In Tsovinar, a village in Armenia’s Gegharkunik region, the Ter-Sahakyan family recently had a housewarming. After years of living in a basement, and later in a semi-constructed building, the Ter-Sahakyan’s have finally become homeowners – something they had been deprived of for several years. For decades, the only progress they made was moving from the basement they lived in into the half-built house, the construction of which was started by the family’s grandfather, Mher. The work to complete the construction began with the support of VivaCell-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia.
Throughout the summer, the heads of the two partner organizations volunteered in Tsovinar. The purpose of the visit was to see the final results of the completed construction and to celebrate the happy occasion in the finished house. The Ter-Sahakyan family has left the memories of their difficult days behind. Now, they are trying to build a new life and physically recuperate their health, which had been affected by the severe weather conditions of the basement, as well as the half-built house.
“We have been waiting so long for this happiness. It’s hard to describe my joy when I see my grandchildren running in the large, bright, warm, and safe rooms,” said Mher.
“The long years of implementing this program have given us an opportunity to see many families overcome despair and helplessness. That’s an achievement we value the most. Last summer, this place was a construction site for the family and our volunteers. There was so much enthusiasm in what we were doing. The young kids had joined us, and their being there was a reason to feel even more responsibility. The climate here is harsh, and we knew we had to finish the work before winter. We are here today to celebrate housewarming, and that is precious. I am happy to see yet another family having positive changes in life,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.
“The key to the success of this housing project is that families become the ones who build and who are responsible for their own homes. Thus, the wish to have a roof becomes real and gives the desired result. Today is another housewarming event, the most awaited moment in our work, the time to see the results,” said Ashot Yeghiazaryan, President of Fuller Center for Housing Armenia.
Since VivaCell and FCHA partnered, eight houses have been built or renovated in six communities of the Gegharkunik region.
VivaCell-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) is Armenia’s leading telecommunications operator, having the widest network reach and spreading a wide range of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the best of the Armenian people interest at heart since its launch on July 1, 2005 and in a short period of time VivaCell-MTS has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. VivaCell-MTS drives innovation and aims at always being at the forefront of any development serving the Armenian mobile communications market. The company follows the guidance provided by ISO 26000 (International Standard of Social Responsibility) and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System). For more information, visit the VivaCell-MTS website.
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC is the leading telecommunications group in Russia and the CIS, offering mobile and fixed voice, broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions. Including its subsidiaries, the Group services over 100 million mobile subscribers in Russia, Ukraine, Armenia and Belarus. Since July 2000, Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about the MTS Group can be found online.
Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is a non-governmental, charitable organization that supports community development in the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh by assisting in building and renovating simple, decent and affordable homes, as well as advocating the right to a decent shelter as a matter of conscience and action. FCHA provides long-term, interest-free loans to low-income families. The monthly repayments flow into a Revolving Fund, which is used to help more families, thereby providing a financial foundation for sustainable development. Since 2008 the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia has assisted over 800 families. For more information, please visit the FCHA website or email us at fcarmenia@fcharmenia.org.
