Brenda Mockler (World Vision Ireland) with Teresita Montgomery (World Vision International) and Raymond Pu (World Vision Malaysia) meeting the families and enjoying the produce for sale at the beneficiary’s exhibition held in the Kakheti centre
Wonderful experience visiting Kakheti Area Development Centre
Tallaght native Brenda Mockler, Head of HR & Governance at World Vision Ireland, has spoken about the striking similarities between families in Dublin and those she met during a recent visit to Georgia.
Brenda was travelling to Georgia to attend a World Vision conference when she also had the opportunity to visit the Kakheti Area Development Centre, a community-based organisation supported by World Vision Georgia in the eastern region of the country.
What left the strongest impression, she said, was not the difference between life in Ireland and Georgia, but how similar families’ priorities and concerns were, particularly when it comes to supporting children and young people.
“It was a wonderful experience, and what really struck me was how similar the needs of the community and centre staff in Kakheti are to those we see every day in Tallaght and across Dublin,” Brenda said.
“Parents there worry about the same things Irish parents do, their children’s development, education, and future opportunities, but they have far fewer resources and supports to help them make the changes they want for their families.”
The Kakheti Area Development Centre, located in the city of Telavi, works with children, young people and families through programmes focused on early childhood development, children with disabilities and special needs, youth initiatives, women empowerment and family supports, parenting programmes and economic opportunity.
World Vision staff who visited the Kakheti area development programme took part in a music therapy session
These priorities immediately resonated with Brenda, who has lifelong ties to Tallaght and extensive experience working within her community.
“So much of the work around early childhood development, youth projects, family-focused supports, parenting programmes and economic opportunity mirrors what matters at home,” she said. “The challenges may look different on the surface, but the core needs are the same.”
During the visit, Brenda met families who are part of the ERTAD – Poverty Alleviation Programme, which supports them in developing social and life skills, linking to employment opportunities and supporting build small businesses to increase household income. She also saw music therapy in action, which is designed to help children who have experienced trauma or need special psychosocial support. The centre also delivers services such as Speech therapy and behavioural therapy to help children with special needs reach their full potential.
The importance of these supports was particularly clear to Brenda during the visit.
“As a parent of a child living with Developmental Language Disorder, I could personally relate to many of the programmes and see how important they are for children and families,” she said.
Supporting children with additional needs, she noted, requires early intervention, trained professionals and strong community services, something many parents in both Kakheti and Tallaght rely on every day.
“The passion and commitment of the centre staff and community workers was inspiring. It’s the same dedication I see in local services in Tallaght,” Brenda added. “I felt proud to witness this grassroots work being supported by World Vision.”
Brenda said the experience reinforced how international development work is closely connected to local community issues back home.
“Whether it’s Tallaght or Kakheti, families want stability, opportunity and the chance for their children to thrive,” she said. “Seeing those shared hopes made the visit incredibly powerful.”
