Salome Gvinepadze TP in Georgia
I am from Georgia, a very beautiful and special country to me. I was raised by loving parents who gave me everything they could. However, growing up in a poor country meant that having everything was not always possible. Every year, a German family visited Georgia, collecting donations and supporting children’s education and various initiatives. I first met them when I was five years old. The woman of the family, Renate, became my inspiration and remains so to this day. She had faced many challenges, battling a rare form of cancer throughout her life while selflessly invest - ing in others. When she met me, she expressed a desire to take me un- der her wing and teach me the German language once I was older. To my parents, these were just words. They never truly believed in the possibili- ty and, therefore, did not encourage me to learn German. However, when I turned 14, Renate returned and told my parents, “Either I take her now, or never.” It was a difficult decision, but my parents ulti - mately agreed. I left for Germany without knowing a single word of the language, completely dependent on my parents. After six months, I re- turned as a young woman, transformed. Renate invested in me every single day. In addition to teaching me German by introducing me to at least 20 new words daily through her unique methods, she also taught me how to swim, how to ride a bike, and how to navigate life independently, nurturing my self-awareness and confidence. One day, I asked her why she was doing all of this for me. She smiled and said, “When I was your age, a French family did the same for me. When I asked how I could repay them, the French lady replied, ‘You cannot give me anything back—just do the same for someone else.’” ‘’I saw you as a kid and knew you were the one.’’ Renate told me.
Learning German shaped my entire future. It determined my career path, led me to TP, enabled me to travel the world, and even played a role in how I met my husband. By the time I was very young, I had already achieved the dream of owning my own home. I will be forever grateful to Renate. Despite her own struggles and pain, she showed me the world and empowered me to shape my own destiny. Now, it is my turn to pass it forward.
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FOSTERING EMPOWERMENT
LETTERS TO MOTHERS
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