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EDITOR, MP, DISCUSS HOUSING PLIGHT OF ZATIK ORPHANAGE "GRADUATES"
Kristine Aghalaryan
hetq
16:00, December 28, 2011
At a press conference today, the plight of those being discharged
from the Zatik Orphanage due to their age was discussed by Hetq Editor
Edik Baghdasaryan and Heritage Party MP Anahit Bakhshyan.
Arsen Lazarian was forced to leave the Zatik Orphanage when he turned
18. Now 20, he's a fourth year student at the Yerevan Polytechnic
Institute and works nights in a bakery to pay his rent.
He was told to find his own way in this world - no housing, job,
nothing.
"Sure it's tough, studying and working at the same time, but I have
no choice," Arsen said.
Recently, 33 of the 68 orphans at Zatik have been discharged, according
to MP Bakhshyan.
She argued that the children were being "tossed out" with nowhere
to go despite legal guarantees that the state must provide for their
social needs, including housing.
Baghdasaryan noted that the government had initiated a housing program
for parentless children leaving state orphanages as far back as 2001
and that construction began in 2003.
"It was a fabulous program had it been fully realized. Some 156
apartments were built in just a few years. Then, there were revelations
of large-scale embezzlement and a criminal investigation was launched,"
Baghdasaryan said.
No one was ever charged and the monies were never returned, he added.
"Hey, this is normal for Armenia where officials try to make money
from everything, even at the expense of orphans," he said.
MP Bakhshyan commented that while social programs are signed into law
and get budgets, their effectiveness is never really felt by those
in need.
There's no state policy, no institutional approach to this problem,"
she said.
As to what steps the orphanage "graduates" might explore, MP Bakhshyan
advised them to take up the matter with the Ministry of Labor and
Social Affairs, which has a number of projects on paper, and see
if any relate to facilitating work or education for those leaving
the orphanage.
Baghdasaryan proposed that pressure be brought to bear on various
business leaders and oligarchs to offer these young people jobs.
"These kids need the support of society but there's no one out there
willing to provide them the assistance they need," he added.
Kristine Aghalaryan
hetq
16:00, December 28, 2011
At a press conference today, the plight of those being discharged
from the Zatik Orphanage due to their age was discussed by Hetq Editor
Edik Baghdasaryan and Heritage Party MP Anahit Bakhshyan.
Arsen Lazarian was forced to leave the Zatik Orphanage when he turned
18. Now 20, he's a fourth year student at the Yerevan Polytechnic
Institute and works nights in a bakery to pay his rent.
He was told to find his own way in this world - no housing, job,
nothing.
"Sure it's tough, studying and working at the same time, but I have
no choice," Arsen said.
Recently, 33 of the 68 orphans at Zatik have been discharged, according
to MP Bakhshyan.
She argued that the children were being "tossed out" with nowhere
to go despite legal guarantees that the state must provide for their
social needs, including housing.
Baghdasaryan noted that the government had initiated a housing program
for parentless children leaving state orphanages as far back as 2001
and that construction began in 2003.
"It was a fabulous program had it been fully realized. Some 156
apartments were built in just a few years. Then, there were revelations
of large-scale embezzlement and a criminal investigation was launched,"
Baghdasaryan said.
No one was ever charged and the monies were never returned, he added.
"Hey, this is normal for Armenia where officials try to make money
from everything, even at the expense of orphans," he said.
MP Bakhshyan commented that while social programs are signed into law
and get budgets, their effectiveness is never really felt by those
in need.
There's no state policy, no institutional approach to this problem,"
she said.
As to what steps the orphanage "graduates" might explore, MP Bakhshyan
advised them to take up the matter with the Ministry of Labor and
Social Affairs, which has a number of projects on paper, and see
if any relate to facilitating work or education for those leaving
the orphanage.
Baghdasaryan proposed that pressure be brought to bear on various
business leaders and oligarchs to offer these young people jobs.
"These kids need the support of society but there's no one out there
willing to provide them the assistance they need," he added.