Social Distancing: What Are Our Volunteers Up to? PART 2

Back when social distancing first began, we shared a story of what our volunteers were up to and how they're staying creative! Now six weeks into quarantine and working remotely, initial difficulties have been overcome and it’s time to highlight our productive volunteers and say thank you to our flexible job sites that quickly transitioned from office to meaningful home-based tasks. All of us working together continue to make a positive impact here in Armenia!

Birthright Armenia participant Ani Bournazian, 25, (USA), who is an Occupational Therapist by training, has been volunteering at the Agate Rights Defense Center for Women with Disabilities, in Gyumri since early March. She recently did a presentation on Occupational Therapy through Zoom for her colleagues. "I explained what the profession is, different adaptive equipment and devices that people with disabilities can benefit from here in Armenia, and exercises to help keep people with disabilities healthy."

While most of our volunteers are working remotely, Hayk Gevorgyan, 31, (Russia), is making a positive impact during the coronavirus pandemic with the Red Cross. He is working with a socially disadvantaged segment of the population, lonely individuals, disabled, and poor. "I realized how many people in our country need help and that a lot of work needs to be done. My day starts at 9 a.m. from a food warehouse where we unload cars with food and begin to distribute to social pockets in Yerevan. There are days when we work until late at night! The work requires a lot of strength and energy. The people we deliver to want to share their misfortunes with me. I am very glad that I have the opportunity to help our people; I do it with pleasure."

Andrea Tchabrassian, 30, (Argentina), has been working for Historic Armenian Houses in Gyumri. “My work began with the elaboration of graphic documentation of a building of historical heritage in Gyumri, but, as the weeks passed and the meetings with my coordinators progressed, the work became increasingly interesting, so much that today I am doing a document analyzing architectural work in order to add knowledge to the project of creating a language of patterns of vernacular architecture of Gyumri.”