HIDDEN ROAD INITIATIVE
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission and Impact
    • Team Members
    • Chapters >
      • UC Berkeley
      • UC Los Angeles
      • UC San Diego
      • CSU Northridge
      • AGBU MDS
    • History
  • Summer Camps
    • Summer 2022
    • Summer 2021
    • Summer 2020
    • Summer 2019
    • Summer 2018
    • Summer 2017
    • Summer 2016
    • SUMMER 2015
    • Summer 2014
    • Summer 2013
    • Summer 2011
  • Projects
    • Henry Keledjian Service Program
    • Project Hope (Artsakh)
    • English Tutoring Program
    • Virtual Learning Resources
    • Holiday Backpacks for Artsakh
    • Jrashen Kindergarten
    • School Renovations
    • Tsaghkaber Kindergarten
    • UCLA Toy Drive
    • Heaters & Stoves
    • Computer Classes
    • Sturdy Shoes
    • Winter Coats
  • SCHOLARSHIPS
    • 2022-2023 Scholars
    • 2021-2022 Scholars
    • 2020-2021 Scholars
    • 2019-2020 Scholars
    • 2018-2019 Scholars
    • 2017-2018 Scholars
    • 2016-2017 Scholars
  • News & Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us
Hidden Road Initiative

News & Blog

Find out what's new at HRI and read what our volunteers have to say about their adventures in Armenia! 

Day 1

8/2/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture

Akhpradzor, Armenia -- Nanor Balabanian


The fact that I am able to access Internet on this remote village is a complete miracle.

It is 7 in the morning and the villagers are still fast asleep. Every morning we wake up to the smell of animals :) It reminds me a little of Anjar, the village i grew up in.

I am sitting on my bed wearing a "harsi kisheranots" (bride's pijama) that my host family insisted I wear. They apparently bought it 30 years ago from a French vendor. It is obviously very precious to them.

As I look through the window on my right,  I see the cows, the sheep, the farms, the barns, and the fields...

On my left, the principal, the dadig (grandma), and the young girl are fast asleep on the floor. We are all sharing one big room with very old walls, covered in rugs.

The dadig sometimes wakes up at night and cries in pain. Her legs are very very fragile and she has no cure for her sickness. It is truly a hard sight to bear.

Next to our room is the family barn. We have several cows and many chickens. There may have been more animals but I couldn't see last night. The reason I was at the barn last night is because that's where i had to go to use the bathroom. Yes, that right. Everything's "organic" here. 

In the other house, our 3 good friends Astkhik Hakobyan and her mother, and Alexandra Basmadjian are fast asleep. They are loving this village as much as I am.

Tomorrow we may go learn how to milk cows! We all have a bucket list we want to complete during these 2 weeks: Milk cows, follow the shepherd through the hills, learn how to make yogurt and cheese, water the plants they grow, clean the grass fields, etc...

Life is so different here, but so beautiful!

It is completely silent, except for the voices of nature. Pure. Silent. Calm.

Today will be our first day to run a camp for the children of Akhpradzor. Yesterday they all came to school and met some of our YSIP (Yerevan Summer Internship Program) interns who also ran a 2 hour camp for them. The children went absolutely nuts! From face painting, to English classes, to sports, to medicine.. the kids had many classes to go to. The YSIP interns were amazing and it was sad to see them leave.

Any driver that comes to this village however, vows to never drive here again. The road is so awful that it ruins any automobile that gets here. It is amazing to believe how these villagers can not leave their village for 6 months every year. 
Picture

Something really interesting happened yesterday. From Yerevan, our wonderful Anna let us borrow the AGBU projector for our classes during these 2 weeks. When I hooked up the projector yesterday to show the students the video that the NSLC students had made, the entire village was absolutely amazed. 


Picture

I don't think they had ever seen anything on a big screen and they all gathered around, mouths open, staring at the wall! They absolutely loved the video! I also showed them the video we had prepared about their life 2 years ago. The children were so amazed to see themselves on the big screen. In fact most of them got very shy...

Thank you to everyone who contributed towards our video! The principal, teachers, parents and villagers were all in awe, they are very grateful to know that people in the world actually care about them.

Delav (okay) time to start preparing for our camp. Sending you all so much love!!

BAAAAA (as the sheep say it) :)


0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives 

    October 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    November 2015
    July 2015
    May 2015
    January 2015
    October 2014
    July 2014
    April 2014
    April 2013
    March 2013
    December 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    April 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • Mission and Impact
    • Team Members
    • Chapters >
      • UC Berkeley
      • UC Los Angeles
      • UC San Diego
      • CSU Northridge
      • AGBU MDS
    • History
  • Summer Camps
    • Summer 2022
    • Summer 2021
    • Summer 2020
    • Summer 2019
    • Summer 2018
    • Summer 2017
    • Summer 2016
    • SUMMER 2015
    • Summer 2014
    • Summer 2013
    • Summer 2011
  • Projects
    • Henry Keledjian Service Program
    • Project Hope (Artsakh)
    • English Tutoring Program
    • Virtual Learning Resources
    • Holiday Backpacks for Artsakh
    • Jrashen Kindergarten
    • School Renovations
    • Tsaghkaber Kindergarten
    • UCLA Toy Drive
    • Heaters & Stoves
    • Computer Classes
    • Sturdy Shoes
    • Winter Coats
  • SCHOLARSHIPS
    • 2022-2023 Scholars
    • 2021-2022 Scholars
    • 2020-2021 Scholars
    • 2019-2020 Scholars
    • 2018-2019 Scholars
    • 2017-2018 Scholars
    • 2016-2017 Scholars
  • News & Blog
  • Donate
  • Contact Us