Phone, eggs and children living in institutions in Armenia

In Armenia, some 5,000 children still live in institutionalized care, often referred to as "night care institutions”. Most of them are there because their families simply cannot provide them even the basic food and shelter ever child needs to survive. Those children who are "fortunate” are able to go home on the weekends and see their families. Through a partnership with the Orange Foundation, World Vision Armenia is helping some children return home for good.

It is already been a year since Armen, 13, and Armine, 11, left the night care institution to move home. In 2010, their mother, Anush, faced with increased bills and unemployment, made one of the hardest decisions a mother can; she chosen to send her children to an institution. She knew that if nothing else, they would at least get food every day and have a warm bed. She did not want them to suffer hunger and cold at home. 

The two years that Armen and Armine spend away from their mother were the most difficult of their life. "They phoned me every day to say hi or wish good night,” remembers Anush. "I couldn’t call them back, since was not able to pay for the phone bills at that time,” she remembers.

"I lost my weight and my health worrying about my kids. I could not eat anything, even though nothing special was available to eat,” recalls Anush. "My son asked their [caregiver at the institution] to phone me just to hear my voice. One of the teachers told me, she would phone me every day just to see Armen’s happy face,” she adds.

"I lost my weight and my health worrying about my kids"

Currently, Armen and Armine study in the secondary school of the Mets Ayrum Community. Armine likes to learn, mostly the Russian Language. In spare time she reads books in Russian and visits her neighbour to study more.

"I’m not like Armine,” says Armen. "She likes to study. Mom says that we should study well enough to be able to get a profession, but I don’t like school. I prefer creating new things or repairing old ones. For example, I’m repairing an old bicycle now. It was broken and left for years. But I am going to renew it and drive again,” he explains with dirty hands from the repair works.

Thanks to generous Armenian donors and a partnership with the Orange foundation, families like Anush’s have a more positive outlook on life. As a result of these partnerships, World Vision’s Tavush Area Development Programme was able to give the family 100 chickens and wheat to feed them, helping them develop sources of sustainable income, which help keep children families together.

Today, Anush sells between 15 and 20 eggs a day, earning 60 Armenian Drams per egg. During the last six months she saved her income and bought new shoes for the kids and herself. She has also repaid the debts and paid off the school books she had bought for Armen and Armine.

"We receive about 35,500 Armenian Drams monthly as the Family pension, which vanishes mainly on electricity and water bills. I can’t remember the last time I could manage to buy new shoes or clothing for my kids. I still see their bright eyes, while trying on the new shoes I managed to buy,” shares Anush.

During the week, the family collects 100 eggs that are sold at the town market, earning the family an additional 6,000 Armenian Drams. The chickens give Anush the chance to keep her children at home with her and allow her to take good care of them.

"It is better at home,” says Armine. "I help mom, feed the chickens and do my chores. I feel good here. Armen and I are very special to mom. In the care institution, we were just one out of many,” she adds.

"It is better at home”

Over the past two years World Vision Armenia and the Orange Foundation have brought 30 children back home, with the help of the SMS donations by providing families the means they need to be able to take care of their children instead of sending them to night care institutions.

Orange Armenia customers help the families in need by sending SMS to 1234 or 5678 short numbers and donating 100 or 500 Armenian Drams accordingly. At the end of each month, Orange Foundation matches the collected donation and with World Vision Armenia’s cooperation provides a source of income for families in need. This enables the families to have a stable income and bring their children back home from institutions.