A Centre in Georgia Is Restoring Homes & Hopes of Returnees

Highlighting the work of the Multifunctional Centre in Georgia, this piece highlights how holistic community-based support drives sustainable reintegration for returnees. Through rebuilding homes and providing employment aid, this centre exemplifies the community support needed for effective reintegration. Our interview with the founders delves into their motivations, challenges, and the critical role such centres play as one-stop shops for returnees.

By The Samuel Hall Team. Photographs by Tornike Begiashvili

This story was developed as part of Samuel Hall’s work with the FAiR Consortium, focusing on research conducted in Georgia. The FAiR (Finding Agreement in Return) project aims to improve the governance of return migration in the EU, addressing the challenges of legitimacy in return migration policies and exploring viable alternatives. As a partner in the project, Samuel Hall has been working to identify key public discourses and counter-discourses surrounding immigration, emigration, and (enforced) return, and to understand how these narratives are shaped and embedded in broader public and private conversations within non-EU source and transit countries, as well as diaspora communities. This story has also been published on the FAiR website, where you can read more about the project.

Samuel Hall’s decades-long research on return and reintegration has highlighted what is at stake for returnees to Georgia. As part of our FAiR academic grant, we are focusing on the comprehensive challenges faced by these returnees, emphasising the crucial aspects of economic, social, and psychosocial reintegration. Reintegration is only sustainable when it addresses all these dimensions, ensuring that returnees can rebuild their lives with dignity and stability.

Migration is embedded in the fabric of Georgian families. Everyone knows a relative or friend who had gone through a lengthy preparation period prior to migrating; however, the meticulous planning undertaken for migration contrasts with the lack of preparation faced by Georgian returnees for returning home. Housing is one of the challenges they face, as Georgian returnees’ homes are often inhabitable.

Housing is the cornerstone of sustainable reintegration, providing the foundation for economic stability, social acceptance, and psychosocial wellbeing. Secure housing enables returnees to seek employment, rebuild social networks, and achieve emotional stability. Without adequate housing, reintegration efforts are severely hindered, making it essential for comprehensive support. This, coupled with returnees inability to afford construction material to restore their houses, calls for assistance.

Located in Samgori, Tbilisi, the Multifunctional Service Centre was founded last year with support from the IOM to ease the struggles of individuals returning to damaged homes with limited resources. It has since become a pillar of support within the community, committed to providing comprehensive aid and empowering those facing challenges to succeed.

The operations of the centre re-iterate the ecosystem approach needed for sustainable reintegration by offering personalised support and targeted training at the individual level, fostering community connections and addressing needs through national and local initiatives, and promoting locally-led development processes inclusive of sub-national actors, civil society organisations, and returnees.

Our conversation with Alexander (co-founder) and Vanera who oversees financial operations, sheds light on its founding principles and dedication to making a positive impact in the community.

Vanera lived in Germany for two years, where she worked as a hairdresser for refugees. She returned to Georgia two months before this interview due to health-related reasons.

Aleksander, unlike Vanera, remained in Georgia and pursued a career in the military. He was selected as a supervisor at the centre a year ago due to his deep understanding of returnees’ lives and needs.

Their unique backgrounds and experiences intertwine with the centre’s mission to support returnees and individuals with limited resources, creating a dynamic environment focused on community transformation. Samuel Hall sat down with them to learn more about their motivation, operations, and impact.

Q1: Could you share the inspiration behind starting the Multifunctional Service Centre, and when was it officially established?

A: Our initiative was driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact in our community. Witnessing the difficulties faced by people returning to damaged homes with limited funds, we were inspired to take action. We began informally in May 2023 and will officially launch the centre on March 22, 2024.

The centre not only helps rebuild houses but also provides training and job assistance to returnees. We hire people, especially recent returnees like Vanera, to work at the centre or in house reconstruction roles such as electricians. For those needing employment, the centre offers training to help them secure at least entry-level jobs. We all have family members who migrated, so we understand their struggles and are committed to helping returnees and low-income individuals.

Q2. Could you outline the core activities of the centre and elaborate on how they benefit the community?

A: Our centre is engaged in various activities designed to uplift and empower our community. This includes:

• Reconstruction and repair of homes: We focus on refurbishing homes for returning individuals and those facing financial challenges, ensuring they have a safe and dignified place to live.
• Employment support: We facilitate job searches and collaborate with local educational institutions to provide tailored training programs, equipping individuals with the skills needed to secure employment opportunities. The centre employs two returnees for ad hoc construction jobs as needed and expects three more recently deported returnees from Europe to join them. These new workers, currently jobless and without funds, will receive training to become construction workers. Additionally, they receive support from friends and relatives.
• Tool rental services: Through affordable tool rental services, we not only generate revenue but also provide access to essential resources for community members.

We maintain a structured waitlist system to ensure timely assistance for those in need, ensuring that no individual is left behind.

Q3: Can you walk us through a typical day at the centre, detailing the various tasks and activities that take place?

A: Everyday operations at the centre are never quite the same. The tasks and activities change based on incoming requests and priorities. We remain flexible in our operations, though occasionally we face setbacks for example, currently we are unable to continue with cases involving cleaning the central sewer which needs a big machine that we ordered, however there has been a delay in delivery, which consequently has delayed operations. Nonetheless, we consistently strive to meet the needs of our community, offering assistance with faucet replacements, plumbing, repairs, and renovations

Q4. : How do you carry out the repair & refurbishing of the homes?

A: We hire skilled workers on a contract basis, some of whom are returnees, some are part of our team, while others are craftsmen who are interested in working with us. Given Georgia’s small and tight-knit community, it’s easy for us to identify skilled craftsmen and their capabilities.We do not work with construction companies as it is quite costly therefore we strive to maintain quality service from our skilled workers and so far, we have been successful, with no reported instances of dissatisfaction from our clients.

Q5:How does the Multifunctional Service Centre secure and manage its financial resources to sustain its programs and initiatives & do you have an offer?

Initially, the IOM funded the centre in Samgori, specifically for the reconstruction of the room where the centre is located. Since then, the Multifunctional Service Centre has been managing its financial resources through various channels. Primarily, we rely on income from our services, while the local government covers utility costs and a migration organisation supports equipment costs. We sustain the remainder through our ongoing activities and services. We do not engage in door-to-door visits for offers, as there are many similar companies doing the same. Instead, residents familiar with our services come to us for assistance.

Additionally, the centre rents out tools to returnees and low-income individuals at a low price. After using the tools, they simply return them to the store.

Q6. Through the years, what are the achievements of the centre?

A: Our achievements at the Multifunctional Centre are continuous; every day, when we receive positive feedback, it reaffirms our commitment to serving the community. . Recently, we successfully integrated one person in their job. We are happy that so far the people are satisfied with our work. The progress has been slow but positive. That’s what matters

Q7. What are the current challenges the centre faces?

A: The centre encounters several challenges in executing its initiatives.While we communicate our needs to our funders like IOM for equipment and technology enhancements, we sometimes face obstacles at the community level. For instance, we occasionally encounter situations where we cannot proceed with agreed-upon tasks due to a lack of permission from neighbouring residents.

Other issues arise where we’re contacted about problems beyond our scope. Some issues, like those involving the Georgian Water and Power company, are beyond our control and must be addressed by them.

Another challenge is that we are seeing an increasing number of returnees asking for our assistance. If it continues like this, we will not be able to provide assistance to everyone. We are Georgians, we always try to do our best. We may be lacking finances, but our heart is open to help.

Q8: What support does the Multifunctional Centre itself need to continue its operations effectively?

A: We need additional equipment to meet demand. This is important to meet demand and strengthen our capacity. Receiving financing for this equipment — possibly from IOM would contribute to our sustainability and growth, ensuring our continued ability to serve the community.

Q8. Lastly, what are the centre’s future plans and aspirations for growth and development?

A: We are looking to keep expanding our reach and impact, both geographically and through the programmes. We aim to extend our services to neighbouring municipalities, reaching more people in need. Additionally, we aspire to strengthen our training programmes, create more employment opportunities, and build partnerships to maximise our community impact.