A day at Bridge of Hope in Yerevan

During a 2½ hour visit in September to long-term Mission East partner ‘Bridge of Hope’ we were exposed to the many-faceted activities of the organization. Mission East started support of Bridge of Hope ten years ago. Today, the organization is the strongest disability organization in Armenia, with a nationwide reach, and involved in advocacy activities at both Government, regional and local levels.
Bridge of Hope is led by President Susanna Tadevosyan, who proudly introduced us to her staff and the many activities of the organization, supported by Mission East through grants from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the European Union, and until recently, also by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kim Hartzner, MD, Managing Director of Mission East

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15 years ago, Zaruhi Batoyan came to Bridge of Hope as a young girl with a disability, who wanted to take English language and computer classes. Today, she is the editor-in-chief of the Bridge of Hope teenagers’ magazine “Arevatsaghik” (Sunflower), as well as the organization’s advocacy officer. Zaruhi is a well-known and outspoken advocate of disability rights and equality within Armenia and as such actively participates in processes directed towards the inclusion of people with disability in education and community life. Five years ago, Zaruhi was part of the Armenian delegation that travelled to New York for the signing of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. On behalf of her country, Zaruhi signed the declaration.