Third Genats and It’s Overwhelming Impact

   Today the AYF Youth Corps separated into two groups. Seven of us went off

to Gyumri, while the other seven came to Artsakh. I was very excited coming

into Artsakh for the first time as an adult.  The trip from Broshian to

Stepanakert took approximately six hours. Even though the group was tired,

the trip was relaxing because we got an excellent view of the beauty of

Armenia and Artsakh. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the AYF of Artsakh.

They were very welcoming and helped us unpack the camp supplies.

We arrived at the house that we will be staying in for the next two weeks.

The housewife, Nada showed us our rooms and helped us settle in. We met the

grandmother as well, who they call Babo. The AYF of Artsakh joined us for a

pleasant dinner. It was interesting to hear the Artsakh dialect and their

jokes and traditions. We made many toasts acknowledging our mission, but I

want to draw attention to one toast in particular. We were taught that after

the Karabakh war, when people get together for dinner, the third toast

always goes to the soldiers to commemorate their memory. Personally, this

was my favorite memory from the dinner, especially because yesterday at

Yerabloor, for the first time in my life I visited my uncle’s grave who had

died in the war. I felt a strong connection between his grave and myself.

    After dinner, we decided to look for an internet cafe and inform our

families that we had safely reached Stepanakert. On our walk back, we saw a

few children playing soccer in the street and we stopped to say hello.

One of the boys responded, “Hello, my name is Vahan!” in English. This moment

was very enlightening for our group. It made our time here so much more

worthwhile. We actually saw how much the kids are looking forward to the

camps and the memories it has left them with. We walked by many children who

were playing soccer or just sitting down and talking. Their simplicity is

intertwined with their innocence.  They are so cheerful and excited about the

simple things in life that we sometimes forget to stop and notice. Being in

Artsakh and organizing these camps makes me want to put myself in the shoes

of our soldiers who have stood and fought for Karabagh. I think that this is

our duty to come and help our youth and form these relations with them. We

are not standing on the front line, but we are making a lasting impact on

these children.  I have never separated Artsakh and Armenia in my mind and I

know that in time we will be united.