This summer, FAR’s Berd office team participated in a capacity building training, which closed with an additional challenge: fundraise for a community cause dear to their hearts.
Their decided mission: help the family of Yerazik Papyan from nearby Choratan Village.
Yerazik moved to Choratan from Ukraine eight years ago to marry Artur Papyan. Artur, who tragically died one year ago in a tractor crash, was the family’s sole breadwinner. Since then, Yerazik has been barely able to make ends meet to support her two daughters, Milena, 3, and Lilit, 6.
Berd staff raised enough money from their community to purchase a new washing machine for Yerazik. The mission was particularly notable in an area where poverty is rampant and many residents struggle to make a living themselves. Regardless, the community mobilized and the campaign was a success.
“We united people with this fundraising campaign; 67 people donated!” said Berd Social Worker Hasmik Palanduzyan, who managed the effort and noted that the results exceeded expectations․ “We saw a woman in despair whose relatives are far away and who needed our support. We are very happy and grateful to all community members from Berd who donated to thiscampaign.”
The Papyan Family has also previously received support from BCPP through in-kind donations, and Milena and Lili attend FAR’s Mardigian Support Center where they can access needed psychological support.
We at FAR are proud to see how our staff really live and breathe the importance of uniting to support those most in need in their communities.