Preserving and understanding the past is essential for any country’s development. To inspire school students to protect their cultural heritage Rima Beridze ’11 organized a two-day clean up in two villages of the Adjara region on April 18-19. It was centered around two major sights – the Elia historical church and the Tamari Fortress (also known as Likhauri Fortress).
Based on their applications 40 volunteers were selected from Jikhanjhuri and Leghva area schools. Each day started with morning classes on environmental protection and community service followed by an afternoon of collecting rubbish and cleaning the grounds around the sights. Despite temperamental weather, the project was a success and over the course of two days students had a chance not 
only to learn about volunteering but also master their communication and leadership skills and explore their educational opportunities, including the FLEX program.
Future similar initiatives will be coordinated through a Facebook group which was set up after the clean ups.
