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  • A Stroll Through Istanbul

    A STROLL THROUGH ISTANBUL
    Ani Hovhannisyan

    http://hetq.am/eng/articles/19820/a-stroll-through-istanbul.html
    12:45, October 24, 2012

    Children of Armenia in Istanbul's Labor Market

    Every day, 13 year-old Mamoukan must convince himself that he loves
    his boss more than his own father. Tough socio-economic conditions
    have even started to impact the emotions and views of adolescent
    citizens ofArmenia.

    Mamoukan works at a shoe making facility in Istanbul's Kumkapı
    neighborhood. The boy moved toTurkey with his mother Karineh and
    young brother Robert from the town ofHrazdan. Their grandmother and
    the youngest brother, Samvel, remained behind inArmenia.

    Mamoukan says he has no information about his father. "I don't know
    where he is. He was here but left."

    Mamoukan and his mother taking a break outside the workplace

    For the past four years, Mamoukan has gone to work at 7 am. At 8 in
    the evening, the boy returns to an apartment rented by his boss to
    rest up until the next workday. He's the most well-liked guy at the
    shoe facility and he gets all the odd jobs.

    Mamoukan explains how he turns leather into shoes

    When I asked Mamoukan if he missesArmeniaand wants to return, his
    answer was a categorical "no". "I have good friends here who watch
    my back," the boy said.

    Mamoukan speaks fairly fluent Turkish and hasn't gone to school in
    years. Karineh says the boy has a good future sewing shoes and that
    he might get a place of his own one day.

    Karineh - Mamoukan's mother

    "Don't you think I wouldn't want to be inArmeniawith the rest of my
    family? I don't want my boy working here but rather studying. But
    this is their future, to work and take care of themselves," says an
    emotional but realistic Karineh.

    Mounting debt back inArmeniaforced Karineh to move toTurkeywith
    the kids. She won't bring her third son toTurkeybecause the boy has
    physical problems that don't allow him to work.

    "He was two when I left and cried as I exited the house. I never
    turned back to look. I miss him terribly. Why has our government
    inArmeniaforced us to migrate toTurkey?"

    Over the past four years, Karineh has been able to visitArmeniato
    see her mother and son once or twice. She's been sending back $150
    or so a month to the family back home since she's been inTurkey.

    Karineh and Mamoukan Mamoukan and a fellow child worker

    "No one wants to go toArmeniaanymore. No one will ever live there. Had
    the government taken care of us, would I have left my two year-old to
    come here? My baby wanted to eat and I had nothing to feed him. What
    hasArmeniadone for me?" asks Karineh.

    Mamoukan and his Alevi boss

    P.S. Hetq has shot a film of Mamoukan, Karineh and others from Armenia
    now working inIstanbul. We will present it to our readers after this
    series of articles entitled "A Trip through Istanbul" has ended.




    From: A. Papazian
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