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Fund for Armenian Relief
Media Release
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Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR)
Press Office
630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016
Tel: (212) 889-5150; Fax: (212) 889-4849
email: press@farusa.org
web: www.farusa.org
blog: farusa.wordpress.com
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Little Hearts: Two Armenian-Americans Create
Documentary about Child Protection in Armenia.
By
Simone Paklaian and Alexa Sapah-Gulian
We
are both high school students who live in Connecticut and spend the summers on
Cape Cod, where we work at Eulindas, a local ice cream shop. But this summer
wasn't like the past ten we've spent at the Cape. This summer we made the
decision to go to Armenia during a portion of our break, work at the Child
Protection Center, and then create a documentary about it to develop global
awareness.
When
we first heard about the Child Protection Center, which is run by the Fund for
Armenian Relief (FAR), we felt that the work being accomplished was very
important and we decided to get involved.
Through
our research, we learned that this was a one-of-a-kind center in Armenia, which
is responsible for protecting abused children on a short-term basis until
long-term plans can be set. It is a program that originated in conjunction with
the Yerevan Police Department, which, in earlier days, routinely picked up
abandoned children off the streets and placed them in facilities - facilities
that didn't address the long-term needs of the children.
This
Child Protection Center program fills that void by not only providing for the
physical needs of the children, but also by addressing their psychological
issues and long-term prospects. Instead of placing them in orphanages, the
Center looks to re-unite them with their families, where and when appropriate,
or to a loving foster home as a better solution.
Since
this program first started more than ten years ago, it had grown to the point that the
Center's Hotline and National Referral Network has brought in more children
that are in desperate need of a second chance than the original police efforts
did. Since the program was started, it has helped over 6,000 children, most of
whom are between 4 and 16 years old.
So
when the time came, we boarded the plane in New York that was bound for
Armenia, unaware of what to expect. Though we had been thoroughly briefed on
paper, neither of us could have been prepared for what we would experience. We
were picked up from the airport in Yerevan by Garnik Nanagoulian, FAR's
Executive Director, and some of the in-country staff. We were told that we
would be going to the Child Protection Center for our first day of work the
next day.
The
following morning we drove through the streets of Yerevan in awe of our
surroundings. We had never been to Armenia and it was different from anything
we had pictured. Both of us could not wait to arrive at the Center. Though
nervous, we walked into the building confident. We were greeted by Executive
Director of the Child Protection Center Dr. Mira Antonyan, and we began our day.
Her
enthusiasm and passion for the Center instantly calmed our nerves and she began
to give us a tour of the facility. Initially it was difficult for us to
communicate with the children because of our inability to speak fluent
Armenian. They soon understood, however, and began to work with us and accepted
our lack of perfect verbal communication. But what we did realize is that
communication comes in different forms. A laugh, hug, high-five, or smile were
all evident, and they enabled us to connect with the children on a level that
speaking would not be allow us reach. We soon found ourselves anxious to return
to the Center and be with the children that we came to know so well after a
day.
Once
we knew the children a little better, and had become familiar with how the
Center was run, we were able to interview a few of them and hear more of their
stories for our documentary. In addition to their individual stories, we were
able to accompany the FAR case workers around the country as they conducted
follow-up interviews with families who had already benefited from the Center.
We
also got involved as children were brought into the Center, and initially
evaluated for admission. In one case, we were heartbroken to see two young
brothers, five and eight years old, brought in by the police because they had
been wandering the streets for the last week after being abandoned by their
mother.
Although
that was shocking, what surprised us even more was their quick rebound. After
being admitted to the Center, they were cleaned up, given new clothes, and
within a few hours were already involved in playing with the other children.
While
the psychological wounds of being separated from their mother will probably
take a great deal of time to heal, at least outwardly it was a step in the
right direction.
During
all of these interactions, we were both concerned that their life stories were
too personal to share, and that they would hold back. But we were surprised to
find that they were more than willing to share their background with others.
These
children and families told their stories with sincerity. Everyone in the room
could tell how comfortable the children felt around us because even though we
came off as adults, we have the hearts of children as they do. We both found
the stories of their broken families and difficult childhoods devastating, but
it showed us how much the Child Protection Center had really changed their
lives for the better. They all seemed truly happy there and we were so thankful
that we could experience a portion of their lives with them.
As
the days went on, we grew more attached to each child and developed a personal
connection with each of them. We knew them all by name, and they knew us, too.
Whether it involved working in the kitchen and serving them their meals,
letting them act out by painting, singing or dancing, or by just simple play,
we were always greeted with ample amounts of hugs and kisses everyday. It was
nearly impossible for us to leave. Our final day, they followed our car out of
the facility and would have come with us if we had let them.
When
we spoke to Mira the next day, she told us they were asking for us. This made
our departure from Armenia bittersweet and more difficult than we both
anticipated.
We boarded the plane home with a
very different mindset. We both had bags full of pictures and gifts from the
children and these would serve as constant reminders of the small things that
make them happy in life.
This experience made us realize that
we take everything we have for granted, and the simplicity of a laugh or a
smile should be able to fulfill our needs, as it did for these little boys and
girls. We will both have their smiling faces etched in our memories. Though
they will grow up and find happiness on their own, we hope we changed their
lives as much as they changed ours, even if they did only know us for a short
amount of time. We could not have asked for a better experience in Armenia, and
though the pictures will fade, our memories will last a lifetime.
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About FAR
Since its founding in response to the 1988 earthquake, FAR has served hundreds of thousands of people through more than 220 relief and development programs in Armenia and Karabagh. It has channeled more than $265 million in humanitarian assistance by implementing a wide range of projects including emergency relief, construction, education, medical aid, and economic development.
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For more information on FAR or to send donations, contact us at 630 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone (212) 889-5150; fax (212) 889-4849; http://farusa.org; e-mail press@farusa.org.
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