Sept 5 2021
Teaching in Armenia and Artsakh during the pandemic and the war
For the seventh year in a row, Teach For Armenia Educational Foundation has been recruiting, training, and placing people of various professions in rural communities. As Teacher-Leaders, they want to make quality education available to all children, regardless of where they live.
Although all the participants of the two-year Leadership Development Program find it hard to adjust to the new environment, life, and work, the last year and a half was a period of great challenges..
“In March 2020, almost the whole world went into lockdown. Our team was constantly researching in order to figure out what was happening around the world. We realized that the pandemic would last a long time, and quickly switched to online classes. It required huge human resources, but I am very proud that we have succeeded in a few months.”
We had just begun to come to terms with the pandemic, when the war broke out. The newly elected participants, who were on a business trip to Artsakh, spent 26 days in their communities, and Azerbaijan attacked. Our young participants refused to leave, but were forced to do so, together, with their children. Many of them returned to Armenia and continued to work with their students and others. Sixty of Teach For Armenia’s Teacher-Leaders and Alumni-Ambassadors joined our Emergency Education Program and worked in almost all of the regions. I bow to these people because they have unfathomable strength and love for their country, children, and communities,” says Larisa Hovannisian, Founder and CEO of Teach For Armenia.
The evening dedicated to 108 graduates of the two-year Leadership Development Program was called “Navasard”, in honor of the first month of the Armenian calendar, known for harvest festivities. It is believed that the seeds planted by Teacher-Leaders will bear fruit in the years to come.
“You have really accomplished an exceptional mission and I am sure you know what an important role it plays in the lives of the children you have taught and in the lives of the communities you have worked. It also plays an important role in your development as a Teacher-Leader: by teaching, you learn about yourself. You have become the torchbearers and pioneers not only of education in Armenia, but also of state buildings, public life development, and the country’s progress in general,” says Arthur Martirosyan, Deputy Minister of Education and Science, who worked as Development Director at Teach For Armenia.
Lida Mnatsakanyan – Russian language teacher in the village of Kirants, Tavush region
After six years of having worked in various spheres, two years ago I finally decided to return to my profession and teach. My initial ideas and the end result were very different, but one thing was common: the romanticism of the idea that I could leave my job in Yerevan, my family and go somewhere far away.
I vividly remember the first day of school. One of my neighbors, whose relative’s son I was teaching, came by my house and said: ‘The children loved your class’. That feedback was extremely important so that I could overcome everyday problems that existed at that moment.
Those were very interesting years. The children were always excited, always had questions for me, both personal and professional, and they always asked for advice. Although there were many setbacks due to the war and the pandemic, every day I felt that my students were not only growing academically, but their dreams and horizons were also expanding. They started to have high hopes for education. Their interest in foreign languages especially grew. They kept saying, “Ms. Lida, I decided to learn Hindi. Ms. Lida, I want to learn Chinese”.
The children have given me endless warmth, love, and self-confidence because they always want to praise you and provide words of encouragement. I am glad that I had this opportunity and that I was not afraid of distance and difficulties. Of course, sometimes it took superhuman efforts because I went home every weekend to take care of my daily needs. I drove 360 kilometers every week and simultaneously managed to teach, think about extracurricular activities, and new programs. I am happy I had that strength.
Vahan Zaroyan – Geography teacher in the village of Karegah of Artsakh’s Kashatagh region
I wanted to teach in Artsakh. Prior to that, I met the principal of a school in one of the villages of Artsakh who told me that they hadn’t had a geography teacher in their school for 16 years. As a geography specialist, it was stressful for me to comprehend how it was possible not to study geography at school for almost two generations. It motivated me to go to Artsakh, to a similar community – Karegah village of Kashatagh region, where they hadn’t had a geography teacher for a long time.
Karegah became my love and my memories, because, unfortunately, it is already out of our control, but it will remain my love forever. My goal was not realized, but being in Artsakh, living for Artsakh gave me a lot. I really lived for Artsakh.
When the war broke out, Teach For Armenia gave us an opportunity to return home for security reasons. At that moment, I did not fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. Severe battles were fought, the village was almost empty, but I was tormented by the thought that if I left the village today, how would I look into the eyes of my students tomorrow? Unfortunately, that moment never came, and I did not look into the eyes of my students, because I haven’t seen many of them since. They now live in various regions and communities of Armenia.
Tamara Martirosyan – Biology teacher in Shamiram village, Aragatsotn region
Two years ago, I applied to Teach For Armenia because I did not want to work in the city. There are many teachers in the city, and I was thinking of going to a community where I was really needed. I applied, but I never imagined that the program would have such a huge impact on me. My value system has changed and I have had professional growth and many achievements.
I wanted to bring equality into education, to serve as an example for girls and boys my age who avoid the village by all means. However, since I was placed in a Yezidi community, a number of other personal goals emerged. I would run into obstacles that I had to resolve first and then focus on the new goals I had set for myself. In the village, women were not even allowed to go to the store, but since I lived alone, I went shopping. I would go out to the yard to play with the children, which was unacceptable for the community. By example, I showed 15-year-old children that playing in the yard was not a shame.
Then I realized that by overcoming those small problems, I give more to my children than if I have achieved the goals I had set for myself. Most importantly, the children began to discover their talent, and their self-esteem increased. When parents see their children’s achievements, they realize that they can change something and achieve something on their own. At the end of the first year, when I felt my influence at school and in the community, it was the biggest victory.
Unfortunately, girls have no right to continue their education or make decisions on the most basic issues. But knowledge gives you wings, allows your mind to soar, and if your mind soars there will definitely come a time when you take a step forward.
Narine Poghosyan – Russian language teacher in Aygehovit village of Artsakh’s Kashatagh region
At the age of 29, I realized that I loved to teach, and I really wanted to teach in the rural community, because there are many alternatives in Yerevan or nearby cities, whereas some subjects are not taught in the village for years. I had the idea for a long time, and Teach For Armenia provided an opportunity to implement it.
It was one of the most important experiences of my life. I have never lived in a village and it was important for me to be a part of the village, to be a villager, to fully understand how people live. During that time, I started to appreciate water because we did not have water in the community. I had to walk 20 minutes to bring water home. I even started to gather the water left in the glass that I could have previously poured away in a bottle. Now it has become a habit.
I was also a strange person for the village with red hair back then and a tattoo, an incomprehensible person, who was initially accepted with suspicion. But then we fell in love with each other. We had a small house on the hill, made of clay and rocks. On weekends, we would go up the hill to read, write, and talk. When I was asked whether living in the village was boring after the active life in Yerevan, my answer was, “Absolutely not! How can one be bored with children?”. This work knows no other way, you must be able to love children. You may have all the knowledge in the world, but if you don’t like your students, you can’t work at school. It will be torture.
Those two years were a very important period for me. Today, when they spoke about the war, I closed my ears for a moment to shut it out. It's terrifying to know that you can’t return to the village. I have only lived in Aygehovit for 2 years, but these children spent their whole childhood there. We had so many programs and we were going to open a big studio.
This September, 168 teachers will travel to the communities of Armenia and Artsakh to carry out their mission in 146 schools. This year, for the first time, Teach For Armenia’s participants will also travel to Syunik.
Lusine Gharibyan
Photos: Emin Aristakesyan