The interview took place in December 2018.
Sinam was born on November 4, 1948 in a worker’s family, in a grape farm in Alget, Marneuli region, Georgia. She was born in a multinational environment where people loved and cared of each other. There were 3 sisters and a brother in the family. She studied at the local school and moved to Yerevan later to her sister’s place where she studied in Yerevan Communication College. She worked at first for the telegraph, then in the Central Interurban communication department as an operator. She became sophisticated in her profession and turned to a 6-class installation specialist.
Her brother graduated from National Polytechnic University of Armenia and moved to Bogdanovka in Georgia. He worked there for 5-6 years as a secretary to the Regional Komsomol. He got married there. He has two children. He moved to Russia later. Sinam is very close with her brother’s family and visits them from time to time.
Julia, her elder sister, worked in the sphere of communication. She lived in Yerevan all her life. Her younger sister, Susanna, graduated from Yerevan Pedagogical Institute, the faculty of the Russian Language with her husband. She has three children.
In 1993 Sinam was sent to Stepanakert Communication department as a technician and settled there permanently. Sinam’s friend interceded and she got married to an elder man. Her family life was not happy. She lived the same monotonous life taking care of her elderly husband. Her husband had two strokes and died in 2009. Her 16-year marriage ended leaving her alone again without any relative. Her husband left her a dilapidated house where she lives now.
She considers herself unhealthy because of osteoporosis. In 1994 she had severe pain in her eye and was operated after a long treatment. Several years ago she was operated for the second time and has prosthesis now.
She joined Hanganak in 2010, after her husband’s death. Her neighbors informed her about the organization. She has not been to the polyclinic for a long time. Lilya Seyranyan, the serving physician is taking care of her and the others.
Monthly medicine and food received from Hanganak are sufficient. Her pension is small but she manages to survive with the help of Hanaganak.
She has always been optimistic despite different life challenges. She likes singing a lot. She sings for her neighbors, for her fellow mates in Hanganak. She always takes part in the competitions organized during the events and wins very often.
‘These events have made my life brighter’. Hanganak is my paternal home, my joy’, she smiles through sadness. ‘Heating is a problem especially for a big house like this but I use only a room and manage to cover the wood expenses with Hanganak’s compensation and my savings’ she says.
Elza Nersisyan is my nurse. She is very caring, devoted and sociable. She visits me quite often and helps me in everything. I cannot find words to express my gratitude to Hanganak’s staff.
Sinam wonders how people from the remote USA can be so caring to strangers. She is nostalgic about their visit. AWWA memebers visited Stepanakert on occasion of Hanganak’s 10th anniversary almost 5 years ago and met the beneficiaries.
“I would like to express my gratitude to our benefactors and wish them health, success and long and bright life. Their projects fill people’s lives with warmth and light. I bow before them”, says Sinam.