During the short time I was in Armenia (4 months) I was very happy to know Mission Armenia's work. I cooperated with MA by taking photos of their community centers. I became familiar with the work they've been developing and the way several refugee people live. I specially enjoyed getting to know several older ladies' stories and their strength. I was inspired by the way they survived war and personal tragedy. I felt honored to assist them in telling their stories. I felt sorry that I couldn't talk with them, as I don't speak Armenian or Russian, but it was my hope to share some of their energy and beauty through my pictures.

I returned to Portugal at the end of November, but I hope one day I'll be able to revisit these people, know more about them, and find that their conditions improved. I wish for them to feel more happy and supported, that their present lives are secured, so they can talk endlessly about the past and smile while looking at pictures of their loved ones.

Sara Leao

2010 - 2011

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Shortly after having moved to Yerevan from the United States I was introduced to the work of Mission Armenia NGO. Their activities Armenia-wide grabbed my attention as they have programs for all ages, while focusing the majority of their energy in the direction of aging adults, a population I am very interested in working for and with.
I was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. I am Mexican-American and sad to say that I have no Armenian blood. I studied International relations for my undergraduate degree, which took me to Germany to live and study. Later, I lived for 6 months in Kazakhstan where I taught English. I graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a master’s of science in social work with a concentration in Community and Administrative Leadership, meaning that I am able to use my educational and experiential background to help benefit a large nongovernmental organization such as Mission Armenia NGO.
Not speaking Armenian, I understood that my volunteer work would be put to best use in their central offices. Since June 2010, I have been assisting in efforts within their Public Relations department that center around sustainable development for the organization. I look forward to an extended relationship with this organization and appreciate the opportunity to help build a stronger Armenia.
 

November 2010

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My name is Nuneh Nersisyan. It has been almost three years that I am a Mission Armenia volunteer. As such I am trying to do good for the needy people, especially the elderly. Sometimes I get involved in the organization of various events for them at Mission Armenia’s Community Centers and Soup Kitchens. However, my main work is to take the older persons daily meals from the soup kitchens to their houses. This is done for those older persons who have physical limitations and are unable to attend the soup kitchens. I do this gladly, because I know they need my help.
I also know that they need someone just to talk with them. A simplest word of sympathy, sharing of feelings help these people feel easier. Therefore, I try to stay with them for some time when taking the meals to them and provide some emotional and psychological support.
Besides feeling well from assisting older people, volunteering also helps me learn a lot from their life experiences. They often give me advice, and I feel how wise they are. I know how much they have to tell us. We should learn from their experiences and aptitudes. They are excellent teachers, and we should be good learners.

November 2004

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Hello!! !
My name is Gayane Vermishyan. I am a forth-year student at the State University of Armenia,
Department of Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy.
I have been volunteering at Mission Armenia since March 2002.
I love everything that is beautiful, but in people I most of all appreciate their inner beauty.
I am interested in sports, especially volleyball and tennis. I love good music and I dance in sport-dance groups. Through my work as a volunteer at Mission Armenia, I teach the children of vulnerable refugee families to dance. These children are unable to attend such classes since because of social hardships they cannot afford themselves to pay for them. Therefore, it is very heartwarming to see the happy faces of these children when they come to my dancing classes.
Apart from dancing classes, I help in carrying out various surveys among Mission Armenia beneficiaries.
My motivation for working as a volunteer with Mission Armenia is to help those people who most need help. I also want to become more proficient in my future profession. Yet I believe that being useful and helping needy people is a much greater joy than just getting experience.

November 2004

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Hi!
My name is Kajik Khachatryan. I was born in 1983 in the town of Meghri of the Region of Syunik in the south of Armenia. In 2000 I entered the Department of Social Work of the State University of Armenia. I am an ‘A’ student. Besides Armenian I also know Russian and German.
I am involved in volunteer activities at Mission Armenia. My intention is to help the vulnerable. This kind of work is relevant to my profession and provides me with an excellent opportunity to get practical experience.
Currently I am involved in systematizing and coordinating materials and programs for various competitions that are run by our volunteers among refugee children living at temporary shelter. I also participate in training programs organized for the volunteers of Mission Armenia. This training is useful as it gives us important knowledge and skills for working and communicating with, and helping, the marginalized members of our society.

March 2003

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I am Lusia Shahbazyan.
I am a 3rd-year student at the State Engineering University of Armenia, Department of Psychology and Sociology. I want to have an interesting job that is relevant to my studies and which can be useful for me as well as for others.
The purpose of my volunteering is to understand and help the abandoned elderly. I am participating in training programs, doing translations and assisting Mission Armenia’s staff at the Community Centers.
Currently I’m also being trained towards organizing self-help groups among the elderly, which will help them solve their problems with their own resources.

September 2002

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Hello!!!

I am Mariana Hovsepyan (see me in the center of the photo).
This year I’ll get my bachelor degree. I am a psychologist-pedagogue by profession.
Getting acquainted with Mission Armenia’s activities I want to help people who are in need.
We participate in very useful trainings getting prepared as social workers of self-help groups of the elderly.
The purpose of these trainings is to make self-help groups that will enable the older persons overcome their problems using their own resources.
We also get much professional experience here. We are planning to have groups of organizing trainings for children.

March 2003

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I am Narine Arshakyan. A was born on November 17th, 1982, in the town of Jermuk in the Marz of Vayots Dzor, Armenia. I spent my childhood there. In 1999 I became a student of the Yerevan State Polytechnic University, Faculty of Sociology. I am a 3rd-year student now and I am fond of my future profession.
When I heared about Mission Armenia’s activities I decided to try me there as a volunteer. In Mission Armenia they told us that we can do various activities related to the help of the elderly and children.
I’ve been working as a volunteer for Mission Armenia for already two months. I do translations, work out questions for children competitions and get prepared for conducting psychological trainings for them. I also like working with older persons and participating in sociological surveys.
In short, I enjoy working here. And if someone asks me why I am volunteering here I will say that I do it to help the disadvantaged people since they feel alone. I want to help the old get rid of their cheerless thoughts for at least a moment, though it is pretty difficult to do that.
As to the children of vulnerable refugee families, I want to help them become integrated into the society of those of their age. There are children who can’t even read or write. I tend to help them to learn the alphabet and get at least some idea of literature, history, art, culture, etc.
And to sum up my thoughts I want to tell that I feel big responsibility and pride to volunteer at Mission Armenia.

March 2003

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I am Anna Vardanyan. I study at the Yerevan State Institute of Foreign Languages, Department of the English Language. At the same time I serve as a volunteer at Mission Armenia NGO.
As such I teach English to the refugee children living at temporary shelter.
It is a fact that the refugees having no permanent shelter are in a very hard social state and cannot afford themselves to pay for attending educational clubs. This is why they were delighted to know that I would conduct English classes freely.
Currently the 3rd month of my classes is running. The children like attending the classes and learning English. There are about 10 children in the class. They enjoy the way I teach, and I enjoy teaching them, because I like my future profession as well as working with children. Teaching also gives me an opportunity to practice my knowledge, and this adds another plus to the volunteering.
However, above all, it makes me happy to realize that I can be of benefit to those who need my help. This is why I will continue volunteering for Mission Armenia.

March 2003

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Hello,
My name is Christine Davtyan and I'm 21 years old. I study at the State University of Armenia, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy. I want to become a first class social worker. I dream of being in different countries and practicing my knowledge in other contexts.
I came to Mission Armenia as a volunteer willing to get professional experience which is very much needed for my future career. Volunteer work is also a good way of finding new friends and like-minded colleagues. More than that, however, I want to help those people who need my assistance. I have discovered through Mission Armenia that there are refugee children who don't even know their native Armenian alphabet. I am eager to help them acquire at least elementary knowledge of written Armenian and mathematics. I am happy to see that they are already making progress in what I teach them.
Apart from working for the refugee children, I also participate in surveys carried out among the organization's older beneficiaries.
All this helps me get professional experience while making my contribution to Mission Armenia's activities.

March 2003