Flipping the Switch – Real Investment with an Added Level of Real

The switch flips alright, but it flips on its own. The second my journey to the homeland began, no amount of waiting in airplanes and airports could phase me. I feel like Balotelli on steroids, a Euro saved from doom, an Occupy Mashdots Park and Save Teghut gone viral into every corner and every mind of the country.

With that said, I landed three days ago and have been pouncing around Armenia frantically getting everything in order. The beauty of this year’s Youth Corps is in its constant move toward real connections and real effects. Almost all of our materials for this year’s program are being purchased here in Armenia. Our program books are being printed here, our t-shirts are coming hot off the press from Mineh Printing down the street from the hrabarag, we bought our sports gear, paper, pens, and other supplies all from local Armenian businesses. Our participants have been coming in one by one, with some already here working with Birthright Armenia, and others spending quality time with their relatives. We plan on officially getting the entire group into motion July 2^nd, once all of our participants have arrived in Armenia.

The sheer thought of being able to influence over 600 kids in a matter of six weeks is sending adrenaline through my body like no other. The connections we’re going to make with the land, the people, the customs and life lessons we’re going to learn through our interactions, the civil society building, getting the idea of the real value of one’s vote across to a turned-off country, the sharing of ideas, the power of our interactions are all a few days away from materializing into yet another successful summer of progress.

So long for now, you’ll be hearing from my teammates as the group gets together to officially launch our program.

Genatsnoot,

Berj Parseghian