How FAR Helped Me Fall in Love with My Profession: Valya’s Journey with FAR

“FAR Introduced me to my profession. I studied at university for six years, but it was at FAR’s Berd office that I truly discovered my profession—and most importantly, learned to love it,” says 36-year-old social worker Valya Apresyan.

Valya had enrolled in the Faculty of Sociology at Yerevan State University almost by chance—her exam scores simply matched the department’s requirements. At the time, she had only a vague idea of what her future career might look like. She recalls that her family even considered transferring her to another department, but her father insisted she continue. He believed it was a profession with real prospects in a country like Armenia- and that she would not regret it.

At the end of her master’s degree, Valya began working at the Zatik Children’s Support Center. Soon after, she returned to her hometown of Berd, where she had been born and raised. It was there that the Fund for Armenian Relief had launched its Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (#BCPP) program, and Valya joined the team as a social worker.

“It was a completely new chapter in my life. I started to truly love my profession—I felt I was in my place. Every stage of life has shaped me, but it was there that I discovered myself, understood my profession, and gained confidence. It was one of the best periods of my life. It could have continued much longer, if not for a major turning point—my marriage,” Valya shares.

After moving to Yerevan, she continued working for a time at FAR’s Child Protection Center. Later, she stepped away from full-time work to care for her children. Still, Valya remained deeply committed to her profession. Today, she works as a Chief Specialist / Social Worker at the Yerevan City Municipality, Ajapnyak Administrative District, Children and Social Protection Division.

Her work now involves supporting vulnerable families, conducting home visits, assessing their needs, and identifying ways to provide assistance within available resources. She is convinced that her work is both challenging and deeply meaningful.

“Every day you face difficult situations. You carry other people’s problems home with you, and even after work, the phone keeps ringing. It’s not easy—but when you do it with love, the challenges don’t feel like the most important thing. The feeling you get when you understand a family’s problem and manage to respond, to offer even a small solution—that’s incredibly fulfilling,” she says.

Whenever Valya returns to Berd, she makes sure to visit FAR’s office. The sense of unity and teamwork she experienced there remains special to her. She still keeps all her old contacts in her phone—not because she necessarily needs them, but because they connect her to some of the most meaningful years of her life.

“I often joke that I’m coming back to my father’s home—even though I mean the office,” Valya says with a smile. She feels genuine joy when she sees people in her hometown whom they once supported—families who now run stable businesses or live in improved conditions.

For Valya, these moments are the clearest reminder of why she chose this path—and why she continues to walk it.