DEVELOPING COMMUNITY THROUGH JOINING EFFORTS: Renovation of Community Center at Komitas 49/4 in Yerevan

The vast majority of the residents (157 out of 190) of the Communal Center fled from Baku to Yerevan in 1989-91 during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict escalation. They constituted one of the most vulnerable groups of the country’s population and were unable 0to meet even their basic living needs. They frequently applied to various state and humanitarian structures for relief but no results were achieved.

In summer 2004 Mission Armenia NGO started the “Communal Center Rehabilitation” project funded by the U.S. State Department Bureau for Population, Refugees and Migration through Save the Children/Armenia. It aimed to improve the living conditions of the children, women and their families through sustainable and quality renovation of the building and promote the community development. The objectives of the project were streamlined with the PRSP which prioritized improvement of living conditions of the people residing at temporary dwellings, as well as their involvement in that work.

Along with eight other buildings initially selected for the project, in March 2005 the Communal Center at Komitas 49/4 was included in the project.

According to the program objectives, a Community Action Group comprised of 7 persons was formed out of the community active members to organize and manage the project activities. 28 vulnerable residents were provided with temporary jobs by participating in renovation works which started in April. As it was envisaged by the project the community made its significant contribution to the work by reimbursing more than 18 per cent of the project cost.

As a result, the roof of the building was fully replaced, corridors, stairwells, doors and windows were renovated and painted, electric wirings, water and sewage pipes were installed.

The project definitely succeeded due to the community’s active participation and joint efforts to assist the works carried out. The renovation performed played vital role in the lives of the people changing their attitude towards future. The dwellers of the upper floors finally could repair the ceilings and walls of their apartments and get rid of the dampness that seemed to be eternal before the renovation of the roof. Now the residents could also safely use the drinking water and sewage system.

“I have participated in the renovation of the forth and fifth floors, - said Shahen, - and I have got salary for it. By the way, did you see the color of the walls in corridors? It is me, who chose it. This work enhanced the community consolidation and I am very happy that I made my contribution to the work.”

While addressing to the residents of the renovated building, Sarge Cheever, the Regional Representative of the U.S. State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, said: “It is your project, and it was implemented due to your joint efforts. The most important thing is that you have successfully worked to realize it and you have done it for yourselves.” Mr. Cheever also stated that this project was clearly one of the most successful projects due to the enthusiasm of the community through which they acquired certain ownership of the building as a whole.

“The success of this project was that the renovation activities were performed very quickly and very well due to the active participation of the community”, - said Irina Saghoyan, Save the Children Armenia Country Representative.

“I would never imagine ...”

Before renovation		After renovation

“It seemed to me that everything had been finished in my life…”

When our working group entered Filor Manukyan’s room at the communal center and started taking measurement, excited he began telling his family’s dramatic story. His wife and daughter died from the earthquake in 1988, and his son was killed in the Karabakh war.

After all this he moved to Yerevan and settled in one of the rooms at the communal center. The room was almost in a ruined state. The plasters of both the ceiling and the walls were fallen, there was no standpipe and water faucet, and even the entrance door was broken.
The work was hard for the repair team. But the hardship was overcome due to the persistent and selfless work of the repairmen.
When the work was completed, the beneficiary confessed: “It seemed to me that everything had been finished in my life…”

Before renovation		After renovation

They got shelter…

“Thank you, kind people!” This is the beginning of a letter addressed to the editorial office of “Novoe Vremya” periodical and Mission Armenia signed by Maria Aslanova, a 91-year-old refugee from Baku, Azerbaijan. You will ask the reason? The woman, which is an oil industry technologist by speciality, author of a textbook for higher educational schools, owner of many orders and medals, together with two sons was deprived of any corner to live in. When Mission Armenia employees first went to her, she was in a so-called bed consisted of a mouldering metal bedstead with lots of garbage around. How did it happen? Her story is as follows.
Mrs. Aslanova, who was a one-time famous leader of an Azerbaijani trade union, became one of the victims of the well-known events against the Armenians in Azerbaijan in 1990. Due to her acquaintances in Baku, together with her 97-year-old mother, she managed to leave the country on a terry-boat. Then they arrived in Krasnovodsk, Turkmenistan and later came to Armenia where they lived in various communal centers and sanatoriums before they could settle in their home in Yerevan. Seemed like everything would be ok, but they soon lost their house and had to wander from one place to another in search of a place to live. As a result, since June 2004 they – Maria and her two sons (the sons had come from various towns of the former Soviet Union where they spent several years in search of job) had to stay at a half-wrecked dangerous building without any doors and windows.

Mission Armenia heard about these unfortunate people from an article published in “Novoe Vremya” and hurried to extend a helping hand. Maria was taken to the organization’s Health Recovery Center. The old woman writes in her letter: “This was what I needed first of all. They accepted me warmly, affectionately, and laid me on a snow-white bed in a tidy room, and for the first time for a long period I felt like a human being. The only thing I needed for full happiness was a good book.”
This story has a happy end. Fortunately, soon the problem of the shelter of these people was resolved as well. The Department of Migration and Population under the Government of Armenia allocated a room in a Communal Center to them. And though the room was dirty, without window glasses and a sink, Mission Armenia quickly arranged everything for the family.
Mrs. Aslanova writes: “I want to mention that whoever I met at the charity organization, irrespective of their position and grade, were skillful and worthy of respect. It is a great plus for the organization and it is the achievement of its President, Hripsime Kirakosyan.”
“Thank you, kind people”, is the end of Maria’s letter.

It Wasn’t Such Before…

Among the people that have benefited from the house heating program are Artsvik and Armik Terzyans. One of them is bed-ridden and unable to move or do anything by herself. The second sister is almost in the same health state and can hardly move. They live alone and have no relatives to help them.

Mission Armenia has been serving the Terzyans since 1995. The care-provider visits them three-four times a week and does all kinds of work that is needed - house-cleaning, food provision, bathing, laundry, etc. Besides, the medical team has taken them under the control and provides relevant medical aid.

While visiting the sisters Hratsh Kiujian, the Head of the Australian office saw them lying in their beds. Their care-provider was in the middle of her work in that house. She explained that she had already cleaned the rooms, cooked the meal and helped the sisters with feeding, as they were unable to do it by themselves. The rest of the work - wash up and laundry, foot hygiene, etc. - still were to be done.

The guest turned to the one of the sisters: "Mrs. Artsvik, please tell us about yourselves…" And a whole life story followed the request. The sisters were born in Van, which is now in Turkey. Their father was killed there during the armed conflict. And the sisters' mother could hardly escape during the Armenian Genocide in 1915. The two old people had experienced almost an entire century full of difficult life…

"By the way, - she said, - I had a very nice voice, soprano, when I was young…" Yet now her voice was as trembling as her hands.

It would be wise to change the topic. "What about the care that is provided to you, Mrs. Artsvik?" She said, "Oh, we would not be alive any more if not that organization and kind people. They do everything for us… You see? How clean our home is… It wasn't such before our care-provider came. How warm our home is… It wasn't such… It wasn't such before we were given the heater. It just saves our bodies from being completely frozen. I know that kind people from Australia and the States have helped us to have it. If you knew how grateful we are for it…"

The renovated house and the renewed life

When Mission Armenia repair team entered Seda Koshtoyan’s apartment for making relevant preparations to start the renovation, she could not believe that her apartment might be renovated and cried out in surprise. “You descended from Heaven!”

It should be mentioned that her apartment was in semi-destroyed condition. Most of the plaster of the ceiling in kitchen and in her room had fallen off, the parquet in corridor was entirely pulled out.

After accomplishing the renovation in her apartment, she said in tears and excited: “I had already resigned myself with death, thinking that this very death is so close, but due to this work of yours you granted me a new life. I am very grateful to your wonderful organization”.

A new breath to Hripsime

10 year-old Hripsime Danielyan from Lichk communal center in Aragatsotn Marz is disabled from birth and cannot walk.

The family is very vulnerable and could not afford the cost of purchasing a wheelchair. Within all these years Hripsime has had no chance to go out and hence, she has been isolated from all and been ridden to bed. The parents kept on applying to different organizations for wheelchair request, but no one would support them. Having lost their hope they stopped initiating anything when Mission Armenia targeted that refugee community.

Due to time and effort consuming process Mission Armenia managed to acquire a wheelchair from the Armenian Missionary Association. It is impossible to describe the joy and happiness the family members had, saying: “At last our daughter can breathe fresh air”.

The New Year Present

Lady Lyudmila Toumasova, her daughter and granddaughter are ethnic Armenians who had a narrow escape from Baku pogroms having been settled in a refugee communal center. Once this building was a hostel and perhaps there had been no renovation carried out after the maintenance of the building. The poor state of this suit was a good proof of it.

Very carelessly had been done the electricity wire installation and it was presenting a hazard.

Mission Armenia repair team initiated a renovation of the suit and reinstallation of the electricity wires.

Remarkable was the fact that we accomplished all the activities on December 30th, thus presenting a unique gift to this old lady on the New Year Eve. “I will remember this during all my life and will be blessing you and your organization”, she said as a farewell.

A Recovered Health

The beneficiaries of the Mission Armenia Health Recovery Center are frail old people who need 24-hour intensive health care, yet they live alone and have no one beside them to assist.

88 year-old Arfenya Mirzoyan from Yerevan Aeratsia communal center was under regular care by Mission Armenia. She had fallen and got leg fracture. Due to quick and mobilized actions taken the organization’s staff arranged the hospitalization, transportation, relevant in-patient interventions (plaster etc.) covering also the costs requested at the hospital. After which the patient was taken to the Yerevan Nor Nork temporary Recovery Center of Mission Armenia where she was under 24-hour care and medical surveillance by the health and care personnel. Appropriate medical treatment, personal care and the human nice and warm treatment by the staff gave positive results in stabilizing Arfenya’s health and psychological status.

The Kind Lady Elbis

Since the very day we started the renovation, Elbis Torosyan, a frail old lady, who had faced many bitter strikes of fate, yet she had remained exclusively kind and vivacious, would ask the repair team workers not to do profound renovation, but just perform everything superficially, justifying her request with the feeling that she did not want to cause any additional trouble to the workers. And very often she had to “complain” of the detailed and scrupulous work of theirs.

“I have never caused any trouble to anyone and I feel awkward when I see you working so hard and diligently for my apartment.”

When the renovation was accomplished she gave a hug to the masters and said: “I bow before you and your organization, you have done so much for me”.

“Self Help Is the Best Help”

Mission Armenia has developed different feasible and reliable models for assisting refugees living in temporary shelter. Apart from the provision of social-health services, the organization helps them initiate family income generating activities encouraging them to independently solve their problems, getting the refugees out from "humanitarian trap", changing their mentality that of a passive recipient under the motto "Self-help is the best help".

The micro-financing projects that include provision of interest-free loans to the refugees are one of the best ways of achieving this goal.

Mrs. Hasmik’s family that lives at Artsakh communal center in Yerevan has benefited from this project having set up small shop at the communal center that serves both the refugee dwellers of that center and the personnel of the neighboring factory. Due to purposeful handling the family had a chance to procure car, and it enabled them further expand the activities and currently apart from food commodities they sell household and agricultural items as well, which is very important for the community. The point is that the communal center is located in an isolated place far from city traffic and shops, whereas most of the dwellers are aged persons and they have to walk miles for shopping, even for the basic items.

As for Hasmik’s family, this shop has become for them a good opportunity for getting family income, slowly yet steadily acquiring confidence toward their abilities and belief in their future.

“You came to my rescue in the sunset of my life”

The one-room apartment of Shushanik Demirtshoghlyan was in total soot caused by a fire kindled of kerosene heater.

Even a toilet and the bathroom were in soot. Lady Shishanik had to keep on living in that apartment, whereas she was a very clean and neat ‘granny’. And this state of things has caused her much suffering and pain.

Mission Armenia renovated her apartment. There were no traces, even vague ones, of the fire any more. Within the entire process of renovation she would say but one sentence in excitement: “You came to my rescue in the sunset of my life”.