FAR BANQUET HONORS ARMENIA’S OTHER CHILDREN
By Florence Avakian
Community | May 31, 2012 11:44 am
NEW YORK – “Every time I saw a suffering child in Armenia, it
reminded me of 1915,” said Archbishop Vicken Aykazian, who is credited
with being a founding member of the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR)
Children’s Center in Yerevan. The year was 2000, and the center, then
designated for Armenia’s most vulnerable children, was in deplorable
condition. Now, 12 years later, the center is a safe, protective and
compassionate home for abused, abandoned, poverty-stricken children
under the sponsor- ship of FAR, and managed and run by a devot-
ed and professional staff. In its 12-year record, it has helped
9,000 children.
On Friday, May 18, the Friends of the FAR Children’s Center held a gala
banquet at the Kavookjian Hall of the Diocese of the Armenian Church
of America to honor this institution and the thousands of children who
have benefited from its dedication. Among the guests attend- ing were
Primate of the Armenian Diocese (Eastern) and FAR Board of Directors
President Archbishop Khajag Barsamian; Diocesan Legate in Washington,
DC, and FAR Board member Aykazian; Armenia’s Ambassador to the United
Nations Garen Nazarian; FAR Board Chairman Randy Sapah-Gulian; FAR
Board Vice Chairpersons Dr. Edgar M. Housepian and Prof. Annette
Choolfaian; FAR Friends Honorary Chair Sirvart Hovnanian and Director
of the FAR Children’s Center Dr. Mira Antonyan, who had traveled from
Armenia for the occasion.
One Child at a Time
Following the invocation by Aykazian, Sapah- Gulian as master of
ceremonies, welcomed the more than 200 attendees who sat at tables
dec- orated with unique centerpieces – lollipops fea- turing the
smiling faces of the center’s children. He paid special tribute
to Sirvart Hovnanian, wife of the late entrepreneur and benefactor
Kevork Hovnanian, who with Archbishop Torkom Manoogian and Housepian,
founded FAR. And he expressed deep apprecia- tion to Edward and Janet
Mardigian who donat- ed $2 million in support of the FAR Edward and
Helen Mardigian Child Protection Foundation.
Silva Torosian (with Nadia Gharibian) as the co-chair of the Friends
of the FAR Children’s Center, in her greetings, called the evening a
“celebration” of these children and the center “that is fighting to
have them lead a normal life, one child at a time.”
In expressing appreciation to the Friends of FAR, Barsamian noted
that the theme of the evening is “compassion for the welfare of oth-
ers, for the most needy and defenseless.”
He recalled that more than two decades ago, at the time of the
disastrous earthquake in Armenia, Manoogian, Kevork Hovnanian and
Housepian “surveyed and made a compassion- ate vision for FAR as an
outreach in health, medicine, education, economic and social devel-
opment.” And in 2000, FAR took over the Children’s Center under the
inspiration of Aykazian, becoming a place of “light, hope and love.”
In honor of Aykazian’s efforts “in taking up the fight for child
protection” 12 years ago, the Primate gifted him with a silk painting
made by one of the center’s children, showing a child healing from
the wounds inflicted by society, “a child who symbolizes the thousands
of young- sters in the Children’s Center.”
>From a Hovel to a Home
Annette Choolfaian, professor at the New York Medical College, FAR
Board vice chair and one of the founding members of the Children’s
Center, recalled that with the collapse of the USSR, the child
protection system also col-lapsed. Homeless, poverty-stricken,
hungry street children were often arrested. She related that in
1997, Aykazian had seen the dilapidated building and called it
“unacceptable.” Following negotiations by Aykazian and the Armenian
Ministry of Internal Affairs, the building was given for 50 years to
FAR, and with a generous donation by child advocacy expert Barbara
Lorinci, opened in 2000. “A hovel became a home” for the 9,000 children
that have passed through its doors. “From the housekeeper to the cook,
the care and love of the staff have helped one child at a time. Join
us on our extra- ordinary journey,” she urged.
A video presentation showcasing the center – the only one in Armenia
for vulnerable youth suffering from poverty, abuse, neglect, aban-
donment and crime, was shown on a large screen as the “best bastion
of hope, and a place to heal in an unfortunate landscape.” It disyear.
They recover and get out of hopeless situ- ations. The center is ready
to admit and support any child in a difficult situation at any time
of the day and night.”
Antonyan related that experts from more than 22 countries have
recently visited the cen- ter, and “were surprised to see such an
advanced center in Armenia. UNICEF has also recog- nized that its
services are the best and most cost-effective in Armenia, with an
advanced methodology.” However, because the Armenian government
“is still lacking resources to properly protect its children,
the role of the civilian community and charitable organizations is
crucial. Every penny provided by you is of great value to us,” she
said with emphasis. “Thank you for joining and being with us.
“Without you we could not make this differ- ence,” she said to a
standing ovation. played the “one-on-one” counseling and care by
the staff.
Secrets of the Center
Antonyan, the center’s director, revealed the secrets of the center –
“warmth, love, under- standing, a non-critical attitude and profession-
alism. These are all that was, and is needed for these children to
recover from their damaged childhood. Up to 2005, the center served
approximately 4,000 children who were mostly beggars.
Since 2005, the children are no longer beggars in the streets. But for
many, they are at severe risk due to the absence of relevant fami- ly
care and due to neglect, sexual and physical abuses and maltreatment –
all being consequences of poverty.”
Since its inception by FAR, the Children’s Center “has become a place
of hope for more than 9,000 children,” she continued. “Around 200
children are sheltered in the center every During the evening, the
Akhtamar Dance Ensemble in colorful Armenian costumes had performed
several selections to the delight of the audience. And the Arthur
Apkarian and the Armenia Band from Canada played music for he dancing
pleasure of the guests. Thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the
FAR Children’s Center, significant funds were raised.
To donate to the FAR Children’s Center in Yerevan, contact FAR at
[email protected].
From: A. Papazian
http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2012/05/31/far-banquet-honors-armenias-other-children/