Experience Sharing Program (ESP) for Youth

Each student and university entrant, who lives in less prosperous society, has right to receive an education and increase their professional skills.

The Believe Foundation plans and delivers seminars, vocational trainings, and workshops in various disciplines for youth through the ESP.

ESP is a non-profit, independent network launched in July 2014 by Mr. David Chochua, co-founder of the Believe Foundation and one of the brightest minds in Georgia.

The mission of the ESP is to promote the culture of sharing and to create opportunities for the young generation to deepen their knowledge and gain experience by attending lectures and seminars on various topics.

By reaching out to the Poti youth, the program aims to increase their awareness of Poti-specific, Georgia-specific, and global issues. Moreover, the ESP format will provide a milieu wherein they will be encouraged to freely share opinions with peers, and in general, to be actively engaged in civic life.

Benefits for ESP attendees

Young people (aged 14-19) who join the ESP will have an excellent opportunity to explore in-depth the issues of their interest, to meet the academics and practitioners they may not otherwise meet, to speak about the challenges they observe in their communities and propose durable solutions, to hone their skills of informed debate, and so on. The knowledge, skills, and experience acquired within the ESP will certainly make them more successful both academically and in extracurricular activities.

Due to the positive feedback and more than 25 training sessions already organized by the Believe Foundation, we are sure that many successful people will support the cause and participate in this program to share their knowledge and experience with the youth of Poti.

ESP (Experience Sharing Program) for Partner Organizations
ESP has gone beyond the goal of sharing the experience with youth and successfully delivered the qualification enhancement programs to the partner organisations of the foundation. There was held several important training courses such as:

Modern Management and Leadership Lecture

The training was delivered by the founder and leading trainer of Management Academy and current Minister of Education Mr. Aleksandre Jejelava.

The Lecture was held for friends of Believe Foundation and partner organizations at Hilton Batumi, on 4th of March, 2016. More than 50 representatives from different private companies have attended the interactive training, where the mentor has described modern management techniques and tools.

Charity and Social Enterprise Management

Andrew Brady, an expert in non-profit management and course leader for the BA in Charity and Social Enterprise Management at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK delivered two Charity and Social Enterprise Training events one in Tbilisi, the other in Batumi.

Primary aim of the session was to support Georgian Charities and Social Enterprises through enhancing their leadership skills and promoting new ways of thinking. At the same time, the event was a great socializing and networking opportunity for the attendees, helping to strengthen the sector’s collective voice and identity. More than 70 delegates from Georgian Social Enterprises and Charities attended the sessions.

Believe Women's Network Retreat

Believe Foundation together with Peace Corps Georgia organised a 2 day training for up to 25 women from Believe Youth members and partner organizations on December 16 -18, 2016. The goal of this project was to organise the Believe Women's Network and to increase the number of women who are trained in business skills and advocacy. The training covered the following topics: Team Building, Project Design, Advocacy, Organization Design, Strategic Planning, Marketing, and Networking. Classes were delivered by Peace Corps Volunteers Ms. Randi Deighton, Ms. Jill Simpson and Ms. Karen Neal. The event was supported by USAID Governing for Growth (G4G) Project. The invited speaker Mrs. Maya Eristavi, Advocacy and Capacity Building Component Lead, delivered a presentation and talked about the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Georgia. In addition to formal learning at the event, attendees participated in team building activities and games.

Training on Disabilities and Special Educational Needs
Together with McLain Association for Children (MAC) the Believe Foundation held two conferences on disabilities and special education needs for parents and teachers of children with special needs. In total, more than 70 teachers and parents from Poti and Batumi attended the events. MAC psychologists and occupational therapists discussed important and helpful topics for teachers and parents. The following topics were described to attendees: basic principles of inclusive education, effective teaching strategies for students, and behavior management techniques. Moreover, occupational therapists emphasized the importance of independent living skills, communication strategies, rehabilitation, and adaptive environments for children with disabilities.