Gyumri: a Gift Unlike Any

In Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city, over 700 low-income families still languish in so-called “temporary” domiks — squalid, vermin-infested huts — as a consequence of the 1988 earthquake.

Mariam Petrosyan and her family had lived in such a hovel for 22 years. But their lives suddenly turned to the better in 2017, when Armenia Fund surprised them with the gift of a lifetime: the keys to a beautiful apartment.

The Petrosyans’ new home — made possible by donations from Germans, German-Armenians, and donors of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund worldwide — is a freshly renovated, fully furnished apartment that features a complement of modern amenities and comforts, including appliances.

As Sarkis Kotanjian, the executive director of Armenia Fund, says, “It takes only $25,000 to change the life of a family. This amount covers the costs of purchasing an apartment, renovating it, furnishing it, and equipping it with all necessary appliances. We provide these homes with furniture and appliances because often our beneficiary families don’t have any of these things. Besides, we want them to start a new life, to experience the joy of a fresh start, with their children never having to deal with the dreadful conditions of their former huts again.”