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Finding Strength Together
After losing their father, Arshak, in a tragic car accident, the Hovhannisyan family had to start over. Sona and Elen, together with their mother, moved from their home village of Balak to Sisian. The move was heavy with both grief and uncertainty. Today, the family rents a small apartment for 50,000 AMD ($130) each month. Their mother works as a saleswoman in Sisian, earning 70,000 AMD ($181). The survivor pension and family allowance help cover expenses, but raising two g
Nov 142 min read
Armenuhi’s Chemistry of Curiosity
Medals don’t drive 15-year-old Armenuhi Aslanyan-her passion for STEM does. Still, returning to Berdavan with a first-place chemistry medal this spring brought a spark of excitement to her school and community. The win and the medal following Olympiad held in spring, brought Armenuhi to Yerevan to join her peers in a science camp organized jointly with the “Hzor Mitk” (Strong Mind) NGO thanks to the generous support of the Yeramyan Family Foundation. For a full week, the S
Nov 111 min read
Cycling 12 km for a Warm Meal and a Warmer Heart
Every day, 70-year-old Sevak Vardanyan hops on his bicycle and pedals 12 km back and forth to get to FAR’s Nishan and Margrit Atinizian Senior Center from Akhuryan village of Shirak province. This has been his daily route for a few months now, ever since he discovered the soup kitchen and found a new sense of purpose in his otherwise lonely days. FAR’s Nishan and Margrit Atinizian Senior Center in Gyumri serves hot and nutritious meals five days a week to around 150 elde
Nov 42 min read
Mastering Endocrinology to Better Serve Rural Patients
When Dr. Tanya Martisoryan faced a difficult medical case in her native Karaglukh village, she told herself, “That’s enough. It’s time to refresh my knowledge and skills.” Determined to grow, Tanya applied for the FAR’s Continuing Medical Education (CME) Program , which offers one-month mentorship opportunities for regional doctors to train alongside leading specialists in Yerevan. As a family doctor with almost 30 years of experience, Tanya wanted to deepen her understanding
Oct 312 min read
Slow Steps Toward Strength for Elders at VOAH
Slowly and carefully, Izolda grandma places her right foot, her stronger leg, on the next step. Then, with gentle precision, she lifts her left and moves her cane in rhythm. “Being old is not a happiness,” she says with a smile, continuing her way to her bedroom on the second floor of the Vanadzor Old Age Home (VOAH). 84-year-old Izolda Martirosyan, called Zoya tatik by everyone, was once full of energy. She used to start every morning with exercises and daily routines that
Oct 222 min read
Mardigian Sports Games Inspire Healthy Lifestyles in Cross-Border Region
More than 150 high school students from 26 schools across the Noyemberyan and Ijevan regions took part in the Mardigian Sports Games , a mock Olympics event supported by FAR and held since 2018 in Armenia’s cross-border Tavush province. This year’s games, held on October 11–12, once again filled the communities with energy, excitement, and a sense of unity, as students competed in six athletic disciplines, from the 60-meter dash and standing long jump to pull-ups, barbell lif
Oct 172 min read
Back Home, Where She’s Needed Most
For Liana from Aygedzor, teaching is not just a profession: it’s a dream and a mission that gives her life meaning. She spent years studying in Yerevan with one clear goal: to come back home and use her knowledge to help the children of her own village. Today, Liana Yeghiazaryan, 24, is the first and only school psychologist in the cross-border village of Aygedzor in Tavush province. She works with children of all ages and says she can’t imagine a day without them. “It’s as
Oct 92 min read
FAR Board of Directors Send a Message to the Future
The bus engine roared to life just as the sun peeked over the horizon on a crisp autumn morning. The air was filled with excitement, the kind that always accompanies FAR’s Board of Directors’ visits to Armenia. But this visit was unlike any other. It marked a new chapter - one that could be divided into two parts: before and after COVID-19 and the Second Artsakh War. “A lot has changed. I have probably been to Armenia 35–40 times, and there is nothing more pleasant than se
Oct 53 min read
Healing After the 44-Day War in the Land of Hope
In 2020, during the 44-day war in Artsakh, Taron Hakobyan’s life changed in an instant. At just 18, he witnessed the harshest realities...
Sep 172 min read
Restoring Dignity for Artsakh Refugee Families
“Home is the place where you find peace for yourself and your children, where the feeling of urgency finally fades away…” For Nelya...
Sep 91 min read
Shaping Tomorrow’s Leaders through Science Camp
Seventeen-year-old Vahe Galstyan has been captivated by the mysteries of the universe for as long as he can remember. “Physics has always...
Sep 52 min read
When September Comes, Knowledge Blossoms
When September comes, it reminds us that every new school year is a doorway to growth, learning, and resilience. It’s that time again;...
Aug 312 min read
ACT Opens its Doors to the Specialists of Tomorrow
Under Armenia’s tricolor flag, with the timeless music of Komitas carried by Gyumri State Symphony State Orchestra, hundreds of guests...
Aug 283 min read
Empowering Nurses to Become Leaders
For Manushak Gabrielyan, 60, nursing is more than a job-it’s a calling rooted in compassion, purpose, and leadership. With over three...
Aug 212 min read
Empowering Teachers to Inspire Purposeful Learning
STEM subject-based learning recently took center stage at the Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, where 30 educators from Armavir,...
Aug 141 min read
The Impact of Balanced Nutrition on Preschool Children
At the Chinari Kindergarten in Armenia’s Tavush region, children are growing strong, thanks to daily nutritious, balanced meals that...
Aug 72 min read
FAR Joins “Education Cannot Wait” Mission with UNICEF
For every child, childhood should feel like a fairy tale, a time of joyful moments, learning, and growing up in a safe and nurturing...
Aug 52 min read
“We Found Our Childhood Again:” A Dispatch from a Camper
“We’ve found our childhood again,” says 13-year-old Nare Grigoryan, her smile glowing brighter than the Hankavan region sun. It’s a rare...
Jul 312 min read
FAR Sparks Curiosity and Friendship through Science Camp
Noy, 13, Grig and Ashot, both 11, recently became fast friends, united by their shared love of science and technology. They met at the...
Jul 282 min read
In Our World: A Stage for Expression, Growth, and Connection
“Mer Ashkharum” (“In Our World”) is a story about people living in their own worlds; some in the outer world we all see, and some in...
Jul 232 min read
Changing the Lives of Refugee Children through Summer Camp
“I left my bicycle, our house, and our garden full of pomegranate trees behind. But I brought my dreams with me here,” says 11-year-old...
Jul 162 min read
Displaced but not Defeated with FAR
Lilit Jivanshiryan , 38, is a bacteriologist by profession who worked for ten years at the Stepanakert sanitary station before 2023,...
Jul 142 min read
Meet Armenia’s Pioneer in Breast Milk Science!
Lusine Danielyan is making history in Armenia as the first scientist to dive deep into studying maternal breast milk, determined to...
Jul 112 min read
Math Honors Program Empowers Young Armenians
Vahan Baghdasaryan’s path to success began with a deep love for mathematics - a passion that took root in childhood and continues to...
Jul 42 min read
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