My Life Rocked in One Day….
Women Empowerment
Life has a way of unfolding in unexpected, sometimes heart-wrenching ways. It was October 16, 2020, a day when joy and tragedy collided in my life with devastating force.
It was a day of intense emotional complexity, during which a dramatic contrast of profound life events—one representing new life and joy, the other representing loss and grief—occurred within 24 hours.
That morning, my daughter-in-law shared great news. She told me that she was expecting my son Arman’s child. But fate had other plans.
Before we could fully embrace our happiness, we received the devastating news that our son Arman had fallen in Nagorno-Karabakh, never knowing he would become a father again.
After several months, we named our grandson after him, ensuring his legacy lives on. Though physically absent, Arman’s presence fills our home – his belongings are carefully arranged in a corner, and his photograph is always close to my heart in a pendant I never remove.
The first years after losing him were shrouded in darkness. Grief paralyzed me, stripping away any desire to engage with life.
Little by little, I began to look around, and it was crucial to find an occupation to fill time and calm the terrible pain. When construction work on our new house was completed, I resumed gardening and growing vegetables and fruits.
Like many of my neighbors, I began to dry fruits, mainly peaches. My first attempt at fruit drying yielded nearly 500kg, a success that encouraged me to continue.
In April 2024, I applied for support from the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development to develop this activity. My application was approved, and they provided everything needed for a complete production cycle – from drying containers to a greenhouse.
The Arev Society provides management support to the AF4SD “Refugee Women Economic Empowerment in Armenia” program.