ARMENIA- A REMARKABLE AND REWARDING EXPERIENCE

From the moment the team arrived we were made to feel welcome by the Armenian people and in particular by the staff and volunteers of Habitat for Humanity Armenia (HFHA). Looking around the centre of Yerevan it could have been any one of a number of cities you might find in continental Europe, although there is still plenty of evidence of the recent Soviet occupancy. It is a city that successfully mixes the modern with the old and there is a vibrant and progressive atmosphere.Lots of construction is apparent giving a feeling of a place that is 'on the up' but the outskirts show a much poorer side of life which makes me think that like a lot of places the bulk of any investment is being focused within the city centre boundaries.

Travelling to the worksite took approximately 30 minutes. On route there were welcome views of Mount Ararat which as autumn and winter approached showed us her descending snow line during our time there. We also saw many half built houses and domiks which are metal shipping containers that people live in. It's hard to comprehend the living conditions in these metal boxes as Armenian summers are hot and winters are extremely cold.

Our worksite task was typical of much of HFHA's work and was to help progress a half finished house in the Ararat valley in a village called Khor Virap. This house was to be home to the Sargsyan family - Petros, Luiza Andranik and Ovsanna. Our welcome from the family and local community was more than we could have hoped for and it quickly became apparent that the HFHA team had worked hard to help build the community up as well as building houses. The steady stream of family and neighbours who tuned up to work alongside our team in our labours was amazing.

Lunch times were a great time of fellowship and of course an opportunity to sample the delicious Armenian cuisine, these times were normally rounded off with instruction in Armenian dancing, singing and games. One afternoon were warmly welcomed into the houses of other HFHA beneficiaries and it was good to see the high standards of workmanship used, so that the families now have a decent affordable house worthy to be called home.

Although the work was tiring as the team mixed, moved and laid many tons of concrete, our aching limbs were soon forgotten amid the wonderful camaraderie experienced between the team, the local community and the HFHA staff.  

I could continue with lots of superlatives about the great work HFHA are committed to or by writing at length about the wealth of things I have learnt about this proud nation but I'm not going to. I would prefer anyone reading this and maybe considering a trip to this great country, to take the plunge and go and see it for themselves. If their experience is only half as good as mine then they will not be disappointed.

By Robert Holmes, GV team leader from the UK, October, 2007

GLOBAL VILLAGE CHALLENGE-ARMENIA SEP 2006

In September 18-30, 2006 we came to Armenia to build houses. Six of us were from the UK, two from the USA. We succeeded. We shifted thousands of buckets of hardcore, sand and cement; we mixed and laid tons of concrete and we got into a right mess plastering, sanding and painting. It may seem a strange way to spend a "holiday" but it's what we came to do and we thoroughly enjoyed it.

As I look back, I see our visit was so much more than the building. We worked hard, but we had fun. We made everyone laugh with our awful attempts to speak Armenian-shnorhakalutjun. We played with the children and the grown ups started to join in. We walked around Yerevan at night, enjoying the difference from what we’re used to, but also feeling at home in a European city, amongst crowds of young people dressed up for a night out. We went to a magical free concert at the Cascades, but how much better to have your own private concert. This was arranged just for us by the HabiArm Community Youth Group. What a privilege and what a memory - and what an impressive crowd of young people.
Best of all were the relationships built, with the homeowners and their families, and everyone at the Affiliate. Most of the time we couldn’t speak the same language but with goodwill, smiles, working together and respect we built relationships that didn’t need words.
The Global Village Programme shows us what we share as human beings, and as such it’s a unique experience. We had a wonderful time, which we will never forget.

By Kevin Froude, GV team leader from UK, September, 2006

BUILDING NEW LIVES AND A HOUSE IN AGHAVNADZOR

In the summer of 2006, I had the wonderful opportunity to travel to Armenia for the first time with a group of 13 other people from my local Armenian church.  Most of us had never been to Armenia before and were bursting with excitement about our upcoming trip to not only discover Armenia, but to also be part of Habitat for Humanity and build a house for the Hakobjanyan family.  We had read a little about Samvel Hakobjanyan and his family, but we never realized how much our lives would be changed by spending two weeks finishing their house with them in Aghavnadzor. 

Our team was fortunate enough to be with the Hakobjanyans and Habitat for the last phase of construction and finishing touches of their new home.  It was inspiring to work tirelessly alongside the family, neighbors, friends, and our other team members, all having the goal to have the home finished by the time we left.  We sanded, painted, and tiled, but we also forged bonds with new people, all while joined in the spirit of Habitat and in the spirit of Armenia.

Our final Tuesday climbing the mountain in our van to Aghavnadzor was both bittersweet and joyous.  We were tired from our hard work, but also sad to see our time with Habitat end.  We were overjoyed, however, that our work was complete and that the Hakobjanyans would soon be able to move across their yard from their domik into a house—a house where they will hopefully spend many happy and productive years together with fewer worries and pains.

The joyful house-blessing ceremony along with the celebration later that evening was a fitting way to begin to end our journey.  However, I think I speak for our entire team by saying that although this was an end to this particular trip to Armenia, it became the beginning of 14 lifelong endeavors to continue to be involved with Habitat and Armenia, because both have awakened a new sense of inspiration, intense interest, and the hye spirit in all of us.  We arrived as 14 individuals excited about our trip, but we left as a team, a new family forever changed by the Armenian people and by the experiences with Habitat—all of whom cannot wait to come back to Armenia and do it all again.