Spitak city lay almost at the epicentre of the massively devastating
earthquake of November 1989 which killed 25,000 people and left another
250,000 homeless. Although the International humanitarian response was
huge, the collapse of the economy along with the Soviet Union in 1991
led to a massive slow down in recovery across a vast region, leaving many
families unable, until today, to regain any quality of life.
Work at the art school started in 1994 in order to provide children and
adolescents with an opportunity to participate in creative activities
and provide a positive distraction from the poverty and difficult circumstances
they all faced.
This need has not diminished in an area where local industry has not recovered,
unemployment is high and education is severely under funded. Many school
children share borrowed text books and even pencils to write with. They
go to school hungry and finish at 2 as most schools cannot provide lunch
or even snacks. They go home to emergency housing that has never been
replaced and to playing with whatever they can pick up from the ground.
The Art School provides a place in which young groups of 4 to 10 year
olds can experiment with various materials, whilst older children and
adolescents have an opportunity to learn fine art skills in drawing, painting,
ceramics, woodwork, metalwork and textiles.
The children of the 745 families of the Spitak villages have access to
the school, including disabled and orphaned children. Young school leavers
can attend freely during the mornings or evenings to work alone or under
guidance from teacher Vagik Galstian. Those with particular talent are
able to go on to produce high quality work which in 1997 allowed one disabled
young man to set up his own painting studio at home.
In November 2001 Family Care opened a new group for women, encouraging
the revival of traditional Armenian textiles in the expectation that this
could evolve into a small local enterprise providing income to families
who eke out an existence from tiny land plots and government welfare which
amounts to a few dollars a month.
The main aims of the project are:
- To support families through the provision of educational and creative activities to disadvantaged children during their developing years.
- To provide a caring but disciplined environment for creative learning
and teaching of skills. This fosters self confidence and self-reliance
and moves young people away from the many years of dependency on emergency
relief.
Expectations:
- To widen the scope of activities and skills teaching available to children and young people attending the Veratsnund school through an increase in equipment available and an addition of short and long term teachers and volunteers.
- To build a larger permanent facility with improved facilities for the disabled.
- To run special courses for students with the ability to be taught to a professional level in craft making.
- To develop a craft workshop in Yerevan for the promotion of the Veratsnund school and sale of professional work.
- To develop overseas marketing outlets so that older groups can use the facility to develop their own local enterprises.
Current needs:
- Continued financial support.
- Used or donated equipment - A second kiln, potters wheels, clay instruments.
- Volunteer support workers able to teach a new craft design / skill (painting, drawing, ceramics, textiles, woodwork, wool spinning and dying ).
Volunteers
Family Care was delighted to welcome Mrs. Judith Pottle (November - December
2000) and Jean Darby (June-July 2001) from the UK who came to see the
work of the school, participate in its activities and provide suggestions
about its organisation.
In September 2002, Family Care was joined by Kerry Kachatrian , an Armenian/
American volunteer who will stay for one year with the Veratsnund school,
working under the auspices of ………………….
