2007 Galleries

Opening of the Metsamor Children's Clubroom : As part of the A Healthy Start Project, Mission East and Nur, our local NGO partner, are working closely with community leaders to establish children’s clubrooms in 11 communities in Armavir Region. The purpose of the clubrooms is to provide an environment in each community where disabled and non-disabled children can meet, get to know each other, and spend time together pursuing activities of mutual interest. On 3 October, Mission East, Nur and the community of Metsamor inaugurated the first clubroom. The clubroom occupies 3 rooms on the ground floor of the kindergarten in Metsamor. Over the past few months the space has undergone a thorough renovation. The walls and ceilings are newly painted. Drafty wooden-framed windows have been replaced with double glazed prefab units. A concrete ramp now leads up to the entrance from a playground outside. The renovation also included the transformation of one of the rooms into a newly tiled, wheel-chair accessible bathroom/toilet with hot and cold water. The day was cool and sunny. Celebrants gathered in the playground at the foot of the ramp. They included several prominent local and regional figures. The mayor of Metsamor was there. He has consistently supported the clubroom renovation with municipal appropriations and oversight. The deputy regional governor, herself a medical doctor, was also there. She has taken a great interest in the A Healthy Start Project. Her support has been a key factor in the continued progress of the project. Mission East staff, Nur staff and staff from the other partners in the Healthy Start project were there in full force. Parents and community members made up the biggest contingent of celebrants. After a few brief speeches we moved up the ramp and through the door. Under the mayor’s leadership, we inaugurated the clubrooms n the Armenian way by sharing bread and salt. Then we got a chance to explore the space and investigate the activities that Nur staff had set up. Several parents brought their children and they had the pleasure of opening the paints, blocks, chess set and books. The opening of our first clubroom in Metsamor was an important milestone for the A Healthy Start Project. We were thrilled at having come this far and doubly thrilled at the warm response of the community. In the next month we are scheduling openings for three or four more clubrooms. Alfred Waldstein, Mission East Community Development Advisor

Opening of the Metsamor Children's Clubroom

As part of the A Healthy Start Project, Mission East and Nur, our loca ...

Updated: Oct 20, 2007 10:19am PST

The opening of Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre : Managing Director Kim Hartzner held the following speech at the opening of the Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre: "Honored guests, Minister Vartanyan, Deputy Ministers, Marzpetaran Ghaharmanyan, dear Ara, Members of Parliament and Government departments, partners, colleagues, parents and friends, You may ask yourselves why we in Mission East have invited you to come all the way to Armavir to see a new building, a Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre. Let me tell you why we have invited you to come: Because in Armavir, and particularly in the western parts of this region, there are hundreds of children who because of their disability, and often combined poverty and lack of attention by doctors, and sometimes even parents, simply have not had a chance in this life. Until this center was built. I have visited children in what used to be stables for the animals. I have seen whole families with four children surviving on the disability pension of one child – 5900 drams for a family of four children. I have seen children suffering diseases that in other countries could have easily been prevented, heart disease, metabolic diseases and others, and I have seen children who for one reason or other have been given a diagnosis which was as far from the reality as it could be. A child with muscular dystrophy who was told he was suffering from a lack of vitamins – and thus never got a chance to use the little muscle power he had left. Or a child who had spent eight months with his arm in a cast – a socalled treatment that left him severely disabled and almost unable to walk. Now these children, and hundreds more, have a chance to get the treatment and long-term follow-up care they need – thanks to the Mission East project, this center, and thanks to our partners in Arabkir, Bridge of Hope and Nur. Recently, Mission East finished a detailed survey of hundreds of children involved in this project, and among the many astonishing results were the facts that in the region west of Armavir less than half of all disabled children had received any treatment for their condition, and over a third of the children who had been to a doctor received no follow-up treatment whatsoever. In January of last year, with funding from the Danish Government, Mission East started the Healthy Start project, aiming to change the attitudes in society toward the disabled and the healthcare practices necessary to insure disabled children are actually included in society and given a chance for a better future. Mission East works with ARabkir as our medical partner, BOH as our partner in advocacy and awareness, and Nur is working in 11 communities of ARmavir, informing the parents about the new possibilities for care, and helping them to get over the shame which is one of the most crippling factors affecting the lives of the 850 children we have included in this project so far. And finally, our partner COAF is renovating four of the seven Children’s Clubs involved in the project, which will serve as an outlet for many children who have never before had a chance to play. But this is not the end. With the support of the Armenian Government and with continued support of the Danish Government and our international partners, notably UNICEF, we shall continue to support the replication of this model approach throughout Armenia, moving on to Gegharkunik and Tavush marz hopefully by the beginning of 2008. In this great venture – saving the lives and providing a future for thousands of Armenian children – Mission East is counting on the continued support of all of you, the Armenian Government, the Marzpetaran authorities, our partners, colleagues, donors and friends, Thank you"

The opening of Child Development and Rehabilitation Centre

Managing Director Kim Hartzner held the following speech at the openin ...

Updated: Oct 05, 2007 4:36am PST

Armenia 07 general photos : This is a collection of photos of Mission East's work in Armenia that aren't related to a particulr project

Armenia 07 general photos

This is a collection of photos of Mission East's work in Armenia that ...

Updated: Jun 20, 2007 5:48am PST

07 Special needs education project : This gallery shows some photos from spring 2007 from our special needs education programme in Armenia. Working in special schools and mainstream schools the overall aim is to support 'Education for All' including an inclusive approach to education in Armenia. Along the way this means supporting curricula and teaching improvements to ensure that kids with special needs get an education that is right for them, working with parents and teachers and schools, as well as policy makers. The change in children's lives from getting a basic, accessible education is amazing! This is a project Mission East is really proud of. Some of the pictures show that more assistance is needed to improved some school conditions.

07 Special needs education project

This gallery shows some photos from spring 2007 from our special needs ...

Updated: Jun 20, 2007 5:38am PST

Mikael Jarnvig ny ambassadør for Mission Øst : Meteorologen Mikael Jarnvig, kendt fra tv, har sagt ja til at støtte Mission Østs arbejde for at sætte fokus på de kriser, der ofte drukner i det store mediebillede. The Danish weatherman Mikael Jarnvig, known from TV, has agreed to support Mission East's work because he wants to attract attention to some of the world’s forgotten crises.

Mikael Jarnvig ny ambassadør for Mission Øst

Meteorologen Mikael Jarnvig, kendt fra tv, har sagt ja til at støtte M ...

Updated: Apr 16, 2007 7:37am PST

School No. 17 for children with musculoskeletal disorders : • School no. 17 in Yerevan is the only special needs school in Armenia specialising in the care of children with musculoskeletal disorders. The school is a massive Soviet structure located at the top of a road with very bad pavement (almost impossible to get to for someone going in a wheelchair!). It was part of the 008 education project and from 2003-2005 under joint supervision by Mission East and local partner Bridge of Hope, since September of last year only by Bridge of Hope: In essence, the teaching methodologies are now superb, and the results are shown in the lives of the children. But – apart from a few rooms in the building that have undergone renovation – most of the building is in such a deplorable state that only parts of it are accessible, with parts of the building now closed off, as it is simply too dangerous to be there! Even in the current access areas, rain is literally coming down through holes in the roof, with pools of water in different places. In the winter time, it is literally freezing in the corridors! School no. 17 is run by this fantastic lady, Amalia Arutyunyan, who has worked there for 23 years, and is completely dedicated to the 80 children at the school. Watching her showing us around the building, avoiding the pools of water on the ground, and opening rooms where children and their parents now apply the Mission East -introduced teaching methodologies, is an experience one will not easily forget: before, the parents were more hesitant to send their children to the school. Now, despite the horrible physical conditions, the parents are even more eager to send their children there, seeing that indeed they get teaching, and that indeed they can get a future. After finishing school, some children now have jobs such as cooks or even educators in the school! Many of the children have difficulties sitting still, as they used to do in the past. But with the introduction of the new flexible curriculum, the teaching of the children is adapted to the needs of every individual child!

School No. 17 for children with musculoskeletal disorders

• School no. 17 in Yerevan is the only special needs school in Armenia ...

Updated: Mar 04, 2007 5:41am PST

First Conference of Disabled Children's Parents in Armenia :

First Conference of Disabled Children's Parents in Armenia

Updated: Aug 07, 2007 5:57am PST

Opening of the Karakert Children's Clubroom : The fruits of kindness As part of the A Healthy Start Project, Mission East and Nur, our local NGO partner, are working closely with community leaders to establish children’s clubrooms in 11 communities in Armavir Region. The purpose of the clubrooms is to provide an environment in each community where disabled and non-disabled children can meet, get to know each other, and spend time together pursuing activities of mutual interest. Armavir, in the southwestern part of Armenia, located between the four peaked mountain of Aragats and the Biblical mountain Ararat, is one of the eleven regions of the republic of Armenia. It is famous for its fertile lowlands and beautiful landscapes, but in recent years has been known for the extreme poverty and unemployment that hit the region following the collapse of the Soviet Union with the inherent loss of markets for the agricultural products Armavir is famous for – fruits, vegetables and wine. Those who have employment are mostly seasonal agricultural workers, and therefore most skilled men have left their homes and have sought employment abroad, mostly in Russia. The women are often left to themselves, spending months, sometimes years, without any news from their husbands, having to survive on the meagre funds that sometime arrive, taking care of their children, and trying to make ends meet by taking odd jobs in the fields. In the western part of Armavir, a recent survey carried out by Mission East showed that nearly half of the children identified as disabled in the communities west of the regional center (town of Armavir) had received no treatment for their conditions, and over a third of the children identified in these communities that had seen a doctor, had received no follow-up treatment. All of the villages in the western part of the province are built in an area lacking drinking water. The villages were constructed as part of the Soviet planning, without consideration of the basic needs of the population. The largest of these villages, Karakert (means ‘made of stone’) is included in “A Healthy Start” project. Even though even the name of the village speaks about the difficulties people meet living there, despite all the poverty and misery, the population have not lost their humanity, hospitality and sincerity. Sveta Hakobyan, director of Mission East partner Nur, mentioned that “The clubroom is a place where the children can play with each other, get independence and the parents can help each other to lighten their burdens by talking and associating with them”. “A Healthy Start” project is a significant and very important event for the people in Karakert. The inauguration of “Emanuel” children’s clubroom in Karakert on October 19th was a cornerstone in the mission of integrating both disabled and able-bodied children of the community. One of the key purposes of the clubroom is to support the building of friendly and closer relationships between the parents of the children of Karakert. Different meetings, round table discussions and on-the-job trainings will help the parents become more aware of their rights and responsibilities. They will become stronger and braver to advocate for their children’s rights. “I hope the children’s clubroom will support the children and their parents to become maximally involved in the social activities, thus becoming the “creators” of their brighter future”, said Hermine Ginosyan, Project co-ordinator of Nur. The meetings to be organized in the “Emanuel” clubroom will give the parents an opportunity to discuss the problems that are most urgent for their community and make efforts towards solving these problems. Hopefully, day by day, the number of children in the clubroom will increase and all the supplies and equipments provided in the clubroom will support the children in their development. One of the volunteers in the Healthy Start project, Liana Khudoyan, is the mother of six-year old Karen, a boy with a hearing problem. Karen had the great honor of cutting the rope for the inauguration of the Karakert Children’s Clubroom. About her son, Liana says: “In the beginning he had no problems. However, he fell down at the age of six months. At the time, we did not notice anything, only that he never said anything. When Karen was two years old he uttered some words and my husband and I thought that the child would speak a little bit later and that this really was not any problem. Then later, we noticed that Karen did not react when he was playing outside and we tried to call him. We therefore took him to a hospital in Yerevan, where he was diagnosed with a hearing problem. Two years ago, doctors from Mission East partner, Arabkir Children’s hospital, came to visit the village of Karakert. Karen’s grandmother had asked that pediatrician Nune Alexanian should screen the child. Following this, Karen was referred to Arabkir for speech therapy and was given a hearing aid. The parents of Karen are very satisfied with the services provided by Arabkir. Initially, Karen had problems with noise from his hearing aid, but now he is used to wearing the device. Now, Karen is able to speak and knows the letters. Until recently, Karen had to travel to Yerevan for speech therapy, but with the recent opening of the Child Development and Rehabiliation Center in Armavir, as part of the Mission East project, Karen is now able to get follow-up care closer to his home. About the opening of clubrooms in the communities of Armavir, Karen’s mother says: “The clubrooms will support the children to be included into the team work, overcome a number of complexes, get new friends and receive professional care”.

Opening of the Karakert Children's Clubroom

The fruits of kindness As part of the A Healthy Start Project, Mis ...

Updated: Oct 29, 2007 10:58pm PST

QSI school visit to Gavar Special School Oct 2007 : For the past eight years, Mission East has worked to help the Special School in Gavar, where children with special needs from the large region of Gegharkunik come to go to school, and many of whom to live. Gavar Special School is the only one of its kind in the entire region. Unfortunately, the school only accommodates some 100 students. Surveys however show that there are around 700 special needs children in the entire region – in other words, 600 children are still living at home with their parents or elsewhere, often hidden away from the rest of their communities – a legacy of the Soviet era where having a disabled child was considered a great shame. Since 1999 Mission East has carried out a number of interventions aiming to improve the lives of the children in Gavar: • Self-help program with community inputs, painting all the classrooms in the school • Painting the corridors, classrooms and floors • Renovating bathrooms, toilets, washing facilities, and the kitchen • Facilitating the provision of a vehicle for fetching children in far-away villages • Renovating laundry room and showers • Assisting in other fundraising activities • Introducing a new curriculum of teaching special needs children based on their individual abilities and educational needs And finally, last year, together with students from QSI, we started a service project, encouraging students from QSI to provide assistance to the children at Gavar Special School. After our first trip there in November of last year, the students from QSI made great efforts to collect toys and educational materials for the children in Gavar, and in March of this year, during our second visit, the many donations were handed over to the 92 students at Gavar who were thrilled to receive the gifts, but who were equally thrilled to have found new friends from other parts of the world. Finally, on October 16th, 21 students from QSI travelled to Gavar in order to hand over sports equipment purchased with funds raised through a bake sale and an ice cream sale at QSI. Here below, four students from QSI each give their description of this very special day, and at the bottom of this gallery, pictures tell the entire story. Kim Hartzner, MD, Managing Director of Mission East On October 16th all of us from the QSI school in Yerevan were excited to go on yet another trip to Gavar. When we arrived in Gavar, my father made a couple of speeches and spoke about the work Mission East had carried out in the school since we were there last time. The director of the school, Lavrik Arevshatyan, also made a speech and told us about the program for the day. We started by touring the premises, which by now were quite familiar to us. We also saw some of the classrooms that Mission East had renovated and met some of the new children that had come to the school. Then we were divided into three groups: The girls were to attend either sewing or embroidery classes, and all the boys first went to join the shoe-making class. There were some really, really nice shoes. And then we went to the woodcrafts class, where we tried to make some crosses and also learnt how to use a saw. Then we were gathered again and went to the dining hall where we ate with all the students from Gavar and were treated to the same lunch that they got. Then we were divided into two teams, mixing students from Gavar and QSI, and we had a really good game of football, with my team (the orange) winning 5-4. At last we were called together one more time, because all of us from QSI had gathered money through a bake sale and an ice cream sale, and for the money we had collected we had bought a lot of sports equipment with fine Nike balls and other good things for the Gavar students. We had had a great day in Gavar and had learnt a lot about the lives of others, and how we ourselves should be better at appreciating what we have. We said our goodbyes to the Gavar students, and went back to our bus and hoped we would soon be able to go to Gavar again. Philip Hartzner, 11 year-old class Trip to Gavar 2007 After the visit to Gavar School during 2006, the second trip was easier. The flowers were still in bloom and the trees still had some of their leaves. The weather was windy when we left and during the ride however, the weather softened and even became warm after the tour! The tour was started by a couple of speeches, one by Dr. Hartzner and another by the director of Gavar school both translated by an Armenian American. After the speeches were held outside, we were let into a dark hallway which I remember from last year’s trip. All the children seemed amazed. Some of them knew us, and others were just extremely happy about our visit. I don’t think they have seen so many people visit at once for a year. They all knew Dr. Hartzner, though, and were delighted to greet him again. He had changed their lives to something enjoyable, instead of risks and boredom and in some cases, suffering. We all were led through the building, the director talking to Dr. Hartzner who was walking very fast. I guess we had a lot to see. We were all let into one room. It was enough for 4-5 first grade students. There were two new if I remember right and already the director had memorized the whole class’ names. The director is extremely caring for the children! It was told to the speech and it entered our minds when he calmly strode his hand on the new boy’s head, announcing his name and telling us that he was new. I had to translate a couple of times, as it wasn’t told very loud. But even my translation was interrupted when we were divided into boys and girls. The girls had two groups as they were twice as many girls than boys. We, the boys, followed Dr. Hartzner into the shoe-crafting room, while the girls were led to some other place. In the shoe-crafting room, children had the opportunity to design and create shoes. Max was the first to sit beside a boy. Lucky! He was told to carefully cut a piece of cloth which had been glued onto the leather of the shoe while the photograph took pictures of the event. Alain and I were looking at made shoes. Some of them looked like boots that had been damaged from playing soccer in the snow or something like that. They were missing a rubber bottom part of the shoe. Otherwise the front of the shoe needed to be painted yellow or the leather had to be changed. Then we were called to be seated beside a professional twelve year old shoe maker, or at least that’s what I noticed about him. He was quick and at the same time knew what he was doing. He was gluing the first layer of cloth to the inner side of the shoe to the leather. He passed me the glue and a brush. He said something to me that I didn’t quite catch because of Dr. Hartzner’s explanation of the room. And so Alain who sat beside me translated and I was to use as little glue as possible; it must have been expensive! I glued the all the sides on the leather except one which the by told me not to glue. When I finished, he firmly stomped the piece of glued leather onto a layer of cloth which was in front of me on the table. Now it was Alain’s turn. He was told to cut the cloth carefully as to not cut into the leather. It must also have been expensive; for it was real! After ten minutes or so of working with the kids on making shoes, the tour went on into a room which I had seen before, but in a worse condition. It was the crafting room where the children made objects, manly crosses, and small stools. I both helped saw five pieces of wood with Gurgen using a two handed, two personed saw, and made a cross from pieces of wood off the ground. Then it was time to eat, so we hurriedly went down the stairs into the dining room, children already starting to ask if we wanted to play soccer, just like last year. Fanta and a quick put-together of bread, meat and vegetables was served and it was forbidden, Dr. Hartzner said, to sit beside someone you knew. And so I placed myself close to someone whom I met last year. He was 12 and his name was Hovannes. He was very Christian, he said, and loved when we, the QSI school of Yerevan, came to visit. He was very poor and therefore lives and eats at the school because his parents couldn’t supply food. Finally it was time for the match, and so everybody hurried outside to make their teams. It was all mixed so that it would be fair, but it never was in my opinion. And so after the match, everybody was called together and the supplies, all different sorts of balls, were given out and some speeches were made. I had to translate a lot because there were some students going around collecting all our names. There was one very nice kid who asked if we were going. I sadly answered “yes” or “ha” in Armenian. Then we slowly went into the bus, shaking hands with the soccer players, either enemy or allay, and went into the bus. We all shouted bye in Armenian and the bus started to move. Another trip to Gavar was ending; we were all quiet for a moment, whishing that we could go again tomorrow. Sebastian Pedersen, 13 year-old class 16-10-07 Gavar School Today was our trip to Gavar Special School which is a very nice school for children with special needs. Children that have been treated unfairly and left on the streets by their parents or relatives also live there. Since the last time I visited Gavar School, I noticed progress. Now, the building looks cleaner and many of the rooms have now been renovated. As we approached the building, many of the students were standing in the entrance waiting for us to visit their school. They all looked very happy. I was myself delighted to see the smiles on their faces. Next, we went on a tour around the school. Most the classrooms appeared to be the same, but the playroom and one of the bedrooms had been renovated and looked as pretty and neat as a new pin. The renovated rooms both had light pink walls, which looked very attractive, and there were also new beds in the bedrooms. The playrooms even had a new T.V, and music system. Gavar Special School had changed a lot. We were then separated in two groups to attend some of the classes. My group went to the sewing class. It was very fun to sew on pictures. At first, I didn’t quite understand how to sew, and I was horrible at it. But, after a while, I began to get better at it, and could sew properly. The students there were very kind and helped us when we needed their aid. Next, we had lunch with the Gavar students. Although all of us had brought our own lunches, we ate what the school gave us, and not our lunches. After that, we went to play soccer with the Gavar students, but the teams were mixed, so it wasn’t QSI against Gavar School. Even though I did not play, I could notice that the Gavar students were excellent at the game. They even had professional soccer shirts, so we knew that they were really into the game. Just before leaving, we gave the school brand- new sports equipment that we had earned money for by the “Bake Sale” and the “Ice- cream sale”. They were all delighted. Lastly, we all said our “byes” to the students of Gavar and set off towards our school. Our trip to Gavar Special School was a very successful one. I had a lot of fun to get to know the students more thoroughly, since they were all very kind and generous. And, since I enjoyed this trip so much, I wish that we could visit the wonderful school again. Kirti Pujari, 12 year-old class October 19, 2007 When we went to Gavar Special School On Tuesday October, 16 we went to Gavar Special School. This school helps orphans, children with disabilities, and children with learning problems. Mission East is the organization that is helping the school get everything it needs. As a QSIY school representative I am delighted to see the school take so much process and endeavor to make it a better place. When we first arrived there last year, it was incredulous. The weather was freezing and there were no heating systems. The kids had 3 playrooms that were being renovated, but they didn’t have toys. The rooms were VERY dirty and dusty; the children had to sleep in army cots that didn’t keep them warm in the winter. We all felt very unhappy for the kids, so we decided to make a change. First we decided on collecting as many toys as possible, the whole school helped by bringing their old toys (they had to be in good shape). When we first got them there the kids were SO happy that they started getting us and taking us to see their school and rooms. Then we thought of doing a bake sale to gain as much money as possible. We got a lot of money, about 60,000 drams. After that we did an ice cream sale that was a really BIG hit. Mr. Gillis’ class girls did a LOT of posters regarding this ice cream sale. The 6 representatives met at lunch time to talk about, and organize this sale. With that we got a lot of money, and with the help of Tomas ( my brother) who found a 50 dram coin in the floor and gave it to the fund raiser, we could buy a lot of sport equipment for the kids. We were in the bus thinking of what the kids were doing at that time. When we arrived the kids were very anxious to see us .They came and shook our hands and even stare at us with their big brown eyes. We all got inside. Arevshat, the principal whose last name means a lot of sun, showed us how the school has changed a lot. There was a room that last time was being fixed, that when we came this time it was all done and painted, and the kids were already sleeping on it. The Principal Arevshat told us that the kids that would stay to sleep would fight to sleep in this warm cozy room. In the room I even saw some of the toys I gave, that told me that these kids really take care of their toys and personal objects. Then Mr. Harzner broke us into three groups sewing, that was the one I was in, knitting, and woodwork. Since there were no seats left I had to sit next to two girls, they told me what their names were, Lucine and Marine, I don’t quite remember the names correctly, but I do remember how they looked. Lucine asked me where I was from and when I told her I was from Argentina she gasped, surprisingly thought. Then when went to have lunch. All the kids were so exited to sit next to us that in our table one of them nearly spilled their fanta cup! I was sitting next to a boy who, I guess, was sad or angry. So I tried to cheer him up asking him if he wanted some sandwich or some fanta, but he said “che”, no in Armenian. Lucine, who was sitting next to Kyle, asked me once more where I came from, I told her again, she scuttled to catch up with another little girl and told her were I came from. After a while when all of us had finished eating, we went to play soccer. The kids at Gavar School are GREAT at soccer. There was a boy about my age, or more, that kicked the soccer ball while in the air. The orange team won, but we didn’t get mad or anything because we didn’t want to get the kids sad. When we finished the soccer game, we went to catch up with Mr. and Mrs. Gillis. We were going home. So now it was time to give the sports equipment to Aravshat, the principal, Margaret ( Maggie) Ryan said a little speech about how we gained the money and why we gained it. When we gave the sports equipment to the principal and P.E teacher, the kids were jumping up and down, they were REALLY exited. The kids were rummaging around the bags. We said good bye, and then I thought “will we ever see them again?” ~Mercedes Alvarez, 12 year-old class

QSI school visit to Gavar Special School Oct 2007

For the past eight years, Mission East has worked to help the Special ...

Updated: Nov 05, 2007 5:57am PST

Åbning af Børneklubben i Karakert den 19. okt. 2007 : Kære venner Som led i vores projekt ”En sund start” samarbejder Mission Øst og vores lokale partner, NGOen Nur med ledere af lokalsamfund om at etablere børneklubber i 11 lokalsamfund i Armavir regionen. Formålet med børneklubberne er at tilbyde et miljø i hvert lokalområde hvor handikappede børn kan mødes, lære hinanden at kende og i fællesskab tilegne sig aktiviteter af fælles interesse. Armavir, som ligger i den sydvestlige del af Armenien, lige midt mellem bjerget Aragats med de fire tinder og det bibelske Ararat, er en ud af 11 regioner, som tilsammen udgør republikken Armenien. Området er kendt for dets frugtbare lavland og smukke landskaber, men de senere år har det mere været kendt for den enorme fattigdom og arbejdsløshed, som ramte regionen i kølvandet på Sovjetunionens sammenbrud. Den medfølgende konsekvens heraf var tab af marked for de landbrugsprodukter Armavir er så berømt for: Frugt, grønsager og vin. De folk, der rent faktisk har et arbejde, er for det meste landbrugsarbejdere, hvis arbejde er sæsonbundet. Mange af de mere veluddannede mænd har søgt arbejde udenfor landets grænser, typisk i Rusland. Kvinderne er så overladt til dem selv og tilbringer ofte måneder, sommetider endda år, uden at høre nyt fra deres mænd. De overlever på den meget lille sum penge, som af og til dukker op, de tager sig af deres børn og prøver at få enderne til at nå sammen ved at påtage sig en eller anden form for arbejde ude i markerne. Mission Øst lavede for nylig en undersøgelse i den vestlige del af Armavir. Undersøgelsen viste at næsten halvdelen af de børn, der er blevet identificeret som handikappede i de lokalsamfund, der ligger vest for det regionale center (byen Armavir) ikke har modtaget nogen form for behandling for deres handikap. En tredjedel af disse børn, som var blevet tilset af en læge, havde ikke fået nogen opfølgende behandling. Alle landsbyerne i den vestlige del af provinsen, mangler rent drikkevand. Landsbyernes opførelse var en del af Sovjet planlægningen, hvor der ikke blev taget hensyn til befolkningens basale behov. Den største af disse landsbyer, Karakert (navnet betyder: ’Lavet af sten’) er med i projektet ”En sund start”. Men selv om alene navnet på denne landsby vidner om de vanskeligheder, folk der bor der må leve med, så har befolkningen, på trods af al nød og elendighed, ikke mistet deres menneskelighed, deres gæstfrihed og deres oprigtighed. Sveta Hakobyan, leder af Mission Øst’s partnerorganisation ”Nur” nævnte at: ”Børneklubberne er et sted, hvor børnene kan lege med hinanden og blive mere uafhængige. Og forældrene kan aflaste hinanden ved at tale sammen og i det hele taget omgås hinanden”. ”En sund start” er en betydningsfuld og vigtig begivenhed for folkene i Karakert. Indvielsen af lokaliteterne for børneklubben ”Emanuel” i Karakert d. 19. oktober var en skelsættende begivenhed i opfyldelsen af vores mission om at inddrage både handikappede og fysisk velfungerende børn i lokalsamfundet. Et af hovedformålene med børneklubben er at støtte opbygningen af mere varme og nære relationer mellem forældre og børn i Karakert. Der vil blive holdt forskellige møder, rundbordsdrøftelser og træning på arbejdspladserne for at hjælpe forældrene til at blive mere klar over hvilke rettigheder og ansvar de har. De vil blive stærkere og modigere så de tør stå frem og tale for deres børns rettigheder. ”Jeg håber at børneklubben vil støtte børnene og deres forældre i at involvere sig maksimalt i de sociale aktiviteter, så de selv bliver medskabere af en lysere fremtid”, sagde Hermine Ginosyan, som er projektkoordinator for ”Nur”. De møder, som er planlagt i børneklubben ”Emanuel”, vil give forældrene mulighed for at diskutere de problemer som er mest akutte i deres lokalsamfund og tage initiativer til at løse dem. Forhåbentlig vil antallet af børn i børneklubben vokse dag for dag og alle de materialer og redskaber der findes i børneklubben støtte børnene i deres udvikling. En af de frivillige medarbejdere i ”En sund start”, Liana Khudoyan, er mor til seksårige Karen, en dreng med nedsat hørelse. Karen havde den store ære at klippe det røde bånd over ved indvielsen af børneklubben i Karakert. Liana siger om sin søn: ”I begyndelsen havde han ingen problemer med at høre. Men så faldt han ned da han var omkring seks måneder gammel. Lige på det tidspunkt bemærkede vi ikke noget, kun at han aldrig rigtig sagde noget. Da Karen var to år gammel kunne han sige nogle få ord og min mand og jeg tænkte at han nok var lidt sen til at tale og at der ikke var tale om et alvorligt problem. Senere bemærkede vi så at han ikke reagerede hvis vi kaldte på ham, når han var udenfor for at lege. Så tog vi ham med på et hospital i Jerevan hvor han fik diagnosen ”nedsat hørelse”. For to år siden kom der nogle læger fra Mission Øst’s partnerorganisation, Arabkir børnehospital, og aflagde besøg i Karakert. Karens bedstemor havde bedt om at børnelæge Nune Alexanian skulle undersøge drengen. Efterfølgende blev Karen henvist til talepædagogen på Arabkir børnehospital og han fik også et høreapparat. Karens forældre er ovenud tilfredse med den hjælp de har fået på Arabkir børnehospital. I starten havde Karen problemer med støj fra høreapparatet, men nu er han blevet mere vant til at bruge det. Nu kan han tale og han kender alle bogstaverne. Indtil for nylig var Karen nødt til at tage helt til Jerevan til talepædagog. Men med åbningen af det nye lægecenter i Armavir (Child Development and Rehabilitation Center), som også er en del af Mission Østs projektarbejde, kan Karen nu få den opfølgende behandling meget tættere på sit hjem. Om åbningen af børneklubberne i Armavir regionen siger Karens mor: ”Børneklubberne vil hjælpe børnene til at arbejde sammen i grupper, de vil overvinde en masse komplekser, få nye venner og modtage professionel behandling”. Kim Hartzner, læge, generalsekretær

Åbning af Børneklubben i Karakert den 19. okt. 2007

Kære venner Som led i vores projekt ”En sund start” samarbejder Mis ...

Updated: Nov 12, 2007 10:04pm PST

Elever fra Den Internationale Skole besøger Gavar specialskole, oktober 2007 : Elever fra Den Internationale Skole besøger Gavar specialskole, oktober 2007 Gennem de sidste otte år har Mission Øst arbejdet for at hjælpe Gavar specialskole, hvor børn med særlige behov fra hele Gegharkunik-regionen, kommer for at går i skole - og mange af dem for at bo permanent. Gavar specialskole er den eneste af sin slags i hele regionen. Desværre kan skolen kun huse små 100 elever. Undersøgelser viser at der er omkring 700 børn med særlige behov i Gegharkunik – med andre ord: 600 børn bor stadig hjemme hos deres forældre eller andre steder, ofte gemt af vejen borte fra resten af samfundet – et levn fra Sovjettiden, hvor det blev betragtet som en stor skam at få et handikappet barn. Siden 1999 har Mission Øst gennemført en række tiltag med det formål at højne levevilkårene for børnene på Gavar specialskole: • Mission Øst har igangsat et selv-hjælpsprogram og med assistance fra lokalbefolkningen er alle klasseværelser på børnehjemmet blevet malet • Gange, rum og gulve er blevet malet • Badeværelser, toiletter, vaskerum og køkken er blevet renoveret • Mission Øst har muliggjort anskaffelsen af en bil, som kan hente børnene i de fjerneste landsbyer • Mission Øst har støttet andre indkomstskabende aktiviteter • Mission Øst har introduceret en ny læreplan for undervisning af børn med særlige behov, baseret på børnenes individuelle evner og uddannelsesmæssige behov. Endelig tog vi sidste år fat på et støtteprojekt sammen med elever fra Den Internationale Skole i Jerevan, hvor vi opmuntrede eleverne på Den Internationale Skole til at yde bistand til børnene på Gavar specialskole. Efter vores første besøg i Gavar i november sidste år, gjorde eleverne på Den Internationale Skole et stort arbejde for at indsamle legetøj og undervisningsmaterialer til børnene på Gavar specialskole, og i forbindelse med vores andet besøg i marts 2007, blev alle gaverne overrakt til de 92 elever i Gavar. Børnene fra Gavar specialskole var henrykte over gaverne, men var mindst lige så henrykte over at fået nye kammerater fra hele verden. D. 16. oktober 2007 besøgte 21 elever fra Den Internationale Skole igen Gavar specialskole for at overrække sportsudstyr, som de havde købt for penge, indsamlet via kagesalg og is-salg på Den Internationale Skole. Her nedenfor giver fire elever fra Den Internationale Skole deres beskrivelse af denne helt specielle dag, hvor de besøgte Gavar specialskole. Allernederst på siden fortælles hele historien fra besøget i oktober i ord og billeder. Kim Hartzner, generalsekretær Den 16. oktober var alle fra QSI skolen i Jerevan spændte på endnu en tur til Gavar. Da vi ankom til Gavar, holdt min far nogle taler og fortalte om det arbejde, Mission Øst havde udført på skolen, siden vi var der sidst. Direktøren for skolen, Lavrik Arevshatyan, holdt også talte og fortalte os om programmet for dagen. Vi startede med at se skolen, som efterhånden var blevet meget velbekendt. Vi så også nogle af de klasseværelser, som Mission Øst havde renoveret og mødte også nogle af de nye børn, der var kommet. Bagefter blev vi delt op i tre grupper: Pigerne skulle enten ind at sy eller brodere, og alle drengene skulle først hen og se, hvordan man lavede sko. Der var nogle rigtig, rigtig flotte nogle. Og bagefter gik vi op til sløjdværkstedet, hvor vi prøvede at lave nogle kors og også lærte at bruge en sav. Derefter blev vi samlet igen og gik ned i spisesalen, hvor vi spiste sammen med alle eleverne fra skolen og fik den samme mad som dem. Bagefter blev vi delt op i to hold, der var blandet med elever fra Gavar og elever fra QSI, og så havde vi en god gang fodbold, hvor mit hold (de orange) vandt 5-4. Til sidst blev vi kaldt sammen endnu engang, fordi alle dem fra QSI havde samlet penge ind ved at have et ’bake sale’ og et ’ice cream sale’, og for de penge havde vi købt en hel masse sportsudstyr med fine Nike bolde og andet godt til eleverne. Det havde været en rigtig god tur til Gavar og vi havde lært en hel masse om, hvordan andre har det, og at vi selv skal sætte mere pris på det, vi selv har. Vi tog afsked med eleverne og satte os ind i bussen og håbede på, at vi snart kunne tage af sted igen. Philip Hartzner Tur til Gavar 2007 Efter besøget på Gavar skole i 2006 var det lettere at komme på besøg anden gang. Der var stadig blomster rundt omkring og træerne havde stadig nogle af deres blade. Det blæste da vi tog af sted, men på vejen op til Gavar blev vejret mildere, og efter turen var det endda blevet helt varmt! Besøget blev sat i gang med et par taler. Kim Hartzner, som er læge, holdt den ene og skolelederen på Gavar skole holdt den anden. Der var en amerikansk armenier til stede, som oversatte begge taler. Talerne blev holdt udenfor og bagefter blev vi ført ind i en mørk gang, som jeg kunne huske fra besøget sidste år. Alle børnene så helt forbavsede ud. Nogle af dem genkendte os, andre var bare vildt glade over at vi var kommet. Jeg tror ikke de har haft så mange mennesker på besøg på en gang siden vi var der sidst. De kendte dog alle sammen Dr. Hartzner og var begejstrede for at se ham igen. Han havde ændret deres liv til noget rart og positivt, hvor det før havde været risikofyldt, kedeligt og, i nogle tilfælde, fyldt med lidelse. Vi blev ført gennem bygningen. Skolelederen og Dr. Hartzner gik og talte sammen. Dr. Hartzner gik meget hurtigt. Der var nok en hel del, han syntes vi skulle se. Så kom vi ind i et rum. Der var lige akkurat plads til de 4-5 elever, som gik i første klasse. Så vidt jeg husker, var der to helt nye elever i klassen, men skolelederen kunne allerede alle navnene udenad. Skolelederen viser utrolig stor omsorg for børnene. Det blev sagt i talerne, men vi så det også selv, da han lagde sin hånd på den ene drengs hoved, sagde hans navn og fortalte at han var ny. Jeg oversatte det for mine kammerater fra QSI. Så blev vi delt op i pige- og drengegrupper. Pigerne blev fordelt i to grupper, for de var dobbelt så mange som os. Vi drenge fulgte efter Dr. Hartzner ind i et skomagerværksted. Pigerne gik et andet sted hen. I skomagerværkstedet kunne børnene lave sko. Max fra QSI var den første, der fik lov at prøve. Heldige ham! Han sad ved siden af en dreng fra Gavar og fik besked på – ganske forsigtigt – at klippe noget stof af, som var blevet limet fast til læderet på en sko. I mens tog fotografen billeder af det hele. Alain og jeg stod og kiggede på nogle af de sko, der skulle repareres. Nogle af dem var støvler, der så ud som om de var blevet ødelagt af at blive spillet fodbold med i sne – eller noget i den retning. De manglede gummisålen. Andre sko trængte til at blive pudset op og andre igen skulle have skiftet noget af læderet ud. Så var de Alains og min tur. Vi blev bedt om at sætte os ved siden af en 12-årig dreng. Han var professionel skomager – eller det så han i hvert fald ud til at være. Han arbejdede hurtigt, men vidste hele tiden, hvad han havde med at gøre. Han limede et stykke stof til indersiden af læderet på en sko. Han gav limen og en pensel til mig. Han sagde noget til mig, som jeg ikke fik fat i fordi Dr. Hartzner lige var ved at forklare noget om værkstedet. Men Alain, som sad ved siden af mig, oversatte: jeg skulle bruge så lidt lim som muligt. Det må have været noget dyrt lim! Jeg limede alle siderne på læderet med undtagelse af en, som drengen sagde, jeg ikke skulle lime. Da jeg var færdig, trykkede drengen læderet fast på et stykke stof, som lå foran os på bordet. Så var det Alains tur. Han blev bedt om at klippe det stof af, som hang udenfor læderet. Men han skulle være meget forsigtig, så han ikke kom til at klippe ind i læderet. Det læder må også have været dyrt, for det var ægte! Efter en ti minutters tid, hvor vi arbejdede i skomagerværkstedet sammen med børnene, skulle vi videre ind i et andet rum. Jeg havde set det rum før, sidst vi var på Gavar, men da var det ikke nær så flot. Det var et krea-rum, hvor børnene lavede mange forskellige ting, for eksempel trækors, små skamler og sådan noget. Jeg prøvede både at save med en stor sav til to personer og at lave et trækors af noget af det træ, der lå på gulvet. Så var det tid til at spise, så vi skyndte os ned i spisesalen. Børnene fra Gavar begyndte at spørge os om ikke vi ville være med til at spille fodbold – fuldstændig lige som sidste år. Der blev serveret Fanta og brød med kød og grønsager, og Dr. Hartzner sagde at det var forbudt at sidde ved siden af nogen, man kendte i forvejen – altså fra ens egen skole. Så jeg satte mig ved siden af en dreng, jeg havde mødt sidste år. Han var 12 år gammel og hed Hovannes. Han fortalte mig at han troede på Gud og at han var vild med når vi, QSI fra Yerevan, kom på besøg. Han var meget fattig og det er grunden til at han bor og spiser på Gavar skole. Hans forældre har ikke råd til mad. Endelig blev det tid til fodboldkampen og alle skyndte sig udenfor for at lave hold. Vi havde blandede hold for at det kunne være mest retfærdigt, men det var det nu ikke efter min mening. Og så, efter kampen, blev alle kaldt sammen og de ting vi havde med, alle mulige forskellige slags bolde, blev delt ud og der blev holdt flere taler. Jeg skulle oversætte en hel masse fordi der var nogle af eleverne fra Gavar, som gerne ville vide hvad vi hed. Der var en rar fyr, der spurgte om vi nu skulle til at af sted. Jeg måtte jo desværre sige ”ja” – eller ”ha” på armensk. Så gik vi langsomt ned til bussen, gav hånd til alle fodboldspillerne – dem fra vores hold og dem fra modstandernes – og så gik vi ind i bussen. Vi råbte alle sammen farvel på armensk og bussen begyndte at køre. Endnu en tur til Gavar var slut. Vi sad alle sammen stille i et stykke tid og ønskede at vi kunne komme igen i morgen. Sebastian Pedersen Quality Schools International, Yerevan Da vi var på besøg på Gavar specialskole Tirsdag d. 16. oktober var vi på tur til Gavar specialskole. Det er en skole, der hjælper forældreløse børn, børn med handikaps og børn, der har indlæringsvanskeligheder. Mission Øst er den organisation, som hjælper skolen med at få alle de ting, der er brug for. Som repræsentant for vores skole, QSI, er jeg utrolig glad for at se at vores skole er aktiv og tager ansvar for at gøre Gavar skole til et bedre sted at være. Da vi var på besøg første gang sidste år troede vi nærmest ikke vores egne øjne. Det var frysende koldt og der var ingen varmeforsyning. Børnene havde i alt tre legerum, som var blevet renoveret, men de havde ingen legetøj. Rummene var MEGET beskidte og støvede. Børnene sov med militærtæpper, men det var slet ikke nok til at holde dem varme om vinteren. Vi havde meget ondt af børnene, så vi besluttede at gøre noget ved det. Først besluttede vi at samle så meget legetøj som overhovedet muligt. Alle elever på QSI hjalp og kom med alt det legetøj, de ikke længere legede med (det skulle dog være i orden og se pænt ud). Da vi kom med legetøjet var børnene på Gavar SÅ glade. De hev fat i os og viste os rundt på deres skole og deres værelser. Så tænkte vi på at lave et kagesalg for at samle endnu flere penge. Vi fik mange penge, omkring 60.000 armenske dram (knapt 1.000 DKK). Bagefter solgte vi is og det var et KÆMPE hit. Pigerne i Hr. Gillis’ klasse lavede en masse plakater om at vi solgte is. Så mødtes vi 6 klasserepræsentanter i spisefrikvarteret for at snakke om hvordan vi skulle organisere det. Vi fik rigtig mange penge ud af at sælge is. Med de penge og med Tomas’ hjælp (Tomas er min bror og han fandt en 50 dram mønt på gulvet, som han gav til dem, der samlede penge ind) kunne vi købe en masse sportsudstyr til børnene. Mens vi kørte i bus til Gavar tænkte vi på hvad børnene mon lavede. Da vi ankom, var de meget ivrige efter at se os. De kom og sagde goddag og stod og stirrede på os med deres store, brune øjne. Vi gik indenfor. Arevshat, skolelederen, hvis navn betyder ”masser af sol”, viste os hvordan skolen havde forandret sig siden sidst. Et af de rum, som var ved at blive ordnet sidste gang, var nu helt færdig med at blive malet og børnene brugte det allerede som soverum. Skolelederen Arevshat fortalte os, at børnene altid sloges om hvem der skulle sove i det her varme, hyggelige rum. Jeg så endda noget af det legetøj, som jeg havde givet til skolen. Det siger mig at børnene virkelig passer på deres legetøj og deres ting. Så delte Hr. Hartzner os op i tre grupper: syning – det var den jeg var i – brodering og kunsthåndværk i træ. Da der ikke var flere stole i rummet, hvor de havde syning, måtte jeg sidde ved siden af to piger. De fortalte mig hvad de hed: Lusine og Marine. Måske husker jeg forkert, men jeg kan i hvert fald huske hvordan de så ud. Lusine spurgte mig hvor jeg var fra og da jeg fortalte hende at jeg var fra Argentina, gav hun et gisp fra sig – det var en overraskende tanke. Så gik vi ned for at få frokost. Alle børnene var så ivrige efter at sidde ved siden af os at et af børnene ved vores bord var lige ved at komme til at vælte sin Fanta! Jeg sad ved siden af en dreng, som vist var trist eller sur. Så jeg prøvede at muntre ham lidt op og spurgte om han ikke ville have en sandwich eller noget Fanta, men han sagde ”che”, ”nej” på armensk. Lusine, som sad ved siden af Kyle, spurgte mig igen, hvor jeg kom fra og da jeg gav hende svaret en gang til, løb hun af sted efter en anden lille pige og fortalte hende hvor jeg kom fra. Da vi alle sammen var færdige med at spise, gik vi ud for at spille fodbold. Børnene fra Gavar er SUPER gode til at spille fodbold. Der var en dreng på min alder eller lidt mere, som sparkede til bolden mens den var i luften. Det orange hold vandt, men vi blev ikke sure eller noget for vi ville ikke gøre børnene kede af det. Da vi var færdige med at spille fodbold gik vi hen til Hr. og Fru Gillis. Vi skulle til at hjem. Så nu var det tid til at overrække det sportsudstyr, vi havde med, til Arevshat, skolelederen. Margaret Ryan fra QSI holdt en lille tale om hvordan vi havde samlet pengene ind og hvorfor. Da vi gav sportsudstyret til skolelederen og gymnastiklæreren, hoppede børnene op og ned, de var VIRKELIG begejstrede. De kiggede og rodede i alle poserne. Vi sagde farvel og så tænkte jeg: Vil vi nogensinde se dem igen? Mercedes Alvarez Quality Schools International, Yerevan Gavar School I dag har vi besøgt Gavar specialskole, som er et meget rart sted for børn med særlige behov. Der bor også børn, som er blevet behandlet uretfærdigt eller er blevet efterladt på gaden af deres forældre eller familiemedlemmer. Siden sidst jeg besøgte Gavar skole, kan jeg se at det er gået fremad. Nu ser bygningen renere ud og mange af rummene er blevet sat i stand. Da vi gik op til bygningen, stod mange af eleverne ved indgangen og ventede på at vi skulle komme på besøg på deres skole. De så meget glade ud. Jeg blev også selv glad over at se deres smil. Bagefter blev vi vist rundt på skolen. De fleste klasseværelser så ud som sidst, men et legeværelse og et af soverummene var blevet renoveret og så pæne og nydelige ud. De renoverede rum havde lyserøde vægge – det så meget hyggeligt ud – og der var også nye senge i soverummene. Legerummene havde endda et TV og et musikanlæg. Gavar skole havde virkelig forandret sig. Vi blev delt i grupper for at komme med ind i og være med i nogle af timerne. Min gruppe skulle være med til syning. Det var sjovt at prøve at sy på billeder. Først vidste jeg ikke helt hvordan man skulle sy og det blev helt forfærdeligt. Men efter et stykke tid blev jeg bedre til det og kunne til sidst sy ordentligt. Eleverne var meget søde og hjalp os hvis vi havde brug for det. Derefter fik vi frokost sammen med eleverne fra Gavar. Selvom vi alle sammen havde taget madpakker med, spiste vi det, som skolen gav os og lod vores egne madpakker ligge. Bagefter spillede vi fodbold med eleverne fra Gavar. Selvom jeg ikke var med til at spille, kunne jeg se at eleverne fra Gavar var ret skrappe til at spille. De havde endda professionelle fodboldtrøjer, så vi forstod jo at de virkelig gik op i det. Lige før vi tog af sted, gav vi skolen det helt nye sportsudstyr, som vi havde tjent penge til på kagesalg og salg af is. De var begejstrede. Til sidst sagde vi farvel til eleverne og begav os på vej til vores egen skole. Vores tur til Gavar specialskole var virkelig en succes. Jeg synes det var sjovt at lære eleverne endnu bedre at kende, for de er alle sammen meget venlige og gavmilde. Og siden jeg nu syntes så godt om denne tur, ville jeg ønske at vi kunne besøge den dejlige skole igen. Kirti Pujari Quality Schools International, Yerevan

Elever fra Den Internationale Skole besøger Gavar specialskole, oktober 2007

Elever fra Den Internationale Skole besøger Gavar specialskole, oktobe ...

Updated: Nov 06, 2007 2:36am PST

International Disability Day, 2007 : “I want to be free in my own city” – International Day of Disabled Persons By Anna Avetisyan, Mission East Medical Technical Officer/Social Work Advisor The Cultural House in Armavir, Armenia, was filled with joy and happy faces on the 3rd of December. Disabled children linked to the Mission East project “A Healthy Start” had been invited to the theatre on the International Day of Disabled Persons. For many of them this was their first time at the theatre – even though it was only a puppet show. Not too far away from there, at the city hall in the capital Yerevan, disabled children of all ages were exhibiting art with the title “I want to be free in my city”. Worldwide the International Day of Disabled Persons is used to promote understanding of the needs and the rights of the disabled. In Armenia, the day’s activities, organised by Mission East and local partners, were mentioned on TV, along with an interview with Mission East’s Managing Director Kim Hartzner. Since August 2006, Kim Hartzner has lived in Armenia and has for the last one-and-a-half year witnessed a society that doesn’t know how to meet the needs and rights of the disabled. Too many parents are still keeping their children hidden at home because society rejects them. At the same time, there are too many disabled children who never receive proper diagnosis or treatment for their condition, partly because of insufficient health care facilities and inadequate training for doctors. See more pictures from the International Day of Disabled Persons in Armenia here

International Disability Day, 2007

“I want to be free in my own city” – International Day of Disabled Per ...

Updated: Dec 11, 2007 1:08am PST

Bringing gifts to children in Armavir, December 2007 : "My mom works with Mission East that supports poor children and their families in Armenia. Every day she comes home and shares her impressions about the poor families she visited. I feel so sorry for children living in those families and every time I send something for them – my old shoes, favorite toys, and books," says 11-year-old Ines Manukyan from Armenia. This winter she finally got the chance to visit two of the Mission East beneficiary children with her mother, and Mission East Managing Director Kim Hartzner and three of his sons, 11-year-old Philip Hartzner, 7-year-old Peter Vincent Hartzner, and 3-year-old Alexander Hartzner.

Bringing gifts to children in Armavir, December 2007

"My mom works with Mission East that supports poor children and their ...

Updated: Dec 14, 2007 1:13am PST

Uddeling af gaver i Armavir, december 2007 : ”Min mor arbejder for Mission Øst som støtter fattige børn og deres familier i Armenien. Hver eneste dag kommer hun hjem fra arbejde og fortæller om sine oplevelser i de fattige familier, hun har besøgt. Jeg synes det er så synd for børnene i de familier og hver gang sender jeg et eller andet med min mor, som hun kan give dem – mine gamle sko, noget af mit bedste legetøj og bøger”, siger 11-årige Ines Manukyan fra Armenien. Denne vinter havde hun chancen for at besøge to af de børn, der modtager hjælp fra Mission Øst, da hun var i Armavir sammen med sin mor, Mission Østs generalsekretær Kim Hartzner og tre af hans sønner, Philip Hartzner (11år), Peter Vincent Hartzner (7 år) og Alexander Hartzner på tre år.

Uddeling af gaver i Armavir, december 2007

”Min mor arbejder for Mission Øst som støtter fattige børn og deres fa ...

Updated: Dec 17, 2007 12:27pm PST

International Handicapdag markeret i Armenien : Af Anna Avetisyan, læge og rådgiver i sociale spørgsmål for Mission Øst “Jeg ønsker at være fri i min egen by” – Den Internationale Handicapdag Der var smil og glæde i kulturhuset i bydelen Armavir i Armenien den 3. december. De handicappede børn fra Mission Østs projekt ”En Sund Start” var blevet inviteret i teatret i forbindelse med den Internationale Handicapdag. For mange af de små var det deres første teateroplevelse – også selvom det kun var dukketeater. 50 km derfra, på rådhuset i hovedstaden Jerevan, udstillede handicappede børn og unge billeder med temaet ”Jeg vil være fri i min egen by”. Verden over blev den Internationale Handicapdag brugt til at sætte fokus på forståelsen for handicappedes behov og rettigheder. I Armenien blev ovenstående aktiviteter, arrangeret af blandt andre Mission Øst og lokale partnere, omtalt på tv efterfulgt af et interview med Mission Østs generalsekretær, Kim Hartzner. Kim Hartzner har siden august 2006 været udstationeret i Armenien og har i snart halvandet år være vidne til et samfund, der ikke ved, hvordan det skal tackle handicappede og deres behov. Mange forældre gemmer stadig deres børn væk i hjemmet, fordi resten af samfundet fordømmer dem. Samtidig er der alt for mange handicappede børn, der aldrig får hverken diagnose eller behandling for deres sygdom, blandt andet på grund af et underbemidlet sygevæsen og for dårligt uddannede læger. Se flere billeder fra den Internationale Handicapdag i Armenien her

International Handicapdag markeret i Armenien

Af Anna Avetisyan, læge og rådgiver i sociale spørgsmål for Mission Øs ...

Updated: Dec 20, 2007 6:56am PST

Dåb af børn på specialskolen i Armavir, 2007 : Det var i 1997, at skolemyndighederne for første gang arrangerede dåb på Armavir Specialskole Nr. 1. Dengang blev der døbt 60 børn. Ti år senere, i november 2007, fandt den anden dåbsceremoni på skolen sted, denne gang for 74 børn. Armavir Specialskole Nr. 1 indgår som en del af Mission Østs projekt ”Mod undervisning for alle”, som arbejder for forbedringer og reformer af den del af det armenske undervisningssystem, der vedrører børn med særlige behov.

Dåb af børn på specialskolen i Armavir, 2007

Det var i 1997, at skolemyndighederne for første gang arrangerede dåb ...

Updated: Dec 21, 2007 2:20pm PST

Visit of the Danish Ambassador to Armenia : September 17th was a very special day for the Mission East team in Armenia. On that memorable day the Ambassador of Denmark to Armenia, Georgia and Ukraine, His Excellency Mr. Uffe Balslev, spent a whole day visiting various project sites of Mission East and our local partners. First, the Ambassador paid a visit to the Yerevan office of Mission East where he was briefed on the scope of the health and education projects financed by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by Mission East through our local partners. Then, Deputy Country Director Raffi Doudaklian and Programme Manager Anna Avetisyan escorted the Ambassador on a visit to Mission East partner Bridge of Hope. Bridge of Hope is responsible for implementation of key components of our health and education projects, notably by advocating for the rights of disabled children and young adults. Finally, the Ambassador got a chance to visit beneficiaries and various project sites in the poor region of Armavir situated west of the capital of Armavir. After the visit, the Ambassador said the following: ”I have of course long known about Mission East’s admirable and persistent humanitarian effort in Armenia sponsored by a broad range of individuals and internationally recognized donors, including DANIDA. But nothing compares to visiting the projects, talking to the passionate Mission East Staff and seeing what a huge difference it really makes in these peoples’ lives.”

Visit of the Danish Ambassador to Armenia

September 17th was a very special day for the Mission East team in Arm ...

Updated: Oct 15, 2008 2:37am PST

Mission East is a Danish international relief and development organisation, working in Eastern Europe and Asia. Our aim is to deliver relief aid, to create and support long-term development projects and to empower local aid organisations to carry on the work independently. Making no racial, religious or political distinction between those in need, we aim to assist the most vulnerable.