Year after year, the recipients of FAR’s scholarship programs volunteer as group leaders at some of FAR’s summer camps in Armenia. For the second year in a row, Mathevosian and Jerair Nishanian scholarship recipients who are in their final stages of college are spending their time at the Siranush camp in Yeghegnadzor. Some of these students participate in other FAR projects during the year, helping out at the senior home in Vanadzor or at the Children’s Support Foundation Center in Yerevan, for example.
Economics and Jerair Nishanian Scholarship program beneficiaries Eduard Ghazaryan, Varazdat Avetisyan and Narek Knyazyan from Gavar State University are enthusiastically working with children between the ages of 10 and 15. Each of these children are supported year-round by the Children of Armenia Sponsorship Program, through which caring people provide monthly stipends to help their families make ends meet. CASP also enables these kids to attend camps like Siranush each summer. They come from various regions of Armenia and parts of Georgia as well.
For students like Ani who volunteers much of her time to FAR and who also comes from a low-income family, the camp is another way to give back and show her appreciation for the opportunity to receive an education.
Two weeks into the start of camp and the students had already grown close with the children. This was apparent to FAR staff during a recent visit. The atmosphere was filled with sheer joy.