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Our Visit to SOAR Sponsored Orphanages in Armenia - July, 2008
written by Kohar Mardiros Pelter
In 2007 I helped establish the first SOAR chapter, in Los Angeles, in honor of my late father, Mardiros Mardirossian, who was a genocide orphan from Van. Impassioned by the desire to help orphans, and with a group of dedicated board members, my family and I began work in Los Angeles to raise funds and donations. Last summer, my husband Mitch, our daughter Megan and I set out to visit Armenia and all of the Armenian Historical lands. We planned a two-month visit during which we also wanted to visit SOAR sponsored orphanages.
With the help of a SOAR Partner in Armenia, Siranoush Hovhannissian, we visited six orphanages in Yerevan and its surrounding communities. Two of these orphanages were for disabled children with mental, emotional and physical handicaps. During each visit, we were welcomed by the orphanage directors and their staff, who showed us the facilities and talked about the orphanages' needs. We were surrounded by the children wherever we went. There was so much excitement and happiness on their faces when they saw us. They didn't have very much, and their living quarters were in poor condition because of mold, rust and disrepair. We thought about the children's living conditions and how broad were their needs. Staff showed us the children's work in making greeting cards, handicrafts, needlework and even weaving traditional Armenian rugs. We were amazed at the quality of their work and what those little hands could do. They talked about how some orphans have become successful college students, with very bright futures ahead of them. Some have established their own families and become members of the larger community. It was clear that there was a lot of effort being made to give the children a better future, and thus there was a greater need from us to provide support for these efforts to materialize. We took pictures and notes and reassured them of SOAR's serious commitment to help in as many ways as possible.
We finished our tours of the orphanages with our visit to the Tzaghgadzor Summer Camp. This summer camp is a haven for many of the orphaned and the unprivileged children in Armenia. Run by Sister Arousiag Sajonian (Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception order and lead Partner in Armenia), the camp allows these children to experience a "normal" life during the summer in the wonderful mountains of Tzaghgadzor. The day of our visit was the highlight of our trip, where we were welcomed by Sister Arousiag and her staff. After touring the facilities and visiting with the children, we were honored to partake in the children's Sports Tournament and spend a wonderful afternoon with them. Our daughter Megan also presented sister Arousiag with a check from the proceeds of a garage sale that she had coordinated with her friends in Los Angeles, for SOAR children, prior to our departure. Sister Arousiag was very touched by Megan's selfless act and sacrifice for the needy children.
Regardless why they are orphans and why they ended up in the orphanages, these children are helpless and pure and deserve our love, attention, and a chance at having a life. Clearly, they are also our future.
 
 
 
 
Distributions in 2008
We shipped 106 boxes to the orphanages in the spring/summer of 2008, valued at more than $52,000! This was our single largest shipment, terms of financial value, to date. The shipment included sports equipment, school supplies, personal hygiene products, new clothes and games, and summer camp supplies.
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