On June 12, the Hanganak office hummed with purposeful energy. Our beneficiaries, true to their word, arrived fully prepared for their group therapy session. Following instructions from their previous meeting, each had brought sewing needles, thimbles (for those who preferred them), and reading glasses – essential tools for the day’s activity, though its purpose remained a mystery until the session began.
Lina Grigoryan, Hanganak’s coordinator, had arranged for a special visual aid: a large political map of Artsakh from a local printer, vividly color-coded to distinguish all nine regions. Anahit Lalayan, psychotherapist and director of the Empathy Mental Health Center, complemented this with fabric swatches in matching hues, along with scissors, threads, and other sewing essentials. The revelation that they would collectively stitch a textile map of their homeland brought visible excitement to the participants.
“I’m deeply touched,” shared Tikin Sinam, her voice trembling slightly. “This feels like rebuilding Artsakh with my own hands.”
Tikin Alvina nodded in agreement. “With every stitch, we’re reclaiming our connection to our land.”
The team had carefully prepared tracings of each region from the master map. Participants selected their assigned areas, carefully cutting the corresponding colored fabrics before beginning the meticulous work of edging each piece with precise stitches. Once completed, these individual sections would unite to form a complete tapestry of Artsakh.
Tikin Iskuhi worked with particular intensity. “When this map comes together,” she murmured, “I know it will be more than fabric – it will be a promise that we’re going home.”
Dr. Lalayan moved quietly between participants, offering technical suggestions but mostly listening to their spontaneous conversations. As the session concluded, she offered only this: “We’ll explore what this means for all of us when the map is complete.”
The air buzzed with anticipation for their next meeting, where needle and thread would continue their symbolic work of remembrance and hope.
