VivaCell-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia announced about continuing the partnership and the plans for 2019. Yet again, the regions are the target of the program. The willingness of the partners to build houses and to ease the social burden of the families living in metal containers is firm.
The news of being included in the program came as a surprise to one of the stakeholder families. The decision of supporting families was made based on the assessment performed following visits to regions and a video footage prepared in the beginning of the year.
The Hasoyan family lives in Mrgastan village, Armavir region, in an 18 sq meter metal container. The father of the family twice traveled abroad for a seasonal work to pay off the debt for the metal container and the piece of land. He has also built a greenhouse as an alternative source of income for the family in future. However, the dream of a home had remained unfulfilled. It's been some 8 years now that Suren, who suffers health problems, together with his wife and their children, lives in a small room serving as a bedroom, a living room and a bathroom within a day. His wife, Zarine sets a fixed timeline for the day to manage all the housework.
“It was hard to make a decision to leave the house of my husband’s parents and move to the metal container, but we had to: there were 12 of us living under the same roof. At the beginning, we had nothing; we were taking water from our neighbors. Now with the help of our relatives the problem of the water is solved; but we still sleep, eat and bathe in the same room. Despite the lack of resources and basic conditions, I try not to conceal my concerns and to care for my family needs. And I have to do it with a smile on my face, so as my children do not fall in despair,” said Zarineh.
A house will be built for Hasoyan family owing to the partnership of VivaCell-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia in the current year.
“We kick start the housing program of 2019. I am glad to state that this is a continuous process. Every single family’s success is our victory. I have once compared these families with trees cracking stones without breaking. Standing by their side in the right time oftentimes brings important and big changes in their lives. And I am proud for the years-long partnership with the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.
“The continuity of the program means fulfilling long-cherished hopes for many families. Many families have found their happiness owing to our partnership with VivaCell-MTS. Improving the living conditions of the families is a guarantee for a better quality of their lives. I am grateful for this cooperation,” said Fuller Center for Housing Armenia President Ashot Yeghiazaryan.
The procedures of the partnership are clear: the families are selected by the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia based on criteria, such as the social situation, under-aged children in the family, number of people in the family, and others. VivaCell-MTS provides financial assistance, and frequently volunteers in the construction works.