Tweet
Tough Times and Unwanted Summertime Guests for Metzamor Family of 8Grisha
Balasanyan
17:05, May 25, 2013
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-IronPort-AV: E=Sophos;i="4.87,746,1363158000";
d="scan'208";a="216002597"
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
It took us more than an hour to find the wood shack in the town of Metzamor
that Artour Stepanyan and his large family call home.
Even though we had an address, local residents we asked for directions
didn't know where the house was located.
Artour, his wife Arevik, and their six children live in this shack on the
outskirts of town. Four of the kids are from a former woman that Artour had
been married to.
Mr. Stepanyan told us that he fought in the Artsakh War, participating in
the battles for Shushi and elsewhere. Now, he complains, that the
government has forsaken him.
Artour claims that last year, when he applied for a disability pension, the
committee chairman demanded a 50,000 AMD bribe. Angered by the affront,
Artour says he stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
The family now survives on the monthly disability pensions two of their
children receive (18,700 AMD apiece), and a poverty allowance of 61,200 AMD.
Arevik said that she wrote to the Armavir Provincial Administration six
months ago requesting additional assistance. Her letter was forwarded to
the Metzamor Municipality, where her request was rejected.
The municipality has told her that they don't have the funds necessary to
assist her but that help will be forthcoming when the resources are
available.
Tzaghanoush Grigoryan, who runs the Department of Health and Social
Security at the Armavir Regional Administration, told Hetq that they are
doing all they can to assist the family, but that they are in no position
to solve the family's housing problem.
Since the shack isn't hooked up to the gas supply network and wood is too
expensive for winter heating purposes, the family tries to stay warm with
an electric heater. Arevik says that their average monthly electricity bill
comes to 35,000 AMD.
She cringes at the thought of a rise in electricity rates.
In the heat of the summer, however, there are other risks the family faces.
Given the arid surroundings, natural pests like scorpions, tarantulas and
wasps invade the property.
Arevik says that when the sun goes down, she has to keep her eyes peeled to
prevent the creepy crawlers from getting inside.
She has the six kids to think about.
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/26828/tough-times-and-unwanted-summertime-guests-for-metzamor-family-of-8.html
From: Baghdasarian
Balasanyan
17:05, May 25, 2013
X-Sender: Asbed Bedrossian
X-IronPort-AV: E=Sophos;i="4.87,746,1363158000";
d="scan'208";a="216002597"
X-Listprocessor-Version: 8.1 -- ListProcessor(tm) by CREN
It took us more than an hour to find the wood shack in the town of Metzamor
that Artour Stepanyan and his large family call home.
Even though we had an address, local residents we asked for directions
didn't know where the house was located.
Artour, his wife Arevik, and their six children live in this shack on the
outskirts of town. Four of the kids are from a former woman that Artour had
been married to.
Mr. Stepanyan told us that he fought in the Artsakh War, participating in
the battles for Shushi and elsewhere. Now, he complains, that the
government has forsaken him.
Artour claims that last year, when he applied for a disability pension, the
committee chairman demanded a 50,000 AMD bribe. Angered by the affront,
Artour says he stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
The family now survives on the monthly disability pensions two of their
children receive (18,700 AMD apiece), and a poverty allowance of 61,200 AMD.
Arevik said that she wrote to the Armavir Provincial Administration six
months ago requesting additional assistance. Her letter was forwarded to
the Metzamor Municipality, where her request was rejected.
The municipality has told her that they don't have the funds necessary to
assist her but that help will be forthcoming when the resources are
available.
Tzaghanoush Grigoryan, who runs the Department of Health and Social
Security at the Armavir Regional Administration, told Hetq that they are
doing all they can to assist the family, but that they are in no position
to solve the family's housing problem.
Since the shack isn't hooked up to the gas supply network and wood is too
expensive for winter heating purposes, the family tries to stay warm with
an electric heater. Arevik says that their average monthly electricity bill
comes to 35,000 AMD.
She cringes at the thought of a rise in electricity rates.
In the heat of the summer, however, there are other risks the family faces.
Given the arid surroundings, natural pests like scorpions, tarantulas and
wasps invade the property.
Arevik says that when the sun goes down, she has to keep her eyes peeled to
prevent the creepy crawlers from getting inside.
She has the six kids to think about.
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/26828/tough-times-and-unwanted-summertime-guests-for-metzamor-family-of-8.html
From: Baghdasarian