| The Results of "Santa Claus Comes To Everybody 2008" Event
by "Future is Open" Educational NGO
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"Future is Open" educational non-governmental organization arranged fund-raising in December 2008. Our appeal was as follows: "Even 1000 drams given by each of us will make children smile".
The aim was to organize New Year slight refreshments in the frames of "Santa Claus Comes To Everybody 2008" event for endangered children (orphanages, special schools, needy families) living in Yerevan and in marzes.
During mere 10 days of fund-raising more than 200.000 drams was collected and spent on the mentioned events, for which the donators have been presented the report.
Let us thank all those conscious and compassionate people who responded and gave us an opportunity to make the above mentioned event come true.
During New Year celebrations many people suddenly remember especially children living in orphanages and organize events for them. Thank you for realizing that our aim is not making the children get used to thinking as beggars, but being next to them all year round and encouraging their educational achievements as one of the most important factors in becoming self-fulfilling individuals and respected members of the society.
The question is not the money itself, but your reaction, like that of the people who were writing letters or calling and simply saying encouraging words.
You give us strength to continue.
Note
Future is Open" educational NGO was founded in 2005. Aiming at contributing to the improvement of the educational level of children in special educational institutions, orphanages and needy families a group of students established an educational NGO to help endangered children.
The principal goal of the organization is to give those children continuous support to become deserving and worthy members of the society.
"Future is Open" educational NGO
Address: 1 Qajaznuni st., 3rd floor
Tel: [374](10)55-91-26 (14:00-18:00)
E-mail: info@fio.am
Web site: www.fio.am
Picture is worth thousand words
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| We can save together
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Information even on hard problems are usually given through statistics; i.e. several individuals help some groups in need...
All this is individual to me.
When I was in my second year we got together in a small group and decided to visit an orphanage bringing them sweets as well as presents within our possibilities. The children were so much inspired that they arranged a show on the occasion without having got ready for it before... One should see how the little children acted doing their best to pronounce words, how much excited were the elder ones... How much they wanted to communicate with us... And the reasons were not just the simple candies brought by us: they needed communication with youth at the age of their elder sisters or brothers (the greater part of their nursemaids are older than their parents), the children were just seeking for warm and simple conversation, they wanted to share thoughts, dreams... Unfortunately my words are powerless to give the magic and the awesome pain, as soon as a child, knowing me for only an hour, while parting told me, "Brother, take me to your place!"
Even the best orphanage is not able to provide those children with family warmth, parental love and care that they do need badly. Neither do we. And when I heard of other little children that they, in their turn, want to become workers or artisans, or as a top of a dream was to become the head of the orphanage, I realized that our presents were useless and even disastrous. In the most important stage of their individuality we, as a society, make them form a beggarly way of thinking. They have to count on alms, they don't have even the simplest and most practical knowledge (there are children who haven't even gone out the gates of the orphanage), or at best they get standard school education (can you imagine children who have never read a single book?). It's not even worth talking of the right values when a child hasn't seen unselfish kindness and care... A future soldier doesn't know about patriotism and a future mother has not the slightest idea of motherhood... What can be said about the possibilities of their future achievements? When a child dreaming to become an artist is at best bound to enter a technical school or to become a shoemaker...
I am sure that the greater part of readers has families, a bit smaller number but again the major part if not being encouraged but at least has been given the opportunity to enter a higher educational institution. While there are children whose mother has thrown them to dump. These young men are not given the chance to get to the elementary level of self-consciousness, just at the age maturity and though adults they are not ready for it. So they just get a small apartment as a gift and stay all alone by themselves becoming either beggars, criminals or inferior workers who are hardly able to earn their living, sometimes even bound to starve...
But they are not criminals in order to be punished in such a way: they are our younger sisters and brothers who are not given to lead a perfect life like us.
And we can help them: they do not need high flown words, neither great financial means: it's only enough to share them an hour a week instead of our personal entertainment in order to improve the educational level of theirs and give them personal warmth as well as some pieces of good advice.
Is it impossible for us?
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| The Course of the Lessons
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The volunteers stir no efforts in order to make the lessons proper and satisfactory. The whole team of the organization is involved in carrying out the lessons, coordinating and expanding activities. We realize that a lot of children need educational lessons and the desire to support this problem somehow is always alive in our minds.
Unfortunately, about 10 volunteers have been discharged, who were doing voluntary work in the educational programs of the organization (because of being irresponsible and not taking seriously). Instead of dismissed volunteers the reserved ones are appointed for the lessons not to be postponed at orphanages and special schools. Everybody has to realize that "Future is Open" educational NGO work should be treated with highly responsibility otherwise they have nothing to do in the organization. It is our sincere work that gives us the opportunity to continue the educational programmes with children.
P.S. Through our practical work done we try to support (take part in) the work for the prosperous future of the Republic of Armenia.
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| Trainings
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Educational Program in Gavar
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As well as other preceding years trainings are carried out for the volunteers of "Future is Open" educational NGO after the following
month of the new academic year.
Trainings for the 2008-2009 academic year started on October 2, 2008 and are carried out by Marieta Grigoryan, Academic Affairs Coordinator of the
Organization. The organization considers suchlike trainings to be important as in this way many things change: starting from the lessons up to
volunteer-child communication. The trainings are of great importance to the volunteers and they themselves speaking about this try to do their
best for the children.
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October 12, 2008 a group of volunteers of "Future is Open" educational NGO visited village Artsvaqar in Gavar in order to meet more
than 60 children from socially unprivileged families. The children were delighted to meet the volunteers. The representatives of the family spoke
about the children's dreams and the necessary steps to be take in making them come true. The meeting was very interesting with their active
participation and sincere questions. It's a pity their cherished dreams were no more than having toys and nice clothes. Through discussions and
educational games they began to think that they had to have a dream and taking little steps they should try to make big changes in their as well
as everybody's lives.
The organization does not have any sponsors in order to be able to visit the above mentioned children once a month who can become proper
citizens of the RA.
P.S. From time to time we'll touch upon the education of the children living in RA marzes and do our best trying to be of some help to them
involving them in educational programs.
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