Javakhk is so far away — yet it’s all about perspective.
Camp Javakhk is an opportunity you can only experience if you take an extra step out of your comfort zone. Picture it: we take the journey across the Armenian border into Javakhk, our historic Armenian land, and have the chance to make an immense impact on its youth.
Camp Javakhk is a day camp program of the Armenian Relief Society (ARS). It takes place in the southern region of Georgia bordering northern Armenia. The region of Javakhk is part of Armenia’s rightful historic borders and consists of an Armenian-majority population. The camp is held in the four towns of Akhalkalak, Akhaltskha, Ninotsminda and Dzalka. Volunteers from the Armenian Diaspora serve as camp counselors and create valuable bonds with the youth in Javakhk. Last year, I participated in the program for a week in Akhalkalak. Fortunately, I was able to take time off from work this year to spend a week in Ninotsminda, and it was worth every second.
Day-to-day life at Camp Javakhk is as one might expect. The day begins with the Armenian and Georgian national anthems, morning exercises, arts and crafts, sports and other activities. The difference is the children of Javakhk. They arrive a half hour early, eager for the day to begin, and leave with the same smiles they started the morning with, even more excited for the next day. By the end of camp, the children have made an equal impact on you as you have made on them.
The attachment of the campers cannot be put into words. It wouldn’t be a day at Camp Javakhk without being welcomed in the morning with the sound of hundreds of campers screaming “բարի լույս” (good morning), Nareh proudly singing “Sardarabad,” Samo eagerly wanting to read aloud the educational about Armenia’s First Republic, Mane painting an Armenian flag on your arm, Khoren hugging you until you cannot feel your arms, Mari begging for Armenian dance to be the next activity, and Eva asking you to promise that you will return next year.
The relationships you form at Camp Javakhk are not only with campers. Counselors are also assigned an “օգնական” (helper). They are older and knowledgeable youth members of Javakhk who help the counselors run the camp smoothly. After camp hours, they show the counselors around town and take them on excursions. Participants are able to create real friendships with the locals. Ultimately, the hope is that our “օգնական” will continue as a young leader in Javakhk throughout the year, and we will bring back the lessons they taught us to our local communities.
The beauty of Camp Javakhk is that although the Armenians of Javakhk face restrictions by the Georgian government for being Armenian, we are able to instill the pride of being Armenian in our campers by teaching them Armenian history, songs, dance, traditions and more. This summer, one of the songs my campers learned was Hayortik. “Հայորդիք որ կ՚ապրիք դուք հեռուն, մի մոռնաք մեր հայոց պատմութիւն” (Armenians who live far away, do not forget our Armenian history). The lyrics of this song tie together our purpose for Camp Javakhk and one of the greater goals we have in the Armenian Diaspora. No matter how far we live from our motherland, we are the future of Armenia. The kids of Javakhk are the future, and the hope the children of Javakhk give us fuels us with the strength to continue our fight in the Armenian Diaspora. The song’s chorus repeats the word “բարձր” (high), which stresses that regardless of the challenges Armenians have experienced, we will never be defeated. Similarly, the Armenians of Javakhk represent Armenian perseverance under foreign limitations. Our presence in Javakhk displays that the Armenians of Javakhk will not be forgotten.
A short time spent volunteering in Javakhk is worth a lifetime of memories for the Armenian youth of Javakhk. We may not be able to see the immediate difference we make in the campers’ lives, but we notice a difference in ourselves. I encourage everyone to apply to Camp Javakhk. It may be out of your comfort zone. You may be anxious about working with a group of unfamiliar faces, unknown routines and new surroundings, but the most important thing to know is that there are no expectations that Camp Javakhk cannot beat. Javakhk will soon feel like your home too.
I cannot imagine not returning. So, until next time Javakhk.
Isabel Hagobian
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Very well written . Bravo Isabel , so proud of you .
Bravo U. Isabel for this great article spotlighting the wonderful kids of Javakhk and this great ARS program. So proud of the AYF Eastern Region for organizing the volunteers to make this camp possible. It’s a transformative program for both counselors and campers.
One week can impact a young camper for a lifetime with such a connecting experience … vartsgehd gahdar Ungh Isabel
What I can feel from this post as Georgian is that nationalism is so deep in most of Armenians. Unfortunately you didn’t learn anything from you mistakes. very sad…