The Pankisi Gorge in rural eastern Georgia is home to the Kists, a Chechen ethnic sub-group who migrated to the region more than 200 years ago.
Over the past 20 years the Gorge has faced scrutiny for sheltering rebels during the two Chechen wars that occurred after the fall of the Soviet Union. The rebels brought their Wahhabist ideology with them which is seen as the main cause behind dozens of men from Pankisi travelling to Iraq and Syria to join ISIS. Since the destruction of the so-called Caliphate, the Gorge is peaceful, tourism is growing and local residents are optimistic for the future.
One of the main causes for optimism is the presence of the Roddy Scott Foundation. Set up in 2008 by the parents of British journalist Roddy Scott, who was killed while documenting Chechen fighters in 2002, the charity teaches English to nearly 250 students in Pankisi, both Kists and ethnic Georgians.
The Foundation is mainly funded by the McLain Association for Children, as well as other grants and private donations, but as with most charities in Georgia it is always struggling for money. The Foundation’s students regularly achieve the highest scores in the region on the national English exam.