Another 46 forcibly displaced Artsakh citizens were given “Wings”

The third phase of the three-month “Wings” rehabilitation project initiated by the “We Are Our Mountains” Development Agency has ended in Dilijan. At this stage, 29 children aged 6-18 and 17 parents forcibly displaced from Artsakh participated in the program.

The “Wings” is a comprehensive rehabilitation program consisting of sports therapy (fitball, power triathlon, yard games, mobile games), art therapy (sand therapy, creating a story with threads) and adaptation, leadership and capacity building courses.

“In November of last year, after the forced displacement, the “We are Our Mountains” development agency started the implementation of a rehabilitation program for forcibly displaced Artsakh children aged 4-18 and their parents. The program was named “Wings”. The name holds a symbolic meaning for us. “Wings” is very consistent with the entire humanitarian activities of the agency and Ruben Vardanyan’s activities in Artsakh, and now in Armenia too,” says Sona Hovhannisyan, the program coordinator and  head of educational initiatives and human capital development of the “We are Our Mountains” development agency.

In addition to restoring their physical and mental resources, the children participating in the program also acquired new skills and knowledge.

The comprehensive approach is one of the features of the “Wings” rehabilitation program. While working with children, it also engages with parents, which enhances the effectiveness of the program and makes the result more complete.

“The forcible displacement that followed the blockade doubled, tripled or even quadrupled the stress, so our main goal was to try to maintain stability through psychological support. In the first stage, we evaluated the state of mind using psychological methods, then by dividing them into age groups, we carried out art-therapeutic work, among other activities,” says Ani Apitonyan, the psychologist of the program.

Within the framework of the program, parents participated in individual and group therapies, as well as activities aimed at creating social connections such as joint preparation of traditional dishes and sweets, cognitive excursions, etc.

The “We are Our Mountains” development agency founded by Ruben Vardanyan is expanding the geography of the “Wings” project. The program has already launched in Gyumri.