In Georgia the families of two freelancers who were killed covering the Russia-Georgian conflict in South Ossetia in 2008 were left without their loved ones and without income.

Freelance journalist Giga Chikhladze, 30, and his best friend, photographer Sasha Klimchuck, 27, had promised to look after each other’s families should something happen to either of them. Tragically, the two young men died together, both of them shot dead as they were driving through Tskinvali, the war-torn capital of South Ossetia.  They had been covering the Russia-Georgia conflict, on assignment for Russian Newsweek and the Itar-Tass agency.

Giga left behind his wife, Nata, and two young children, Sopho, 5, and Luka, 3; Sasha wasn't married but he had been supporting his elderly parents, Vladimir and Julia, both of whom suffer from chronic ill health.

With their breadwinners gone, both families were left struggling to survive in a country whose economic collapse had driven up living costs by more than 100%.  As friends and colleagues raised emergency funds to cover funeral costs and immediate subsistence, the Trust helped Sasha's parents with day to day living costs and their on-going medical fees and surgery bills.

We also helped Giga's wife Nata pay for urgent bills, but we were keen for our support to have a more lasting impact and talked with Nata about this. Before having children she had worked as a journalist and photographer so - to help her back into work - we covered the cost of a nine-month intermediate English course.

Since completing the course, Nata has been employed by news organisations as a local fixer and has resumed work as a photojournalist.  

Links:

• Letter from Tblisi - journalist Margarita Akhvlediani remembers her colleagues