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14 Comments

1. Nanore …Thanks for this detailed and soulful article about the unlucky children…We must give them Luck and that is our cuddling Love…

   Sylva

2. Thank you for this honest account of the plight of orphans in Armenia. My father, a victim of the genocide, was orphaned at age 13. My life experience and common sense tell me that all children belong in a family, if not their own family then at least in some foster family. I like the new direction of giving priority to placing children in some kind of wholesome , normal family situation than relegating them to institutions.

   Also I wish the Armenian government would relax their policies about adoption of orphaned children. Many Armenians in the diaspora would gladly adopt thewe children and provide for them care, nutrition, health, educatipon, and love. It is always in the best interests of children to live in homes. The well-being of the child must be the first priority rather than the social planning of the government.

   The genius and greatness of the Armenians lies in their commitment to marriage, family, and children. When these sacred duties are neglected are sacrificed for other considerations, then Armenians will lose their Christian virtues and follow the way of the world.

   • My Name is Rima Galoustian, I live in USA my husband and I are looking to adopt a child from Armenia, I was wonder if you could help us.
     My email is rimakellogg@sbcglobal.net.
     I will appreciate if you could refer me to proper source
     Thank you

3. Unfortunately, one step at a time isn’t enough. We’re already 50 years behind in this area of social welfare. Whether we like it or not…Armenia is a poor country. Well-meaning wealthy Armenian-Americans and Europeans are spending millions to restore, rebuild or to build churches throughout Armenia. All those millions could have been put into trusts that would manage the distribution of funds to young poverty-stricken families. This would enable them to maintain a healthy family environment and keep their children with them. The most tragic and pitiful victims in all of this, are the poor young children who have no control over their destinies…nor do they even understand what is happening to them. God help us. Our people were already dispersed throughout the world as a result of the Genocide…now, poverty, joblessness, lack of hope or opportunity is literally emptying out the Republic of Armenia. Our young talent, intellectuals, entrepreneurs, etc. are looking toward distant shores to find their future. But the greatest tragedy is the plight of these thousands of orphans whose mental, emotional and physical development is impaired by destitution. How can we remain indifferent?

4. Adopting Armenia’s children from outside of Armenia is not a good idea, period.
   The challenge is to help those orphans stay and prosper in Armenia with every other means.

   • Aram – not sure what you mean by this… I hope we are not trying to solve Armenia’s demographic problem at the expense of a few hundred kids who just need a mom and dad wherever they might live.

5. 99 % of the children in Armenian orphanages are “social orphans” meaning they are there because of financial hardships. Many of the parents have left Armenia for jobs.
   What we need to get better about in Armenia is the handicapped and special needs children or those abandoned at hospitals. We either must continue our medical programs and supporting those parents or improve the pediatric medical system. Most of these parents carry old beliefs and superstisions about special needs children.
   Throwing money and donations at these orphanages is not the answer, we all have done this for years- especially after we adopt and see the conditions the other children are left with. Which by the way are better than most orphanges in other countries, but it is still not ideal for a child to live in an institution.
   There have been many improvements to the education, and building projects that support the parents while increasing the child’s ability to grow the economy. We are losing our next generation of children in Armenia, and while I agree that many Americans, Italians have adopted our special needs children: Down Syndrome, limb missing, Spina bfida it is shameful that we have not provided for these kids. They have rights too or didn’t anyone notice?
   Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and FAR both address many village projects to fortify and help Armenians build THEIR villages so their children will prosper. From rebuilding schools to starting computer labs where everyone in the village can learn to communicate on the Internet and share ideas with the diaspora.
   Orphanages should be for true orphans, not those that have parents but cannot afford to feed them. Then we have to organize more programs for those children that age out of the system. “Mer Doon” is a great project for 18+ girls, who attend college, many have gotten married and now have children of their own. The cycle of depending on orphanges to raise your children must stop, it weakens Armenia socially, economically and spiritually.
   The adoption process in Armenia has gotten more scrutiny especially the adaption of the Hague Convention. But middle men in country, still have money and resources in identifying children for the agencies in the USA.
   The Italians, Germans and French that adopt are done by their governmental agencies (Europe doesn’t allow private agencies because of human trafficking issues), even the social workers are supplied by the government.
   I have met many Italians that have adopted older Armenian children with severe needs or in need of an operation. Last year a 10 year old Armenian boy with a congenital heart condition was adopted by a couple who already had the specialist in Italy confirmed for therapy and surgery.
   The older the child is the harder they are to adopt, majority of Americans want infants which also can command a higher price.

   • Yes I agree with your remarks. But also remember too that the Hague Convention is only as good as the government officials who adhere to it. I am not convinced that Hague has made the system in Armenia free from corruption. As for the European countries, they don’t allow private adoption agencies in their own countries but Europeans often use the same middlemen on the ground as the Americans and often use American agencies. Yes, the European adoption process is different but you’ll find that international adoption often costs the French and Italians as much as American families, and they may use the same third parties in Armenia to complete the adoption.
     But we must direct our efforts to help families and not simply support orphanages.

6. This was an article worth reading on an important issue in Armenia.

   However, WorldVision Armenia was not mentioned. They’ve been doing a lot of work with families who, due mainly to financial difficulties, have been forced to give their children to state care . On June 1, the Orange Foundation launched a new program through which Orange Armenia subscribers can donate to this cause through SMS. The Foundation doubles their donations and provides the whole sum to WorldVision Armenia, which uses it to support one family each month. The ‘support’ is mainly the creation of a new source of income for the family, which will help them become financially independent and able to take back the child/children they handed over to state care.

   You can find out more about the project through the links below (and feel free to contact me too – nazareth.seferian@orange-ftgroup.am), with more information coming soon about our July beneficiary family.

   As someone who feels strongly about this project and is proud to be involved in it, I’d like to thank all the Orange Armenia subscribers who have donated so far, urging them to continue doing so and looking forward to seeing others join them. Thanks!

   Links to more information –
   June 1 – Orange and World Vision Armenia launch “Let’s keep children home” SMS charity project – http://www.orangearmenia.am/en/about-orange-armenia/news/lets-keep-children-home/index.php

   July 11 – Thanks to donations by Orange customers and the Orange Foundation 15-year old Lilit is with her family again – http://www.orangearmenia.am/en/about-orange-armenia/news/orange-foundation-lilith/index.php

7. Clearly the first and best option is for a child to stay with its biological parents – no child should be relinqished due to poverty and everything should be done in society’s power to provide a family with the necessary resources. Having said that, if a child is relinquished, adoption by a loving family is ALWAYS preferable to institutionalization, whether that adoption is within Armenia or by foreigners. In theory the current system is a good one in that families in Armenia have the first option to adopt these children before they are adopted abroad. The question is whether the system is adhered to or has corruption and bribery caused the process to be tainted. It is a sad but true reality that the childrens’ well being interest isn’t always top of mind and that adoption has become a business for some faciliators and government officials.

8. Thank you Nanore for the article. I am encouraged to read of the desire of the Armenian government to replace institutional care with a foster care system. Although I know it is a slow process and often lacks funding.

   While working in Hong Kong in the late 1990s, I was instrumental in encouraging the government to establish a foster care system. It is wonderful to visit yearly to train and to see that foster care continues to expand, and that the vast majority of foster carers are now Chinese.

9. This was a great article to read and very encouraging.

   I adopted a child of Armenian heritage from Russia and was in process to adopt his half-sibling when the was program closed to Americans. I had little to no knowledge of Armenia prior to my first adoption but when the judge in my first adoption stated that my handsome, smart, healthy but for being cross-eyed son was returned 5 times by potential adoptive Russian parents to orphanage care due to their ‘unwillingness to raise a child of Armenian-heritage’ I was not only appalled but curious.

   I discovered a wonderful country with great history, working to meet the needs of all its citizens.

10. I am a school based occupational therapist who has worked with children with special needs. I am wondering about being involved in teacher, parent staff training for how to include children with special needs in community education settings, day care, foster care etc. I may be able to come over to do some trainings. I thought I could contact UNICEf. Any suggestions for you readers would be helpful. Does Armenia still need educational teacher traininers from the us?

11. I read that article about that child could not get it out of my mind tragic

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