resilient roots
Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Hope
In the wake of the tragic events in September 2023, when the ethnic Armenian population of Artsakh was forced out of their homeland, our Resilient Roots project emerged to address the urgent needs and challenges that befell our community. Forty-nine families, who were part of our Backyard Greenhouse Project in Artsakh, are now displaced in Armenia, having left behind their homes and entire lives.
The Backyard Greenhouse Project
The backyard greenhouse project launched in 2021 in partnership with Green Lane NGO, aiming to provide food security and economic empowerment to vulnerable families in the Askeran and Martuni districts of Artsakh. Many had excellent harvest, selling the surplus, sharing with neighbors and relatives and extending support when food became scarce during the illegal blockade imposed by Azerbaijan. However, the forced exodus in September 2023 shattered these green oases, scattering families across Armenia. Now facing even more significant losses and grappling with the trauma of displacement, these families find themselves in dire circumstances with no jobs and minimal belongings.
Resilient Roots: Our Mission
We committed to providing essential emergency aid to help these families recover their belongings and sense of normalcy. Through a comprehensive needs assessment, we tailored our aid to address the specific challenges each family faces. We are aiding 310 individuals (including 115 children), with essentials like food, beds, bedding, hygiene products, home appliances, cookware, dishware, toys, games, art supplies, and educational materials. Additionally, we are offering customized aid, including tools to support individuals in launching small businesses and generating income.
Secondly, we aim to rebuild the greenhouses for families settling into houses with backyards, offering sustenance and self-sufficiency.
Additionally, our project envisions creating tree-related job opportunities for these resilient individuals. By fostering skills, we aim to empower them with sustainable employment, contributing to both personal growth and community development.
LUSINE & ERIK BALAYAN
Lusine & Erik Balayan are mother and son, originally from Taghavart village in the Martuni region of Artsakh. They were forcibly displaced and now live in the Ararat region of Armenia, where they have turned to bread baking to make a living - a tradition passed down from Lusine's parents. We must say the bread is delicious! And thanks to our generous supporters we were able to assist the Balayans with machinery to ease their workload and increase productivity. We’re also gearing up to build a greenhouse at their current residence, creating more opportunities to enhance their business.
"Though we didn’t have commercial experience, bread baking is something we knew we could do well, and it’s all we can do right now to sustain our family. It’s exhausting, but thanks to ATP and the machinery we struggle less with the process. It doesn’t help that I have a very strict boss (referring to her son, Erik); he won’t approve of any bread that’s a little too red or too white." - Lusine
NADIA GABRIELYAN
Nadia Gabrielyan, a nurse from Khnapat village in Askeran, excels not only in greenhouse growing but also in crochet. It brings her immense joy and relaxation; she often loses track of time when she knits. Regrettably, her current housing situation doesn't permit the construction of a new greenhouse. Nonetheless, we're supporting her in refining her craft, ensuring its sustainability, and promoting her work.
"My father, my husband, and my grandson were all lost to war. The only thing that I want anymore is to be able to help my family out financially with the handcraft work that I do, and if that benefits nature too, then I couldn’t ask for more." - Nadia
SERGO & SIRANOUSH BEGLARYAN
Sergo and Siranoush Beglaryan, residents of Khnapat village in Askeran, have a unique story. Siranush is originally from Yerevan, Armenia. She got married to Sergo and moved to Artsakh in her 20’s. She was in love with the life their family had built in Artsakh over the years and it never crossed her mind to return to Yerevan, even after the wars and her husband getting disabilities.
“You can’t imagine what we lost. We lost paradise. One of my favorite parts of that paradise was our house, and the greenhouse you built. It brought me so much joy to be able to go into the greenhouse every day and see how the little plants had grown. It was the greatest gift!” - Siranush
The Beglaryans have chosen to settle in a remote village in the Gegharkunik region of Armenia, where they can continue their agricultural pursuits, which will soon include tending to a new ATP greenhouse in their yard.