Jasmen was born in 1954 in the village of Shekher in the Martuni region of Nagorno-Karabakh, into an educated family. Her father, Aleksan, had received the finest education available at the time – graduating from the Baku Pedagogical Institute with degrees in three disciplines: chemistry, history, and geography. Returning to his native village, he dedicated himself to teaching local children, serving for many years as the village school principal. The family raised four children, all of whom shared a deep love for learning and knowledge. As the youngest daughter, Jasmen was particularly cherished by everyone. Rather than spoiling her, this affection only made her more responsible – she grew into a diligent student who excelled academically while helping her parents and older sisters. With evident admiration, Jasmen often spoke of her father, and as we understood from her stories, she strove to emulate him in every way.
In 1966, tragedy struck this thriving and close-knit family. Jasmen’s older sister, then an eighth-grade student, suffered profound psychological trauma from which she would never recover. The once vibrant and cheerful girl withdrew completely into her own imaginary world, unwilling to return to reality. Their mother left her job to devote herself entirely to caring for her ailing daughter. In this way, the family’s life became divided forever into “before” and “after”…
Despite the family tragedy, Jasmen pursued an excellent education. Through her own determination, she moved to Yerevan and earned a degree as an engineer-technologist in light industry. She furthered her studies in Leninakan (now Gyumri), specializing in textile and knitwear manufacturing. Returning to Stepanakert, she dedicated nearly 20 years to her professional career, serving as manager of the knitwear production department at the local garment factory.
However, in 2003, another blow fell when her mother – the sole caregiver for Jasmen’s ailing sister – passed away. This left Jasmen with no choice but to return to her village to assume full responsibility for her sister’s care.
Thus Jasmen returned to her ancestral village. There, she balanced multiple responsibilities—teaching at the village’s eight-year school, providing constant care for her elder sister, and cultivating their extensive garden and vegetable plot.
In this way, Jasmen never formed a family of her own or had children, instead devoting her entire life to her work and the care of her ailing sister.
We first met Jasmen in 2021 in a humble room of a social shelter located in Stepanakert’s former nursing home, where she lived with her ill sister. The shelter housed people who had been forcibly displaced from Hadrut and Martuni regions following the 44-day war of 2020 – individuals who had lost their homes and everything they owned. Jasmen too had lost everything; her only miracle was managing to escape the Azerbaijani blockade on foot with her vulnerable sister in tow.
What struck us most was that throughout our interactions, we never once heard her utter a word of complaint or resentment. From that very first meeting, we immediately recognized her extraordinary resilience and willpower of steel, coupled with an infinite capacity to love life and people. We came to deeply admire and cherish her.
In Stepanakert, Jasmen would regularly visit Hanganak’s office to get food supplies, necessary medications, and diapers for her sister. Yet more often than not, she came simply to talk, to share her thoughts, and to spend pleasant time with us. During the blockade, she made conscientious visits, always seeking ways to be helpful.
The Hanganak staff would grow concerned if several days passed without seeing Jasmen – we had become that close. And she had formed a special connection with us, particularly with Lina.
Following the forced displacement of Artsakh’s population in September 2023, Jasmen and her sister found themselves in a remote village of Shirak region. We located them easily, as Jasmen had maintained constant contact with us. She informed us they would be moving again—this time to Lori region, where relatives owned a summer house. We later met her again in Armenia, in the village of Arjut in Lori.
The summer house, which turned out to be a humble cottage, required major renovations. Yet Tikin Jasmen was content because it came with a large garden. She tends to the garden diligently, growing vegetables and berries. She explains they spend almost nothing on food—everything comes from their own garden, and any surplus, she says, they sell.
When we first visited Tikin Jasmen, a hailstorm had devastated her vegetable patch. But she hadn’t lost hope—she had replanted everything and was already harvesting anew.
During our visit, when we tried to check Tikin Jasmen’s blood glucose level, the fine needle couldn’t pierce her calloused finger, forcing us to change needles. The results, as Tikin Jasmen had confidently predicted, were perfectly normal.
We were deeply impressed by this indomitable woman—formerly an engineer-technologist in light industry, manager of a knitwear production department, then a teacher, and now an outstanding gardener—her unwavering determination and complete devotion shining through every chapter of her life.
Tikin Jasmen and her sister are cherished members of the Hanganak family. They receive monthly food provision, hygiene products, and incontinence supplies. While Tikin Jasmen mentions that the food provisions last them the entire month, she expresses particular gratitude for the diapers—without which she couldn’t provide proper care for her sister. Her gratitude towards Hanganak’s sponsors and staff runs deep. “You’ve given us more than aid,” she often says, “you’ve given us the ability to face each day with grace.”
These are the stories that define us.
Stories of:
- Unbreakable resilience – forged in the crucible of adversity;
- Steel resolve – tempered by life’s unrelenting challenges;
- Boundless love – for homeland and family alike;
- Eternal hope – that one day, they will return.
Discover more inspiring journeys at hanganak.org – where every story is a beacon of courage in Armenia’s darkest hours.