Building community and confidence: The 2024 fundraiser in Georgia

In June 2025, colleagues from the WDF, accompanied by guests from Novo Nordisk and Team Novo Nordisk, travelled to Georgia to visit the 2024 Fundraiser project: ‘DiabetesCare360’, which empowers children, families, and healthcare teams by equipping them with the tools, knowledge, and community they need to thrive.

Compared with the capital, Tbilisi, children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) in rural areas encounter distinct challenges. They often lack access to medical services, knowledgeable practitioners, and practical advice on diabetes self-management. Due to the lack of education and support systems, caregivers, often mothers, struggle to manage their children’s diabetes effectively.

The 2024 fundraiser, which has been extended through 31 July 2026, has secured a total project grant of €152,800. This extension underscores both the demonstrated impact of the initiative and the continued need for assistance for children with diabetes and their families in Georgia.

Building upon a decade of collaboration with partners in Georgia, this initiative is designed to support children and youth living with T1D, especially in rural areas where access to care and education remains limited. Implemented by NCD Alliance Georgia, DiabetesCare360 seeks to close critical gaps by delivering inclusive summer camps, digital resources, and training for children with T1D, their families, and healthcare professionals.

The weeklong summer camps provide vital education, peer support, and psychosocial care for children and their caregivers, particularly those from rural and low-resource areas. As Simon Gabritchidze, Chair of NCD Alliance Georgia, notes, ‘their happiness is most important for us.’

Alongside these camps, families and professionals have been co-creating a digital education platform that offers accessible, culturally relevant resources for flexible, self-paced learning to children, parents, teachers, and healthcare providers in Georgia.

During a busy week, the delegation visited the various aspects of the fundraiser project, observing the outcomes of collaborative efforts and the importance of community.

Empowerment through education

Drawing inspiration from other successful diabetes camps, the weeklong programme ensures an equal emphasis on both informing and uplifting. Through a variety of engaging activities, the camp provides children with the tools and confidence to manage their diabetes well beyond the summer.

Physical activities such as football and walking are organised to promote healthier lifestyles, with some children discovering a newfound passion for sport.

To reinforce learning, children participate in competitions to share what they’ve learned. ‘I prepared a video about how we can count food carbohydrates and how we can measure it. And I won the competition, and they gave me the prize,’ shares Nino, a camp participant. Her mother, Natia Mchedlishvili, reflects on the transformative impact of the camp, noting how it helped her daughter become more independent and self-assured.

‘It is so comforting to me to know that I am not alone’

The diabetes camps foster a sense of belonging, as children build friendships, parents exchange stories, and a genuine community emerges. For many children, participation in the camps marks the first time they meet others sharing their condition. In their everyday lives, many face stigma, misunderstanding, and at times rejection at school. Being among peers is profoundly affirming. ‘It is so comforting to me to know that I am not alone,’ shares Mariam, another camp participant.

‘They’ve been at this camp for two days now, and it’s already seeming like they’re the best of friends. It’s wonderful to hear all their stories and also see them interact with each other,’ remarks Søren Weiss, Novo Nordisk Project Manager.

Camp participants put this newfound camaraderie to the test, encouraging one another to keep going, sometimes literally, by supporting each other during a forest walk. These moments of mutual support help build resilience and a lasting sense of belonging.

Supporting families and caregivers

Throughout the week, the emotional and practical burden of care, often carried alone by mothers, is thoughtfully acknowledged and addressed. The camp team provides a dedicated support pathway alongside children’s activities, giving parents space for connection and growth. Through workshops grounded in open dialogue and practical learning, families are given tools not only to cope but to thrive.

Parents such as Natia Mchedlishvili speak to the power of shared experience. By exchanging daily stories with others facing similar challenges, they find renewed strength and resilience. The camp fosters a network of understanding and encouragement, reminding parents that they, too, are not alone. It becomes a space to meet, reflect, and share their fears and hopes.

For mothers like Nata Samnidze, the experience is transformative. She recalls the shock of her son’s diagnosis in November 2024: ‘I couldn’t stop crying for a week.’ Surrounded by other families, she finds comfort and clarity, coming to realise that ‘it’s manageable and it’s doable.’ A sense of serenity and optimism begins to take root: ‘I think we are going to see a very different picture once we leave from here.’

‘Diabetes won’t hold you back from your dreams’

Role models inspire and guide young people as they navigate the challenges of living with a chronic condition. As part of the visit to the camp, professional cyclist Logan Phippen, who rides with Team Novo Nordisk, shares his story: diagnosed with T1D at the age of 24, Logan had always been athletic, but his diagnosis challenged him to push beyond his limits and continue pursuing his dreams; ultimately becoming a professional athlete. ‘Living with diabetes builds a certain kind of character… cultivating a strength and power most people don’t get,’ he reflects.

What sets these centres apart is their collaborative foundation, shaped by the lived experiences and needs of the communities they serve. The NCD Alliance Georgia has been instrumental in building regional partnerships, embedding the centres within existing healthcare structures.

These centres will leverage technology to deliver blended learning, combining online and in-person support, ensuring accessibility even in areas with limited internet. By bridging regional healthcare gaps, they will provide personalised, flexible education and support, improving patient outcomes and wellbeing. The 2024 fundraiser aims to train at least 200 healthcare providers in underserved areas to use digital tools for patient support.