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FAR Banquet Honors Armenia's Other Children

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  • FAR Banquet Honors Armenia's Other Children

    FAR BANQUET HONORS ARMENIA'S OTHER CHILDREN
    By Florence Avakian

    http://www.mirrorspectator.com/2012/05/31/far-banquet-honors-armenias-other-children/
    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
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