The second stage of the “Wings” project in Dilijan has been completed

The second stage of the “Wings” rehabilitation project, which began in April, has completed in Dilijan. 76 children forcibly displaced from Artsakh, who found refuge in Dilijan, and their parents (41 parents) took part in a comprehensive three-month rehabilitation program consisting of five components: restoration of mental health through art therapy, restoration of physical strength through various sports, social adaptation through social events, excursions and hikes, as well as short-term training in capacity building, support for parents through therapy and the creation of new social connections.

The “Wings” project was implemented with the support of the “Satar Artsakhin” Union and a group of donors, as well as in collaboration with the Dilijan Community Center, the Climate Uturn educational initiative and the Dilijan Gym.

Parents of child beneficiaries of the program expressed their opinion on the effectiveness of the program:

“The children were very closed, but thanks to the work done over these two or three months, they began to solve larger problems on their own.”

“Our children have become self-confident, proactive and integrated into the new social environment. There was also excellent work with parents, which was very important in terms of the overall effectiveness of the program.”

According to an 11-year-old project participant, after moving from Artsakh, it seemed  that even the children themselves could not return to their former life and enjoy a carefree childhood. However, everything changed with the help of “Wings”.

“We, the children who have been through so much have learned we should never give up in the face of difficulty. We started to believe again, we are back to being children again, we have found our smiles.”

The director of the Dilijan community center, Armine Hovhannisyan, claims that thanks to the “Wings” program, it was possible to better understand the problems of the population forcedly displaced from Artsakh and develop a program for those in need. According to her, one of the important components of the program is the integration of forcibly displaced persons from Artsakh into public life of Dilijan.

“If we compare the pilot and first stages of the program, I should note that the participation was more active this time, and the awareness of the effectiveness of the program was higher. The mission of the Dilijan Community Center is to create an engaged community, and the Wings program has brought us closer to this mission through of these two phases,” Armine adds.

The development agency “We are our mountains”, founded by Ruben Vardanyan, is expanding the geography of the “Wings” project. The program is planned to begin in Gyumri and Tatev in the near future.