Fund for Armenian Relief
Press Release
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:
blog: farusa.wordpress.com
_________________________

Li ttle 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.

# # #

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.

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; e-mail press@farusa.org
[mailto:press@farusa.org].

— September 14th, 2009

Fund for Armenian Relief | 630 Second Avenue | New York | NY | 10016