Story and photos by Knarine Ghazanchyan | Program Coordinator | Heifer Armenia
Translated by Liana Hayrapetyan | Communication and PR Officer | Heifer Armenia
The Avetyan family was one of five to receive a cow from fellow villagers as part of Heifer Armenia’s Peace project’s Passing on the Gift® (POG) ceremony last year in the Arpi village. Heifer Armenia’s Peace project started in 2002 in Arpi, which is in the Vayits Dzor Marz region of Armenia.
The Avetyan family includes 55-year-old Mnatsakan and his wife Nazik, 50, their 27-year-old son Artak and his wife Lusine, 25, and their 3-year-old son Aren. This year Aren is going to have a baby brother or a sister, since Lusine is pregnant. Mnatsakan and Nazik are very happy that they are going to have one more grandchild. And as usual, Heifer’s assistance comes on time and to the point!
Taking into consideration need and necessary requirements such as a good barn, hay, willingness to pass-on the first offspring, etc., Heifer Armenia gave a pregnant heifer to the Avetyans, which they named Lala or “wild tulip.”
The Avetyans were very happy to receive a cow. They use the milk to prepare dairy products, which are very important for both little Aren and for Lusine and her new baby, as well as for the whole family. The family sells the surplus at the local market for income.
Nazik said happily, “The cow delivered very easily. As soon as she delivered, her milk volume increased. Now we get about 10 liters of milk daily. And the milk will become even better and will increase, since she is now pregnant. For a family with a little kid and a pregnant woman, good quality dairy products are very important! And yes, in a few months we will have a newborn baby at home and a newborn calf in the barn.”
When we visited the Avetyans we found Nazik feeding her geese and hens while Lusine cooked dinner. Little Aren was excited and proud to show us his bicycle, which his grandpa Mnatsakan had mastered for him. Mnatsakan was in the garden digging, watering and doing other garden work. Artak was helping his neighbor fix a car since he is very skilled.
We enjoyed our visit to this friendly very communicative family. They shared with us their successes gained through the push that Heifer gave to them by providing one cow.
This family is a vivid example of how enduring Heifer projects are. The Peace to Our Homes project started in 2002, and ever since, there has been a chain of POGs, grateful and happy faces, new families getting out of poverty and on and on. We are really proud to be a part of this.
Learn how you can be a part of the exciting changes in Armenia through Heifer International.
