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Making Connections in Gogaran – U. Ani Sarajian
July 14, 2014
Arriving in the village of Gogaran, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I was a little skeptical to see how much village life differed from city life. Yerevan is quite different. I thought I had experienced culture shock coming from the United States to Yerevan; however, I had no idea how different it was going to be out in the villages. While it was nothing like that which I had become accustomed to since arriving in Armenia, I enjoyed seeing this new lifestyle away from the busy streets of the city.
Upon arriving, we were immediately welcomed with open arms by our host family. They took all of the interns in and were so loving towards us even though they had only met us minutes before. Our host mother, Lucine, wasted no time trying to feed us and make us comfortable. She constantly made sure we were enjoying our time. I was blessed to be placed with a host family who had the two best kids in the entire village; Siranoush (12) and Mourad (14) taught me a lot while I stayed in their home. Aside from how to play extreme dodge ball and some new Armenian words, they showed me that even though they don’t live a lavish lifestyle, they can still be happy. Their family has been dealt a tough deck of cards, including the passing of their father a few years ago. But they remain positive and so optimistic. They also know how to make some pretty goofy faces!When we woke up Saturday morning, we immediately went on a hike up a nearby mountain, and yes, my clumsy self managed to trip both up the mountain and then again on the way down. Ardranik (22), a village member and our guide for the weekend, showed us all of the caves within the mountains where people once lived. We definitely worked up an appetite from our hike and were treated to fresh lavash being made by Andranik’s mother and our host mom. We watched them prepare the dough, put it in the tonir, and as they pulled pieces out we didn’t hesitate to dig in. I’m not lying when I tell you writing about it now is making my mouth water!
We then got all of the village kids together and had a huge water fight, which was awesome. We had brought water guns and toys from Yerevan: It was so nice to do something for them and seeing that it brought them so much joy and excitement. As the night continued, we gave out more toys to other village children and spent a long time outside just playing with them. That day in Gogaran is probably my most rewarding day in Armenia so far.
Sunday morning, our last day in the village, we were joined by a few of our ungers from the Worcester “Aram” chapter and the Armenia Tree Project. We spent the day planting trees around the memorial of our fallen soldiers and the church, both within Gogaran. It was nice to accomplish this project with the help of the villagers. Knowing that they had a hand in it makes it more likely that they will follow up and make sure the trees grow as they should. The boys from the village found it funny when we had trouble digging the hole for the tree so they stepped in to dig the holes needed, and in turn we helped by placing the trees, covering them with dirt, and watering them. It felt great to spend the day with the locals and getting to pitch in to make a nicer area for the villagers to enjoy and flourish.
Leaving the village Sunday night was probably one of the hardest things I have had to do. I had become so close with Siranoush, Mourad, Lucine and their family in such a short time, and I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. As we all hugged and said our goodbyes, everyone was emotional; I wish we could have stayed longer, but I’m hoping to have the chance to see them once more before returning to the States in August.
