’s rich imagination, was organized. The paintings decorated the walls of the Calouste Gulbenkian Hall. It was a charitable event. In attendance were Armenian and Georgian businessmen and community officials, who gladly bought the children’s paintings and made donations. The proceeds were transferred to the bank account of Kojori orphanage for disabled, which is under the auspices of the State Fund for the Protection and Assistance of (Statutory) Victims of Human Trafficking.

Children experienced joy after the act of kindness, as they made contributions in order to help Kojori orphanage.