Donate starting from $10... Takes only 2 minutes... Thank you
THEY NEED YOU
For over 15 years now, Hayastan All Armenian Fund has been reaching out to families of freedom fighters who, by liberating Artsakh, gave us - the Armenian nation, our first true victory in centuries. They broke the age long circle of defeat and loss and revived the proud Armenian spirit. Their selfless heroism ensured the safety of our Homeland and the very survival of our people. There is always a price to pay for such milestone achievements and these families paid it – too often with their lives.
The war ended. The world moved on. Many of the families moved on with it, trying to rebuild their shattered lives. Some succeeded but sometimes the wounds are just too deep to heal on their own. And for all its noble goals, the essence of war never changes. What does change, change brutally and irreversibly, are the lives of the people, Armenians like You.
 |
“I never have second thoughts about what I did; would do it all over again. Why did I do it? I did it for my people. I just couldn’t stand it anymore. My people had been abused and humiliated for too long. This was my chance to do something about it. No one made me go. It was personal.”
Armenians like you who lived through it as freedom fighters like Karen, 
48, now severely handicapped, living in a crumbling apartment on the outskirts of Yerevan. Karen participated in the defense of a dozen Armenian communities besieged by the Azeri forces during the Artsakh Liberation War. He was first wounded in 1991 but went on fighting, all the same. He was injured a second time on January 28, 1994 when the blast of a mortar shell shattered his spine and his hopes for a normal life. Three months later a seize fire agreement was signed.
Today, Karen can’t even take a fifteen minute walk without experiencing excruciating pains in his back. The state provided pension does not cover his medical needs.
|
 |
“I never saw much of my Dad. He would return home for one or two days a month. He would never show how tired he was and spent every second he had with Mom, my sister Ani and me. Then, too soon, he would be off again. Once he did not come back. I don’t know how I feel about his sacrifice: sometimes angry, sometimes proud, sometimes both; all I know is that he did it for his family, for us.”
Armenians like you who lived through it as orphans like Narek
23, six when his father was brought from the field in a critical condition. He died in the hospital, never regaining consciousness. His sister Ani was five. Today, Narek lives with his mother Marine. Ani recently got married and moved out. Narek is a jeweler, just like his father before him.
Today, Narek wants to continue his education but his entire salary goes to support his mother and he simply can’t afford to make any savings.
|
 |
“My whole family fought in the Liberation War. When I married Artak, my brother was just recovering from a serious wound he had received in the field. I knew exactly what I was agreeing to. I would do it again. Why? Because I loved him, I still do.”
Armenians like you who lived through it as young widows like Janna,
43. Her husband Artak was killed in Kubatlu. She remembers that day, September 9th, 1993: the sudden inner certainty that something was wrong. “For ten days no one told me anything but deep in my heart I knew that my Artak was gone.” They were married for a year and a half. Their daughter Tatev was four months old.
Today, Janna and Tatev live with Janna’s brother’s family of six. Janna works but never hopes to earn enough to be able to afford a separate apartment for herself and her daughter.
|
 |
“When I was little, I would always ask Mom where my Dad was. She would tell me he had gone away but still loves me. I would then cry: “If he loves me why doesn’t he come to see me?” Today, as his daughter, I wish he hadn’t gone and was still here with us. As an Armenian, I understand what he did and why he did it. I am very proud of him.”
Tatev herself is 17 now.
She does not remember her Dad. All she has are faded photographs and stories her Mom and father’s comrades tell her. After graduating the music school she is now a first year student in the Yerevan State University, on her way to becoming an economist.
Today, Tatev studies at the University with a state provided scholarship. She loves to study and dreams of having her own computer. Unfortunately, neither her mother nor her uncle can afford to buy her one.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
Karen, Narek, Janna, Tatev…. It’s him, it’s her, it’s them, it’s thousands others like them, it’s you, it’s us – Armenians. Ordinary people, Armenians like you, who, faced with an extraordinary challenge, did not back down but took a stand. Their sacrifices made Armenia’s tomorrow possible. Their sacrifices ensured our survival as a nation. Their sacrifices cannot, must not be forgotten. The time has come to give something back to the nameless heroes who gave their all for you. They made you proud - now it is your turn. Help us change their lives – act now for them as they once did for us all.
Your contribution will help provide medical assistance, improve housing conditions and support the children of freedom fighters in pursuing their educational goals. Make a donation online and follow the change you are making possible through our website.
 |
Trusted and Secure |
