Joanna Psaros
9 April 2021
1. What is your age, where were you born and where do you live now?
I am 44 years old, I was born in Georgia, in a province of Tbilisi, now I live in Athens.
2. Can you tell me a few things about your upbringing and your family?
I come from a very conservative family, very with very strict rules but also with a lot of love … at the age of 10 my parents decided to change the school for the better education … so I had to move away from friends and my home. This was probably the first childhood trauma I experienced. With the passage of time this I learned to do, to be away from my family. I never returned home permanently.
3. What are some positive and negative aspects to your home country?
Life in Georgia is not in a stable state in many respects and especially in economic matters
The first positive thing that comes to my mind about my country is the very hospitable people, full of love. Georgia is a very beautiful country with very beautiful nature -very old and interesting culture .I also consider it very positive that there is respect for every religion and every ethnicity- in Georgia live 13 different ethnicities with a lot of love between them.
There is a book “the knight with tiger skin” by shota rustaveli, which has been translated into almost all languages .By reading this book, one learns about Georgian culture, about human values , about love for the role of women in this life.
There will certainly be negatives, but I’m not sure about any specific examples.
[ Learn more about Georgia’s economic and political situation here ]
4. When did you come to live in Greece? Why?
I came to Greece in 2008 for financial reasons.
5. Do you think that life is different for women in Greece compared to Georgia?
The difference that exists between the women of these two countries, is that women in Greece are financially stronger, independent and based on that freer.
6. Do you miss Georgia? Is it possible to return, and if so, will you return one day?
I miss Georgia every day. For different reasons I do not go often, but it is always in my heart and yes I believe that one day I will return.
7. Can you think of a specific political or historical event, in your own country or around the world that has affected your personal life or the lives of people you know?
It was a political and at the same time historical event, when Georgia became independent again, which cost us very dearly. Lives were lost and then and then, we gained independence, but the war never stopped. This fact changed us all. The country went bankrupt. We started to build our lives from scratch.
8. What makes Georgian women unique?
Georgian women are very strong souls- they are like the foundations of the family, but also of the state.
Georgia women are also some of the best chess players in the world.
9. Who are your heroes?
My heroes are my parents.
10. Can you remember the best advice your mother gave you?
To always listen to my heart.
11. What are your concerns and hopes for the future of the world?
The worries for the whole world are not to destroy nature one day. And the hopes that the whole world will live in harmony with each other.
12. What are your worries and hopes for your own future?
I try not to have worries about my personal life, but I hope that one day I will live in a beautiful village, I will have all the necessary items for my hobbies and I will not rush anywhere.
13. How did Covid affect your country?
Covid had a very negative effect on Georgia. The economic situation went from bad to worse. For a small country, which is in a very bad economic situation, the protection measures should not be extremely strict.
14. What do you think human rights are?
To have a way of educating all people, regardless of financial status I consider it a human right.
15. Have you ever been treated unfairly by those in power?
Never.
16. What makes you the happiest?
A quiet environment, with complete freedom and with a highly mysterious book, would make me happy.
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