Communication for Social Change campaign #SeeEveryColour organizes regional event in Mestia

Mestia, Georgia. July 15, 2020. The nation-wide communication for social change campaign to address negative attitudes towards children with disabilities continues visiting different regions of Georgia and held its regional event in Mestia, Svaneti. The campaign is carried out by UNICEF with the support of USAID, with active engagement of children with disabilities and their parents.  The campaign aims to change public attitudes and norms through raising awareness, sharing experiences and developing mutual understanding.

A number of awareness-raising activities were held at the central square of Mestia. The participants were able to engage in fun games and quizzes, learning about the myths about and realities of people with disabilities. The campaign’s goodwill ambassadors, children, parents and people with disabilities participated in innovative interactive games, quizzes, contests and a fun march. The creation of an enormous colorful stencil on one of the walls at the entrance of Mestia aims to serve as a symbol of the campaign and to raise awareness on the issue.

As part of the campaign, daily minibuses to Kutaisi and Zugdidi were branded with the campaign colors and supplied with various information materials, to make people aware about people with disabilities. The beneficiaries of the Mestia Day Center for Children with Disabilities organized an exhibition of handicrafts and folk performances.

The nation-wide communication for social change campaign, #SeeEveryColour, was first organized in 2017-2018 and addressed wide-spread misconceptions and false beliefs around people with disabilities in Georgia. The campaign reached more than one million people and contributed to reduced stigma around people with disabilities.  The campaign was carried out by UNICEF and supported by USAID and the European Union.