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This year, our fantastic student chapters raised over $20,000! Between classes, research, and studying for finals our students find time to host fundraisers, build partnerships and support our work in Armenia and Artsakh! Huge thanks to our student chapters at UCLA, UC Berkeley, CSUN, UC San Diego, and AGBU Manoogian-Demirdjian School!
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Announcing the winners of the 2022 HRI Online English class's highest attending students!!! Out of our 80 online English students, 9 students from different villages in Armenia and Artsakh won the end-of-the-year award for their high attendance. Despite a challenging year, lack of electricity, evacuations, gas shortages, as well as a blockade, our students found ways to continue coming to class every week or make it up at a different time! We also want to thank our amazing volunteer teachers from the US who met with their students every single week and shared their love for learning! Having taught and volunteered with HRI for over a year, Abigail, an 18-year-old American student living in Armenia, organized a Christmas project for the children of Akhpradzor and a few of our English students in Makenis and Artsakh. Together with her friends and members of the International Bible Church of Armenia, she put together 61 gift boxes for children! The gifts were collected from various individuals in the US and Armenia and included toys, personal hygiene materials, hand-knitted scarves, and much more. Most importantly, they were packed with love and showed the children that they're not alone in this season. 2022 was a challenging year for the children of Gegharkunik and Artsakh. In Gegharkunik, thousands of children were evacuated from their homes and had no school through September and October. While in Artsakh, 30,000 children (along with their families) have been under a total blockade by the Azerbaijani government for the last 26 days. Additionally, around 300 Artsakhtsi children are still in Armenia, unable to return home, as they had visited Armenia before the blockade. Needless to say, we haven't been able to get the gift boxes to our English students in Artsakh. When we asked Abigail why she did this project, she said, "This project is close to my heart. I loved that I had met the kids during the summer, some of whom are now my students. It was even more special to pack the gifts with my friends. I can't wait to see what other impact we can have." Then on December 22, 2022, the Hidden Road Initiative invited members of the International Bible Church of Armenia to the villages of Akhpradzor secondary school for a Christmas festivity. IBCA leader, Jacob Pursley, led a team of volunteers to the village to deliver the gift boxes to every student from grades 1-12. Together with Abigail Pipes, members of the IBCA family put together 61 boxes to be distributed amongst the villages of Akhpradzor and Makenis. The IBCA guests participated in the Akphradzor school Christmas concert as well as visited families. Upon reflection, Jacob commented that “visiting the children of Makenis and Akhpradzor village has been a highlight for me in the year 2022. They live near neighbors that wish to destroy them. However, the children, teachers, and families we met were resilient. I was grateful to meet with them, and was inspired by their perseverance. It was a privilege to serve and help distribute gifts and reflect on our shared, true hope which is in Jesus Christ. I love the work Hidden Road Initiative is doing and hope to partner more.” The children and administration were very grateful for these wonderful Christmas presents and their visit. We are thankful for the love and support of our friends and partner organizations during this season. The HRI annual reunion finally came back to life after a long Covid halt! We were so happy to see some of our oldest members who led camps in the early years, as well as some of our newest members whom we had only met through zoom meetings! We started off with a fantastic reunion in Los Angeles with so many previous and current teachers, board members, chapter members and volunteers! Present at the reunion were also several English teachers, and members from UCLA HRI, CSUN HRI, and UC Berkeley HRI. Following our Los Angeles reunion came our Northern California reunion! It was so exciting to see some old and new volunteers, chapter members, and English teachers. It is wonderful to come together after many years! Last but certainly not least, our Yerevan reunion with HRI leaders, teachers, and scholars from Armenia! Սյունիքի մարզի գյուղ Շվանիձոր առաջին անգամ էի այցելում և շատ-շատ տպավորված եմ գյուղի գեղեցկությամբ ու բնությամբ: Շատ սիրեցի գյուղը, իսկ երեխաների մասին կարելի է անվերջ խոսել: Շատ եմ սիրել բոլոր խմբերին, նրանց հետաքրքվածությունը և աշխատանքը կատարելու ձգտումը: Երեխաները յուրովի շատ խելացի են: Տպավորված եմ վերջին դասի իրենց առաջադրանքի կատարումից: Հանձնարարված էր թղթի վրա նկարել իրենց երազանքները և այնքան հուզիչ էր, երեխաներից մեկը նկարել էր, որ իր երազանքն է խաղաղությունը և Հայաստանի սահմանների ընդլայնումը: Նկարը շատ տպավորիչ էր, քանի որ այդ ամենի մասին նկարել էր ընդհամենը 10 տարեկան երեխան: Շնորհակալ եմ HRI-ին ինձ հնարավորություն ընձեռելու նման երեխաների հետ ծանոթանալու համար: 
Helping lead with HRI was quite an adventure! It was very challenging for me because I didn’t know Armenia, but I quickly picked up valuable words and phrases like “good morning!”, “very delicious!”, “sit down”, and the numbers 1-39. It was taxing and oftentimes frustrating to try to lead rambunctious children who didn’t want to listen, but those frustrations were far outweighed by the joy of watching these kids be kids. Children who, on the first day, wore only somber, sober expressions, smiled and laughed on the last day. Children with joyful faces greeted me every day, teaching me new Armenian words like “mountain”, “cold”, or “to write”. I played with the kids after classes (dodgeball is a universal language), and, somehow, I was able to connect with these kids even though I couldn’t talk to them. I think I’ll be going back next year!  Այս տարի հնարավորություն ընձեռվեց մասնակցել ճամբարին իմ հարազատ գյուղում՝ Ախպրաձորում ոչ թե աշակերտ այլև ուսուցչի օգնական , շատ տպավորված եմ , մեծ ոգևվորվածությամբ թե աշակերտները և թե ուսուցիչները աշխատել են ։ Շատ հետաքրքիր օրեր եմ ունեցել , իսկապես շատ պատասխանատու, և մեծ աշխատանք են արել բոլորը ։ Շնորհակել եմ <<Թաքնված չանապարհ>> նախաձեռնությանը նման հնարավորություն ընձեռելու համար։
My name is Sose Hanneyan. I’ve been volunteering with kids for years now, and specifically with kids in Armenia for about 4 years now. They never cease to amaze me with their warmth and courage. As a nation we have been through a lot and seen a lot but I look at the youth today and I am simply amazed. I can’t name just one instance where I was completely blown away by these kids but I guess I will have to tell you about one instance that stood out most. An amazing kid by the name of Robert (Rob) from the Orange Group was practicing his “square tile” for the art project that we had going and he did such an amazing job he ended up submitting two pieces. One of them was a written explanation of what the colors of the Armenian flag mean in regards to Armenians and their history and the second was an amazing illustration of the Opera building in Yerevan. I remember him turning them into me and I was completely stunned at his talent and I asked him if he liked art and if he enjoyed it and a big smile went across his face — I was in awe and so he let me keep his practice pieces. He then ended up replicating the two for the final submission for the canvas project. I proceeded to ask him to talk about his two drawings at the closing assembly of camp. He showed up with a written response for what he wanted to talk about and I just kept being more and more stunned by the talents and drive of this kid .. he asked if he should speak by memory or read it .. and I told him he has no problem and can read if he’d like… the choice was completely his! He then proceeded to give a great presentation and ended his presentation by asking the entire audience that was present that day to take a one minute silence for the fallen soldiers of the 44 day 2020 Artsakh war. He had not told me that he would do that and I am glad he didn’t because I was just so incredibly proud and awestruck by the heart he had. These kids have so much talent and so much to give… I know that we are in good hands knowing that there are kids like this in our Homeland.
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