Armine’s family overcomes poverty to live a decent life with her five children

Armine’s* seven-member family lives in one of the communities in Tavush Marz of Armenia. The income of the family wasn’t enough to make the ends meet -  provide five children with necessary clothes, nutritious food, hygiene and school items.

As World Vision’s social worker conducted the family’s needs assessment, she learned about Armine’s strong sewing skills. World Vision provided her with a sewing machine and fabrics so that she can sew bed linen and tea towels. World Vision also provided the family with some necessary furniture, as well as food, hygiene items, and school supplies for the children.

World Vision's social worker was working in parallel with the community social worker, Arpine Alaverdyan, who directed the father to the Berd Regional Employment Center. As a result, the father started participating in a short-term paid community service program to earn extra income.

The family used to live in one of the relative’s house; thanks to joint work of World Vision’s social worker and the community social worker, an individual donor supported the family to buy a private house in one of the rural communities. With another intervention by a Arpine Alaverdyan, the family received from the municipality previously used but suitable construction materials for the renovation of their own house. 

One of the children was involved in the World Vision’s afterschool classes in the local community school. The child attends the classes to do the homework, as well as participate in the life skills’ development club.

Thanks to the social workers' involvement, all the five children started attending the Sunday school of the Tavush Dioceses of the Armenian Apostolic Church.

Today Armine has a permanent job and a furnished house of their own, and a stable income to provide well for their children’s needs.

World Vision works in the communities of Armenia to enhance community social work and the quality of social services for vulnerable children and their families within “Community Level Access to Social Services” (CLASS) program funded by USAID.  Within the CLASS program, the community social worker Arpine Alaverdyan (working directly with Armine’s family) joined her peers, over 85 other social workers, in professional capacity building sessions.

Through the CLASS program, USAID and World Vision support Armenia to strengthen the social protection system through effective community-based social work.

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the beneficiary family.