Ashot, 16: inside a welding shop instead of a juvenile prison

ARMENIA- The smell of hot iron and jarring sounds of metal on metal hits you before you get to the door. For 16-year-old Ashot Arzumanyan from Kapan Town in the south of Armenia they are music to his ears because inside he is able to put his creativity to work and make things with his own hands.

The welding classes that Ashot attends are held in a garage that isn't large enough to store a vehicle but that doesn’t bother him. He wears old clothes, gloves and a face-mask to protect himself from the sparks of the welder.

On the front wall of the garage a photo of Jesus Christ hangs in the middle of the various metals. Two assistants work here with the teacher – referred to as the ‘master’, plus Ashot, their student.

I want my son to become a good welder to earn money, so he can help us and take care of his future family

Until recently, Ashot found himself on the wrong side of the law – specifically in trouble with the Kapan Town Police Department when he was caught stealing a metal bed base from his neighbour. The base, he thought, would help him to make up a shelter for his pet rabbit, which he stores in the small garden at the front of his building. His mother won’t allow him to bring it indoors and she doesn’t have the spare funds to pay for a cage.

Ashot may have ended up labelled a ‘thief’; his lessons at the Kapan College of Music for Duduk classes may have been compromised, or worse he may have ended up in prison, but a World Vision Juvenile Justice project, in cooperation with the Kapan Town Police Department, has opened up a different door for Ashot.

 Although it’s a humble garage door, the welding skills he is learning will give Ashot a trade and work options for the future.

 “I want to become a good welder; it is a great profession in Kapan. Day by day I will develop my skills and become a well-paid specialist,” explains Ashot. 

Tall buildings on the slope of a mount can be seen upon entering Kapan Town. They are called Peremenni (which means variable), as they take the form of a staircase and become gradually taller. Ashot lives with his brother and parents on the first floor of one of these high buildings.

Their living room is sparsely furnished with a small coffee table and two chairs, a little old-fashioned sofa and a TV set in the corner where the family spends time in the evenings, watching TV and discussing the day. A cupboard with old but carefully groomed crockery stands near the wall. “My Ashot comes home from music classes and changes his clothes to go to the welding garage. Sometimes I don’t have time to prepare his clothes; he gets a little angry and prepares them himself,” explains his mother Ofelya, trying to hide her smile.

World Vision Armenia Kapan Area Development Programme (ADP) gave Ashot the opportunity to choose a specialisation that interests him and which will help him earn money for his family while also studying at the music college.

 “The craft is important for us. I don’t have any education but can fix all the things in my house. I want my son to become a good welder to earn money, so he can help us and take care of his future family,” said Yurik, Ashot’s father, with pride in his voice.

He adds, “My son attends musical classes in State College of Art. He plays Duduk [wind instrument] very well. But unfortunately today you can’t earn enough money to maintain a family by playing duduk”.

Ashot’s teacher, Grigor Marutyan, who owns the small garage that serves as a welding point in Kapan Town says, “I’m strict with my students and will be moreover to Ashot. The student must always overcome the master”.

While Ashot has a way to go before his skill surpasses that of his teacher, others are noticing the change in him.

“I can see the change in Ashot’s behaviour. He is more organised and mature- now he knows what he needs and goes straight for it,” said Zara Vardanyan, police officer in the Kapan Police Department.

Amidst black, bronze and silver metals and wires of various sizes and shapes Ashot says, “I like to work here with my master and his colleagues. We understand each other, though we wear face masks to be safe”.

He wears his mask and takes the welding machine from his teacher’s hand and turns it on.

I can see the change in Ashot’s behaviour. He is more organised and mature- now he knows what he needs and goes straight for it 

“For the first days I lectured Ashot on the important rules of welding system. He must follow all the rules to be safe. Ashot was very curious; during the theory lessons he wanted to start practicing as quickly as possible,” shares Grigor.

“I love the sound of hammer hitting the metal and also the smell of the melted iron, they are very “manlike” and you can smell and hear all these only in my master’s garage,” said Ashot with the welding tool in his hand.

“I like my master; he is always tough on me trying to teach me all the things in details. I know his harshness is to benefit me; he wants me to overcome his mastery. He will help me to become a professional and I will be able to weld my own housing, furniture and shelter,” explains Ashot.

World Vision Armenia is currently providing vocational training for 19 young offenders all over the country.

The Juvenile Justice Program aims to prevent crime among youth and give them the opportunity to learn skills in various spheres - instead of imprisonment. World Vision Armenia Kapan Area Development Programme (ADP), with Kapan Youth Affairs Police Department executed a Juvenile Justice Project for young offenders in the communities registered by police for anti-social behaviour.

Zarine Avetyan, Kapan ADP specialist says of the project, “It will continue to help other young offenders to receive specialised skills. We will have a teacher for computer classes and English lessons so that others can be included”.

This youth project is just one of several initiatives implemented by World Vision to ensure all children are cared for, protected and participating in their communities and also educated for life.