December ends on a sweet note with the holiday season... For me, it marks the end of my second month of volunteering at ISCRustavi in Georgia. It has been a very busy month: lots of discoveries, encounters, learning, but also some more complicated moments. All in all, it has been anything but a restful month! First of all, I am very happy that this month was filled with summer camps and children's laughter. Children's camps are clearly one of the main reasons why I chose this volunteer program: when I was a child, I loved going to summer camp. I saw it as a kind of magic: in one week, I felt like I had lived a whole year! And in just a few hours, complete strangers became lifelong friends, like members of my family, friends for life, but only for a week. This is one of the reasons why I trained for childcare in France and decided to run summer camps myself. In December, we finally started planning, organizing, and running camps with the association. It was the first t...

  CHAPTER 2 : CELEBRATIONS AND NEW ENCOUNTERS This month, unlike the previous one, I traveled less. I chose to slow down, to focus on new encounters. I took a pause. MANGLISI CAMP In mid-December, we spent a few days at Manglisi Camp organizing activities for teenagers. It was very intense, both physically and mentally, but also very enriching. DECEMBER 25 : THE DOG THE LINES AND THE PERSPECTIVES For me, it was a day like any other. It was cold. I took my camera and went out for several hours to get some fresh air. I like to linger on the architecture I come across. To observe the details. How many windows are there? How many angles? Who built it? What makes this building special? For example, I came across a building that looked like a crystal with angular facets, or even like a spaceship. It reminded me of some models I had made during my studies. As I walked, I asked passersby:  “What is that building?” It turned out to be a sports complex dedicated to rowing. I was a littl...

Let me get one thing straight: This is not my thing. I dislike December and winter in general. I am and forever will be an autumn person who enjoys Sweater Weather and quiet time. Everything Christmas is not. However, this was not like every other December I've experienced so far- so let’s see what spending this month in Georgia changed for me, shall we? Völlig losgelöst von Deutschland We kicked off this month strongly by hosting the “German Cultural Evening” at the Scout Centre. After an initial shock about an unexpected large amount of people showing up, we held a small presentation about what German culture means for us. Which was a challenge. I had to scratch together every dusty memory of actually experiencing my own culture and make a presentation out of it.. which is why it featured “Pumpernickel” (German Black bread that is truly not of importance to anybody). Afterwards, we got to the actually important part: Tasting the food. We tried our best and managed to serve simp...

  CHAPTER ONE - NEW LIFE THE ARRIVAL Hello, this is Mao. I’m a new volunteer, and through this blog I’ll share a bit of my life here. I come from a small island on the west coast, and I’m passionate about sports, surfing, climbing, and all kinds of winter activities.  I love taking on new challenges and spending time outdoors. I just finished my master’s degree in transition design, eco-innovation, and biomimicry design. I arrived at the end of October with another French girl, Lisa (a free soul). It took me three days to reach Georgia. I was incredibly excited to finally arrive and rest a little. But I barely had time to settle in, we were immediately involved in activities, starting with the Halloween party.  The first days were intense and full of discoveries. Lisa and I were warmly welcomed by the volunteers already on site. The day after our arrival, we were already exploring the Rustavi bazaar and working in the office. SURPRISING THINGS THAT SURPRISED ME (Yes, doub...

On 29 October, I landed at Tbilisi Airport and was greeted by a huge windstorm — my very first impression of the country I was about to move to (don't worry, every day after that was particularly sunny and warm, just like the people I met ;)). Hi! My name is Lisa. I'm 19 years old and I come from Lorient, a small town in north-western France, where I moved last year to start my higher education.  Once the first few months had passed I dropped out to work in a primary school, as it suited me a thousand times better. And perhaps what you need to know about me is that I'm someone who has always been restless, often a little lost at times, slightly impatient, and always twirling in one direction or another. Why volunteer? Why Georgia? I've always wanted to live abroad because of my thirst for discovery and novelty!  I've always been passionate about travel and very attached to my freedom. I've never been able to stay in one place, never lasted a year in the same sc...

I’m not really sure how it all started, but from one day to the next, this mission was offered to me, and suddenly I found myself here in Georgia — far, very far from my hometown, from my sweet France 🇫🇷  I’m Vincent, 23 years old, and always ready for adventure.🏔️ So when I was told about this opportunity to come to Rustavi, I didn’t even hesitate — I just said yes. No secret-agent-level organization, no minute-by-minute planning — just me, my enthusiasm, and a hastily packed bag the size of my entire wardrobe (I basically threw everything into my suitcase and sat on it until it closed). It could have worried a lot of people… but not me. 🤷‍♂️ And honestly, my recklessness led me straight to a wonderful place. Everything went incredibly well. As soon as I arrived, I realized that Georgians 🇬🇪 have a natural talent for hospitality: warm, smiling, always ready to help you — even when you’re not entirely sure what you’re doing here yourself. And then there are the street animals...

Gamarjoba! Welcome to a new ISCR blog 🇬🇪 Gamarjoba! My name is Oriane, I come from France, and I recently joined the Rustavi Scout Center for a new two-month volunteer adventure. Even though I haven't had time to explore every corner of the country yet, Georgia has already offered me its first surprises and stories, and I feel that the coming month will be just as rich. When I arrived here, I was immediately struck by the simple, raw beauty of the landscapes, mountains, and rivers. But in the end, I've seen more of Armenia than Georgia 😆 so far, because we decided to take a little trip there... by hitchhiking 🤪.  And that's exactly what allowed me to discover the true nature of Georgians: their welcome is sincere, spontaneous, and sometimes even incredible. Several people invited us into their homes, offered us food, insisted on paying, and told us a bit about their lives, just because we were sharing a ride. I didn't expect such generosity, and it's definitely ...

    Hello, my name is Kathleen, and I’m a new volunteer at ISCR. I arrived here on November 13th and will stay until June 2026. I’m from Germany, from a town near Leipzig. I finished school this summer, and now I want to travel and see the world. I spent a month in Italy this summer, and that experience made me realize that I want to see even more. I think I’ve found a really good place here in Rustavi. It was a big step for me to get on a plane and be so far away from home, but I want to travel and learn a lot while I’m here. I want to get to know the culture and discover many new corners of Georgia and its neighboring countries. On my very first day, I met the other volunteers, and they welcomed me into the team with so much kindness and warmth. The first week was mainly about arriving — arriving in Georgia, in Rustavi, and in the apartment. Sharing an apartment with four other people was something new for me, but after I learned how to use the gas stove and set up my r...