2 Year Anniversary for "Aregak" Day Care Center for People with Multiple Disabilities in Gyumri

It has been two years since the opening of "Aregak", a centre for people with disabilities in Gyumri, and today the impact of the centre can be seen in the children, parents and volunteers alike.

Before the existence of Aregak, the disabled in Gyumri were isolated from society, withholding them from social and psychological development due to the stigma held that the disabled are a sign of weakness and an embarrassment to the family. Thus they rarely left their homes requiring one family member to remain at home with them, placing a great burden on the family.

All of this changed when Aregak was founded in June 2008 through the funding of Caritas Austria. Armenian Caritas has created opportunities for the children, relieved some of the burden felt by parents and opened the minds of those involved in the centre helping to reduce the presence of the stigma attached to the disabled. Now there are 35 children attending the center.

The centre provides full support for the children and their families including transportation, meals and various therapeutic activities. Caritas Austria provided Aregak with a large van which acts as a means of transport to pick up the children from various neighborhoods around Gyumri. This is a means of assisting the families as it is nearly impossible to transport the children safely in Gyumri due to the infrastructure. The morning pickup has become a routine for the children and parents alike with the children playing in the back and the parents expressing their gratitude to the driver and staff who help the children into the car. There is a sense of community that can be felt throughout the centre that begins each day with what seems a simple task but for this centre needs dedicated staff with patience and kindness.

The children are at the centre from 10:00 A.M. until 4:00 P.M. In the mornings the children are split into two groups, each following a structured educational or leisure activity. Throughout this time children are taken for individual speech therapy. The afternoon has a similar structure, but instead with individual art and music therapy. In addition to social integration, Aregak ensures the health of the children by providing them with a nutritious lunch each day, medical and hygiene care, and psychological rehabilitation and life skill development.

The emphasis on social integration can be seen throughout the daily activities of the children. Each child has various levels of social interactions with peers who also have disabilities, adults and professionals. Children are placed in activities supervised by staff that assists those in need, while the children who are able to help out their peers learn leadership and initiative. Children are given the freedom to take on responsibility and provided the opportunity to determine their capabilities. The care and attention provided by the staff is more than could be provided at home and therefore helps to develop the child's emotional intelligence. The level of socialization these children are taught is beyond the means of anything that could have been imagined for them before Aregak.

The presence of Aregak in the community has heightened the awareness and sensitivity towards people with disabilities. Aregak provides the community with an accurate understanding of the abilities and capabilities of people with disabilities. The volunteers and staff who work there are the main source of knowledge as they work daily with the children and are able to correct the misconceptions held about people with disabilities. Together, the network of people surrounding the centre has created change within the community of what it means to be a person with a disability and in the future will have a large impact of changing the stigma attached to disabilities in Armenia.

Alexandra Achkarian,
AC volunteer