Earthquake Victims Cherish New Apartments

Forty apartments were built in 1998 and distributed to people from Giumri City, which suffered the most from the devastating earthquake of December 7, 1988.

Temporary shelters in Giumri, Republic of Armenia. Photo by Bob Ellis.

Forty needy families became the immediate beneficiaries of the Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP) housing project. The target group included the most vulnerable people in society — orphans living with grandparents or relatives, chronically ill people, families with handicapped members, poor people.

Residents of Giumri, Republic of Armenia. Photo by Bob Ellis.

Thousands of homes had been destroyed in a day and temporary shelters became the most common type of building in Giumri. The people who faced both discouragement and challenges, highs and lows, joys and loneliness, had given up any hope of moving into the new apartments. The excitement and tears of joy in the people's eyes were not surprising. After living in the shelters with leaking roofs, rail floors, without sewage and water supply, the people got an opportunity to live in the accommodations that meet international standards. The region is provided with a water supply, heating, and sewage systems.

By Alina Hovhannisyan
Spiritual Uplift Program Officer — Armenia
Jinishian Memorial Program

Dreams of New Jobs Provide Bedding to Kids

"Yerevak," a non-government organization (NGO), is one of many newly registered charitable NGO's in the Republic of Armenia. It is located in the city of Noyemberian, Tavush region, which was one of the well-developed and rich regions of Armenia during the Soviet period. Almost all kindergartens of the former Noyemberian region needed children's bedding. Last time they received bedding was more than eight to ten years ago.

The members and managers of the Yerevak organization, while organizing the NGO, had a dream to produce bedding and to help the city of Noyemberian and surrounding villages' kindergartens by providing them with children's bedding.

Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP) is one of the first organizations to assist Yerevak in its plans and dreams. With the support of JMP, Yerevak organized a small producer of children's bedding and more than 350 children in Noyemberian and the region's kindergartens received the necessary amount of bedding. Yerevak not only assisted the kindergartens but also used the funds provided by JMP in small business development. Mr. Sasha Gishian, the manager of the project, will continue the assistance and help more and more children's organizations in the region. The project created five jobs and thus five more families in Noyemberian have a small but stable income.

By Rouben Krikyan
Relief Program Officer — Armenia
Jinishian Memorial Program

From Garbage Dump Into Winery

"Van 777" LTD Co. is a newly created company, which specializes in wine production in the village of Taperakan, Ararat region.

"Van 777" LTD Co. applied for a Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP) grant within the frame of the small business development program at the beginning of its activity and planned to establish a winery at a place which was a garbage dump of the village. With JMP assistance the company achieved very good results -- the territory was absolutely cleaned, two sections of wine production were built with all the necessary equipment and a wine cellar. The administration of the "Van 777" LTD Co. does its best to keep the quality of the wine at the highest level in Armenia and it is exciting to see that the "Tushpa" wine is successfully sold in almost all stores in Yerevan and in all of Armenia. Presently, the company has already created at least 20 new jobs and it continues to develop. It is nice to realize that there are people who can turn a garbage dump into a wonderful winery.

By Armen Stepanyan
Community Development Program Officer — Armenia
Jinishian Memorial Program

Silikian Refugee Camp

"How happy are you who own nothing, for you will be satisfied." (Luke 6:21)

Caring for the people forced to leave their birthplace and become refugees, who live in metal wagons, who mostly are unemployed and live in terrible social and financial conditions, is one of the priorities of Jinishian Memorial Program (JMP) in Armenia. Therefore, in cooperation with the "Paykar aghkatutian dem" (Struggle Against Poverty) organization, JMP implemented a project aimed to make life a little easier for refugees. Struggle Against Poverty is one of the active new non-governmental organizations in Armenia, working with refugees from other former Soviet republics.

Around 50 refugee families are still living in metal wagons (meant to be temporary shelters) in a refugee camp in the Silikian district, near the city of Yerevan. Among 78 children living here are 61 schoolchildren. Small government pensions and stipends are the only sources of income for many families. The parents are not even able to afford expenses for school supplies for their children.

JMP-Armenia provided all necessary school supplies to all the children of the refugee camp. Each family member received basic hygiene supplies, too. The refugees were very grateful to JMP and Struggle Against Poverty for their warm attention. They said that only a few organizations still remember that the needs of refugees in Armenia remain urgent. JMP will continue its assistance to refugees by helping them satisfy their daily needs.

By Rouben Krikyan
Relief Program Officer — Armenia
Jinishian Memorial Program