Making a difference one day at a time

Gohar Giloyan, 38, from Aqori village, is a mother of three daughters, two of whom are already married, and a 7-year-old son.
For many years, Gohar’s life was limited to housework and taking care of children. “My husband did not allow me to work,” she remembers. “Even if he had, there were no jobs for me in the village,” she says. Like many men in the area, Gohar’s husband spends most of his time abroad, doing hard physical work in Russia, trying to earn money to support his family.

Gohar’s life started to change in 2010, when she first joined the Mothers Support Group, created by World Vision’s Alaverdi Area Development Programme (ADP). At the meetings, mothers learned about child development, care, nutrition and the prevention of diseases. Later, the knowledge they gained was passed on to other young girls and women in their community. Today, Gohar is the leader of the group, whose activities have expanded beyond providing basic knowledge on child health to educating women on their health rights and supporting them with help and advice on various family issues.

Gohar has become an active participant of all World Vision’s initiatives in the community, is a member of the Civic Action Group and a member of the local Guardianship and Trusteeship Committee. She actively participates in group discussions and meetings held with regard to the scope of World Vision’s “Citizen Voice and Action” initiative, which empowers people to voice their rights and hold local authorities and public service providers accountable.

For her, active participation in promoting child health issues, Gohar was nominated by World Vision to receive the Maternal and Child Health Advocacy Alliance award as the most caring and active mother in her community.