Early in the morning, the Hanganak team went to the Lori region. We planned to visit beneficiaries in Vanadzor, deliver food and necessary medicines, and then move on to Alaverdi. We met at Tikin Alice’s rented apartment in Vanadzor, where the beneficiaries received food and medicine, before heading to Alaverdi.
We have been in constant contact with our beneficiaries in recent days to verify their place of residence and exact addresses. The Hanganak beneficiaries in Alaverdi have mentioned that the road here is very similar to the road to Shushi. However, we have noticed similarities not only with the road to Shushi, but also with Karvachar, the Khachen river, Gandzasar, and Hadrut forests. It felt like we were back in our native Artsakh.
In Alaverdi, we easily located our beneficiaries, most of whom live in separate apartments. It’s noteworthy that housing rent in Alaverdi is quite affordable. However, the beneficiaries highlighted the significant challenge posed by utility bills. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that they received substantial financial assistance from both governmental bodies and non-governmental organizations. They mentioned that they had recently been granted financial assistance amounting to 250,000 AMD each, which they used to purchase household appliances, washing machines, and other essential items. Furthermore, it’s important to note that the apartments were in fairly good condition, partially renovated. The windows offered picturesque views of the Lori forests and the Debed river.
In general, the well-being of our beneficiaries was satisfactory, with no serious health issues. One of our beneficiaries was provided with a sewing machine for free, which she used for most of the day.
The Navak Center in Alaverdi, with the support of World Vision-Armenia, organized psychological sessions for forcibly displaced people of Artsakh. Four of our beneficiaries participated in these sessions. All of them expressed satisfaction with the sessions and also recalled the sessions at the Hanganak office in Stepanakert.
We provided essential medicines and food to our beneficiaries and conducted needs assessment interviews with all of them.
The details of the trip are shown in the photo gallery.