Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
May 7, 2004
WE CANNOT CURE THEIR BODIES BUT WE CAN CURE THEIR SOULS
The union of disabled children “Zangak” was founded on May 18, by a
group of representatives of the intelligentsia. The aim of the union
is to bring together the disabled children of Artsakh, broaden the
range of their interests and favour their integration to the society
preventing their alienation from it. In the course of time the
organization also started to involve begging and homeless children,
therefore the management of the organization founded a nursery school,
in April 2001 undertook the foundation of the children’s center
“Zangak” which was granted license by the Ministry of Education,
Culture and Sport in 2003. Since its foundation the organization has
brought together here 212 children from the capital and 404 children
from the entire republic. Currently the organization works with 8-14
year-old children. According to the chairman of the organization Anna
Asatrian, including in “Zangak” homeless or begging but healthy
children they aimed at using the relationships of the healthy and ill
children to develop best human qualities in them, such as
king-heartedness and generosity in healthy children and optimism and
vitality in the disabled children. The organization is not funded by
the state and it operates on non-regular donations of businessmen from
Artsakh and abroad. According to Anna Asatrian, for the implementation
of a number of programs “Zangak” has cooperated with the NKR
Ministries of Health, Agriculture and Defence, as well as businessmen
from Artsakh and abroad. A number of programs were approved by
business circles of France and Iran. Time to time benefactors lend a
hand to “Zangak”, bring into being this or that program and leave,
whereas the organization has too many problems to be solved. Recently
the organization has had a period of difficulties. To overcome them
“Zangak” applied to the governmental and other organizations of
Karabakh. Fortunately, the director of the company Karabakh telecom
Ralf Yeirikian agreed to cooperate with “Zangak”. Visiting the
organization and getting acquainted with the working conditions he
agreed to become the permanent sponsor of “Zangak” and start funding
in April of the current year. The fact of a permanent sponsor
encouraged the management of the organization to undertake a program
for 32 disabled, homeless and insecure children included in the
center. After the improvement of the building and communal facilities
the organization will create a boarding house for 10 children from 8
to 14 years old. The personnel of the organization visited the houses
of the children whose parents had applied to them, got acquainted with
their living conditions and undertook an attempt of cooperation with
corresponding organizations dealing with children of this social
class. Besides the reconstruction of the boarding house, “Zangak”
faces many other problems. According to Anna Asatrian, the lack of
transport makes the communication with the regions difficult. Starting
from the financial hardships the employees of “Zangak” carry out
several jobs at the same time; the organization should have 17
positions, whereas it has only 7. To acquaint children with the
holidays and special days of Karabakh “Zangak” celebrates almost all
the holidays. Today we are living in a period called transition
period. It is difficult to forecast what will happen in the
future. One thing is certain that independent of the geopolitical
actualities and the economic model of development the vocation of the
human being is to aid the weak and the sick. Believe me, all the
children of “Zangak” need is kindness. We cannot cure their bodies but
we can cure their souls. So let’s give them a chance!
NVARD OHANJANIAN.