Machkalashen, ARTSAKH—Ludmila Tsaturyan, a long-time and beloved teacher at the Machkalashen village school, recently got the keys to her repaired and renovated house as part of the Tufenkian Foundation’s Herher Village Cluster Restoration and Redevelopment program.
Tsaturyan has taught at the village’s Armen Melkumyan School for the past 27 years and lost her home following the 2020 Artsakh War. She and her son were considering leaving their native village to live with family in Stepanakert. “We decided to approach our mayor with the hopes that our housing issue could be solved. We never wanted to leave our village,” Ludmila said.
Machkalashen’s Mayor Lernik Avanesyan consulted with the Foundation, which decided to fund the renovation of the Tsaturyan family home.
Following the 2020 War and consultations with Artsakh authorities, the Foundation decided to work in the Herher cluster in the Martuni region of Artsakh, focusing on Herher and its surrounding villages, including Tsovategh, Kherkhan, and Machkalashen.
“I have taught at the school for nearly three decades now, and I am happy that I can continue doing so,” Ludmila said during an intimate ceremony in late July to mark the end of construction. “May there be peace in Artsakh so that such kind-hearted people, from the Foundation’s staff to the construction team, can continue their good work,” Ludmila added.
The Tsaturyan family, Mayor Avanesyan, and representatives of the Tufenkian Foundation’s Artsakh and Yerevan offices attended the ceremony.
In his remarks, Foundation director Greg Bedian said it was a happy day for the village’s children and stressed the importance of education. “We are pleased that Ludmila will be able to move back into her home. Now that she no longer has to worry about her housing situation, she can focus on what she does best—educating her students,” Bedian said.
Established in 1999, the Tufenkian Foundation addresses the most pressing social, economic, cultural, and environmental challenges facing Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabagh). Since its inception, the Tufenkian Foundation has supported various community initiatives as well as civic activism and public advocacy campaigns to help improve life in Armenia, while providing housing, education, social, health, and livelihood support for the Armenians of Artsakh.
