152 changed destinies…
“Independent” continues “Coronavirus. Challenges և Opportunities ”series. Today our speaker is Marina Adulyan, the founder-president of “Bari Mama” NGO. Even these difficult times caused by the epidemic do not in any way prevent her from continuing her responsible and difficult work with the same spirit and devotion.
– Mrs. Marina, let’s start our conversation with the activities of ” BariCamp” , the way you have passed.
– “Baricamp” is the summer camp of “Bari Mama” NGO, which has been operating for six years. We initially implemented it as a program for children with disabilities living in orphanages. For the first time we organized the camp in Sevan, then, due to certain problems, we moved to Aghveran. And no matter how wonderful was everything for us in Aghveran, from the ramps to the food, however, over the years we decided it would be better to have our own territory, to do everything with our hands. I will always be grateful to Vahe Gulanyan, the former director of Sevan National Park, for offering us an area rich in pines and almost undamaged, where we started building our Baricamp.
After the first year tent camp (of course, all the facilities were created for the children), in the second year we already had a building where we accommodated the participant children. This time we organized the camp for the children of the employees of “Zvartnots” International Airport, gaining experience in working with children without disabilities. Later, with the proceeds and some of our supporters, we were able to organize a camp for the beneficiary children.
Unfortunately, due to the epidemic, the children of the orphanages could not come to the camp this year; we had to organize everything without them. We love and miss those children very much. Instead, we took an interesting step. This time we included a boy from an orphanage who had participated in our camps in previous years as a detachment leader, we entrusted him with many questions; our employees of “Baricamp” are the parents of children with disabilities. In other words, we do our best to be useful to the society.
At ”Baricamp” we have a donation box where people donate on a voluntary basis.
This year we had a very pleasant and happy atmosphere. And despite some existing problems (mainly due to the lack of electricity) we believe that we will be able to overcome them as well.
– “Bari Mama”, “Bari Tnak”, “Baricamp” and etc ․ Why does the word ”bari” always become characteristic of your initiatives?
– Our friends joke that we have privatized that word. In fact, it turned out that way by itself. “Bari Mama” is the author of many good initiatives, at the same time surrounded by very kind people. And all is done for a wonderful purpose, so that the children do not end up in the orphanage. Probably because of that, everything related to “Bari Mama” should be bari. We are even going to open a “Bari Cafe”, where young adults with disabilities will work, who have no place to go after the orphanage or have a biological family, but need certain skills to live independently. They will move to “Bari Tnak” for 6-12 months, before they will be able to move to their own house with the support of the state. Very kind people and structures helped us with this program: Serzh Tankyan and his wife Angela, Taguhi Ohanyan, “Izmyrlian” foundation, etc. These different people have one common goal. They are not indifferent, they try to solve that problem together with us. We are supported by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs. I hope this state and private cooperation will lead to great results.
– Mrs. Marina, while studying your activity, the whole burden becomes clearly visible, both physically and psychologically. How can you successfully do such a huge amount of work as a mother of two children?
– Yes, the workload is a lot both physically and psychologically, especially when you have a family, you do not have different employees at home who would do all the work for you. My children are often neglected, and they feel that and the older they get, the more. The love and warmth that I have to give to my children, I give to other children, but I hope that when they grow up, they will understand everything correctly. And in fact, over the years, my children seem to be learning the rhythm of my life, actively participating in the events we organize. My eldest daughter is already a participant in all this. The problem is that I can no longer live otherwise, and my family members are fully aware of that.
Moreover, I combine all this with my main work ․ I am a lecturer at YSU. I can not say what helps me, probably, my family and my mother. Of course, at the end of the day I am very depressed, but in any case I can overcome it. I have already learned at this pace.
It is very rare for my psychological depression to reach a level where I could not see anything. This is especially the case when there is an accident with the children or it is not possible to return the child to the family. In such cases, no matter how much we convince the parents that we will help them in every way, we will be by their side, just so that they do not leave their child, it is one thing, it is not possible to persuade. In this case, you, the child, seem to be on one side, and the rest of the world on the other side. And only then do I feel powerless.
– What is the main group of specialists working with the mothers who want to leave their children?
– We have a rapid response team – psychologists, social workers, mothers with the same problem. For example, if they want to leave a child with Down Syndrome, we associate them with a parent who has already gone through all that. This type of help usually always works, because it is one thing when you tell from the side what the prospects are for it, what it can be, what support the state will provide, how we will be able to help, etc., it is another thing when it advices a parent who has overcame all that and now serves as an example.
In rare cases, when we do not succeed, the child is sent to an orphanage. After passing under the auspices of the state system, we have nothing else to do, because the next is the process of adoption or guardianship, which is only the work of the state.
– During your activity, what main shortcomings of our society have you encountered?
– One of the main shortcomings of our society is that we do not accept children with health problems. Very often, the relatives of the families living in the villages who have the problem take this fact seriously and urge them to give up the child. In that case, we try to find other solutions, for example, to bring the mother to “Bari Tnak” or to somehow move that family away from the village so that they can get a little stronger and come back somewhat stable.
Our society has rather rigid stereotypes about disability, which will be very difficult to break. But we can not but admit that a positive movement is observed.
Unfortunately, a large number of people do not even believe that it is possible to do good deeds and in return enjoy only the sincere smiles of children, the eyes shining with joy, the happiness of destinies changed for the better. That phenomenon is also a problem for me. I hope that one day such a way of thinking will change and people will understand that it is possible to do good without expecting anything in return.
– What successes have you registered during these years, with which you consider your mission justified?
– Our greatest success is 152 changed destinies. If we take into account that 450 children with disabilities still live in orphanages, 152 is a rather large index. As the state is currently trying to recognize the best interest of the child to live in a family, I hope in the coming years there will be no need for “Bari Mama”. In fact, it is very difficult to see so many problems, to continue living in all that. So I really want parents to understand that leaving their child is not the best way․ There is always an alternative. People should realize that they are not alone, that we are with them. 89-09 is the phone number of our hotline.
– Mrs. Marina, what should we do the most in our lives?
– I want all of us to be kind, so loved that we can live with each other, understand each other’s pain. There is a great lack of love in the world today. When that gap is filled, everything will fall into place. Until then, we try to be useful to the best of our ability by creating “Baricamp”, “Bari Tnak”, “Bari Cafe” and etc ․ There is love and warmth in all that.
Arpi Khachatryan
Source: Ankakh.com