CHILDREN”S PLAYGROUND

Azat Artsakh – Republic of Nagorno Karabakh (NKR)
June 6 2004

At the rehabilitation center of Stepanakert a children’s playground
was built on the funding of the International Committee of the Red
Cross. This event imparted a new meaning to the celebration of June
1. On this day according to the tradition the visitors and guests
of the center celebrated the birthday of seven-year-old Tigran, one
of the “old residents” of the center. For most of us children are
embodiments of vitality and health, energy and happiness, whereas not
everyone enjoys this happiness. In Karabakh about 500 children are
not capable of moving and coming in touch with their peers. However
this does not deprive them of enjoying life, feeling the assistance
and kindness of people. Everywhere there are kind people and these
children who know physical discomfort do not feel moral discomfort
when coming in touch with such people. At the rehabilitation center
they feel at home with their therapist sisters and the head of
the family Vardan. The people working in the center do everything
to provide necessary conditions for the treatment and rest of the
children. On May 1 certificates were delivered to the children who
finished the courses of computer under the center. In the center
there are courses of music, woodworking, drawing. Soon according
to the director of the center Vardan Tadevossian a pottery workshop
will be opened at the center. In the center about 60 children receive
outpatient treatment. Soon the inpatient treatment department will be
opened. “We are grateful to those kind people who provided us with
central heating, and inpatient treatment department will work all
year long and not only in summer as formerly,” said Vardan. He also
emphasized that soon with the government’s aid the yard of the center
will be repaired. The director thanked all those people who help
the center to make the life of the children attending the center
more interesting and full. He especially thanked the Red Cross. The
director of the Stepanakert office of the ICRC Mireille Bernard
said the organization implements a program of construction of safe
playgrounds in the territory of Nagorni Karabakh, especially at the
settlements near which there are minefields. According to M. Bernard,
there are already 21 such playgrounds in Karabakh. 

NAIRA HAYRUMIAN

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress