I am a returned Peace Corps volunteer was evacuated from my placement in Georgia last August due to Russian attacks. After Peace Corps released its volunteers, a group of us returned to Georgia to help. Since we have been back, we have witnessed the struggle and resiliency of many Georgian people, such as Sophio Khubulashvili.
Until the conflict threatened to take everything away, Sophio was one of the brightest and hardest working students in Georgia. She was a member of Gori University’s student government and various faculty advisory boards. She participated in programs sponsored by the Model UN and taught piano in her spare time.
Like many Georgians, Sophio's family depends on agriculture for their livelihood. They lost their harvest during the Russian-Georgian conflict. Without a steady income, Sophio could not afford to return to school and continue pursuing her dream of being a teacher. Thanks to The Gori Regional Education Fund (GREF), Sophio was granted an educational scholarship to get back into the classroom. She told me, "Because of the financial hardship my family doubted that I could continue my study, but with [GREF's] great support, I can."
