Something Out of Nothing
Garin Hovannisian on navigating the creative journey
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April 05, 2010
YP Yerevan Members Provide Humanitarian Aid to Families in Geghard and Gyumri
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AGBU Young Professionals of Yerevan assist in the construction of a home in the Armenian village of Geghard. -
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A view of the home of the Mekhitarian family in Gyumri, Armenia. The family received a donation of food, clothing and firewood provided by YP Yerevan.
Aiding two families in need, the AGBU Young Professionals (YP) of Yerevan (YP Yerevan) engaged in two very special humanitarian initiatives in November and December of 2009, beginning with the Karapetyan family in the village of Geghard, Armenia. To help eliminate poverty in Armenia, YP Yerevan joined forces with the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, the Tufenkian Foundation, and the Hye Dzmer Pap Charitable Foundation on November 14, 2009 to help build a house for Senik and Karine Karapetyan and their four children.
Often struggling through extreme circumstances, the Karapetyan family has been displaced several times over the past 19 years. In 2005, the Tufenkian Foundation and the Hye Dzmer Pap Charitable Foundation jointly provided funds to the Karapetyans, assisting the family to obtain land for a permanent home. The Tufenkian Foundation provided additional funding, along with funds from telecom company VivaCell-MTS, to ease the financial burden of building the foundation for the family's new home. Most recently, the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia also provided an interest-free loan to the Karapetyans.
While the organizations worked together side by side, the family actively and enthusiastically participated in the construction of their new home as well. Furthermore, they expressed their profound gratitude for all the funding granted and the tireless efforts of the volunteers. With the construction of the house nearly finished, the collaborative efforts of all parties involved proved that generosity, goodwill, and a strong work ethic can make important projects such as these a reality.
YP Yerevan members also spent countless hours this past winter helping the Mekhitarian family in the city of Gyumri. The Mekhitarians live in a small hut-like home, with the household comprised of the couple and their three children, along with their married daughter, husband, and young child. Due to the family's dire situation, through word of mouth, YP volunteers were able to assist the family by gathering monetary donations to purchase firewood, warm clothes, and food for the family.
AGBU Armenia Representation Director Ashot Ghazarian and Dr. Karine Mirzoyan of Gyumri's Mother and Child Hospital also helped the volunteers in providing medical care to Amalya Mekhitarian, the mother of the family. After an initial medical examination, medication was provided and a nurse was assigned to make daily visits to the house.
This project was initially the brainchild of an Armenian Student Association (ASA) member in Utah, who is originally from Gyumri and heard about the Mekhitarians from his family back home in Armenia. Donations to the Gyumri project were made by members of ASA Utah and the Armenian Relief Society of Utah, and matched by YP Yerevan.
In an effort to raise awareness, YP Yerevan invited the media on one of the visits to Gyumri in order to educate the public about the struggles of families living in poverty in Armenia, find long-term, sustainable ways to mitigate them, and encourage similar aid efforts by others to help create a better life for families outside Yerevan.
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