In the frames of the housing project, VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian and “Fuller Center for Housing” Armenia President Ashot Yeghiazaryan paid just another regional visit. This time the partners visited the Sukiasyan family in Stepanavan town of Lori region.
The Sukiasyans are one of the three families that have received support through the housing project in Lori region in 2016. They had been homeless after the 1988 earthquake and had lived in a metal container for 28 years. In 2000, the family bought a half-built house, but was not able to complete the construction and move into a stone house.
In the frames of the housing project, the Sukiasyan family started the construction of their half-built house, and now, together with the partnering organizations, they celebrate the long-awaited housewarming.
''Sixteen long years have passed... and during all these years we were not able to complete the construction of our house. Every time we tried, we came upon an obstacle. My father was even thinking about leaving the country and working abroad to earn the money for the construction, but something kept him and us from doing that. We always thought it is better to live in a metal container, than be separated from each other. May be it was the strong bonds with the Homeland that kept us from leaving. I do not know. What matters is that our father is with us, and that we have built a house of our own. I am sincerely grateful for that!'' said sixteen-year-old Lilith.
Owing to the financial investment of VivaCell-MTS, in frames of “Fuller Center for Housing” Armenia project, the housing problem of 20 families has been solved in Lori region only.
“Five years ago, when we presented apartments to 20 families in Vanadzor who suffered from earthquake, we were hopeful that the look in the eyes of the children growing up in metal containers would change from sad and desperate to bright and optimistic. A child, who no longer has faith in the future, cannot bring positive changes to the country. Fully acknowledging the seriousness of the situation, we have tried to implement one more program with the aim of supporting socially vulnerable families. Thus, owing to the partnership with “Fuller Center for Housing” Armenia, we have succeeded in providing decent housing conditions to twenty more families in this region. My hope is that the hard conditions of life in metal containers will stay in the past and will no longer cast a shadow on the happiness of these families that strive to work and thrive in their Homeland,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.
“The story of this family is similar to that of hundreds of other families in Lori region: people, who grew up in metal containers, get married and move into another metal container. Unfortunately, the end of this cycle is still not noticeable. Nevertheless, the housewarming of each house is a step towards a victorious end,'' said “Fuller Center for Housing” Armenia President Ashot Yeghiazaryan.
For the implementation of the housing project in the current year, VivaCell-MTS has invested about AMD 105 mln. 21 families have finished the construction of their half-built houses; another 21 have renovated the houses. In the frames of the five-year partnership, 135 families have been supported through the housing project in ten regions of Armenia.
