Bring me happiness at Christmas...

Armenia: “My mother always says God will not leave us alone in the Christmas Season. These are indeed Christmas gifts,” says 12-year-old Anna Kirakosyan, helping her younger siblings to try on the new warm clothes and shoes they received from World Vision just in time for the long winter season ahead.

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Yerevan is one of the most ancient and beautiful capitals in the world. Its history goes back for some 2,794 years. Some experts describe the city as an open-air museum with masterpieces of architecture, colourful phonates and gorgeous parks that beautify the city centre pleasing the eyes of passersby.

The city becomes even more picturesque during the Christmas season when bright lights, cafes full of happy faces, harmonious music and attractive store shelves make it easy to forget the reality for many ordinary people living here.

Another Yerevan opens up when you venture away from the very centre; people struggling to get from one day to the next.

Qanaker Community is home to many of these families who live close together in thousands of tiny private houses linked with narrow alleys. Some of the doors are so small that its residents need to stoop over in order to enter. One of these doors takes you into the home of the Kirakosyan family.

Hripsime Bejanyan, 41, is mother to eight children. “My children are my happiness, I am blessed to have them,” says Hripsime. When she talks, her children surround her, trying to catch each word she says.

"The children’s bunk bed squeaks each time someone sits on it and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes unusable"

Neither her children nor Hripsime complain about their life, but little is needed to be said to see the full picture of the family’s daily struggle.

The two-roomed rented facility is a home for Hripsime, her husband Ruben Kirakosyan, 45, their children and grandson Erik.

“Erik is only one and a half years old. My daughter has a very complicated family situation and under such conditions it is for the sake of the child that he stays with us”, explains Hripsime.

Hripsime provides love and warmth to her children – something that their home fails to provide. The walls of the rooms appear to be collapsing because of the extremely high level of moisture inside. The ‘kitchen’ is located next to the bed consisting of the water tap and an old table. When Hripsime needs to cook anything or warm up the house she takes turns using the heater, which the family shares with the neighbour.

The children’s bunk bed squeaks each time someone sits on it and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes unusable.
Their father Ruben is a handy person; he repairs apartments, fixes electricity and water systems and does any job available – but his income still falls short of the family’s growing needs.

“He is not a lazy man at all and works all day long to feed all of us. But the money he gets for the job he does is very little. The employer can recognise who is in need and offers very little in exchange for hard work,” shares Hripsime in despair.

Ruben found a tiling job that paid 700 drams (US$1.83) per m2 when this job should earn four times that amount. His first reaction was to reject the offer but then he thought about how Christmas was coming and his children would expect some celebrations. He agreed to do the tiling.

“We have been in need from the very day we formed our family. But I don’t remember us being unable to make Christmas day somewhat different for my children”

But even before incurring any Christmas expenses the family had no money to pay for daily bread. The only stable income they receive is a government allowance of 58,000 AMD (US$145) which barely covers the cost of the utilities.

Luckily Hripsime’s brother visited them late in December, bringing some food that would help them to survive for a few more days.

“My family helps me a lot but they are also not in a better situation. My brother has seven children of his own. One of his sons was born with an outside gall bladder,” continues Hripsime. She breathes heavily, trying to hide her worries and anxiety. “Thanks to God his children were recently enrolled in World Vision’s Child Sponsorship Programme; a support they were not expecting at all.”

But hardship is nothing new for Hripsime. She suffered one of the greatest losses imaginable when she lost one of her children, Arman, at the age of 18 months, when he succumbed to an intestine infection.

Soon after Hrispsime lost Arman, in 2004, her twins Astghik and Anushik were born. Thankfully, Anushik was a healthy child but Astghik was born weighing just one and a half kilos, and her life was in doubt for a long time. Since then Astghik has suffered from various health problems with the main issue relating to her bones which are growing unevenly. Sadly, this may only get worse.

For 12 long years Hripsime and her children shared an apartment with her sister so that they could share daily living costs.

“My sister’s children got older, and it is not feasible to stay all together anymore,” explains Hripsime.
During these Christmas days the financial burden is even more severe for the Kirakosyan family. It is so hard to leave children without simple food and gifts when others around them celebrate and rejoice.

“We have been in need from the very day we formed our family. But I don’t remember us being unable to make Christmas day somewhat different for my children,” says Hripsime blaming herself for not being able to find a way out of the crisis.
Thankfully, despite the financial difficulties Hripsime’s children are still able to foster a cheerful and warm atmosphere at home. They, like any other child during the Christmas Season, continue wishing.

Anna, 12, dreams of becoming a designer. She likes decorating cakes and festive tables. She is going to ask from Dzmer Pap (Winter Grandpa who symbolises Santa Claus in Armenia) that her wish may come true.

“We share our dreams when my mother is out. She hardly manages to buy food for us, and we don’t want to put her under more stress” 

Twins Astghik and Anush share one dream: they want a cellular phone.

“We share our dreams when my mother is out. She hardly manages to buy food for us, and we don’t want to put her under more stress,” says Anna. “This morning she was talking to our neighbour thinking we were still sleeping. She said most probably she will not be able to cover the Christmas table. It would be funny to count on more,” adds Astghik smiling widely.

Angelina, Hripsime’s youngest daughter is three years old. She wants toys. If the elder children understand their mother and try not to express their dreams too much, Angelina, in contrast, describes what type of toys she would like to have all day long.
“I have a few toys that my neighbour gave to me but I dream of a real doll. I would even give her a name calling her ‘Ani’,” says Angelina showing her broken doll.

Unexpected support to the Kirakosyan family came with World Vision’s visit – and just at the right time. Warm clothing and shoes provided to the children will take some of the anxiety away from Hripsime for this harsh and long winter.

"My mother always says God will not leave us alone"

“It is such a relief to have new clothes and shoes for all. Snow will cover the city very soon, and I was worried how I would buy new things for them. Everything has become so expensive,” says Hripsime touching the clothes and checking their warmth.

“My mother always says God will not leave us alone in the Christmas Season. These are indeed Christmas gifts,” says Anna, helping her younger siblings to try on their new things.

Happily Angelina’s dreams came true with World Vision’s visit as well. She not only has a doll which she named ‘Ani’, but also a set of clothes and accessories for the doll to wear.

“This is not the doll of my Christmas dreams, it is much-much better and bigger,” says Angelina.