17:17 | 24.06.15 | News | 3228

VivaCell-MTS supports building of a house in Gegharkunik marz

VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian, staff members from the company and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia team participated in the construction of Melikyan family half-built house in Ddmashen community of Gegharkunik Region.

This time the team did plastering work smoothing the walls.

Melikyan family is one of the 40 happy families that this year will finally have a decent home through the project financed by VivaCell-MTS  and implemented by Fuller Center Housing  Armenia.

Having a home has been a long-cherished dream for the family mother, Leyla Arakelyan, for many years, but due to circumstances, twenty years have passed since the realization of her dream. A few years the family lived in Leyla’s husband’s, Jumshud's  parents' house, then they rented a house in the city of Sevan, after which for about 15 years they lived in a metal container (domik) placed on one of their relatives’ land. Only ten years ago the family was able to buy a half-built house (it has only the walls built and the roofing done). A year ago Melikyan family managed to separate the two rooms and moved from the house trailer to the half-built house.

"During all these years I have dreamed of a house. My sons have never felt the happiness of having a solid roof over their lifetime. It is impossible to describe what it means to live in a metal container. One of my  sons, Taron, first celebrated New Year in a stone built house in 2014. My elder son Aram was in the army at that time. I cannot describe the happiness I feel now. I am grateful to all those who support us, and after so many years we will have the opportunity to live in decent housing conditions," said Leyla Arakelyan.

Through the partnership between VivaCell-MTS and Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, 53 families from different communities of the country have secure shelters. By the end of the year the number of families having renovated or completed the construction of their half-built homes will reach to 93.

“Supporting the development of rural communities, taking into account high rates of urbanization, is in the focus of our Company. For Armenia the development of rural infrastructure is much more important from the viewpoint of reducing rural migration. To be firmly rooted to the homeland, stand firmly on the soil, look to the future with optimism and hope, the farmer should have no shelter problem. We are happy to be here and together with Melikyan family make their long-cherished dream come true,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.

"It is awful that instead of enjoying a happy childhood, the children themselves live with the problem of homelessness. The children of this family did not have home during their childhood, but will enjoy decent living conditions at least in their youth," said Ashot Yeghiazaryan, the president of Fuller Center for Housing Armenia.

To remind VivaCell-MTS invested 100 million AMD (in 2014 - 55 million AMD) for the realization of the project, and Fuller Center for Housing Armenia has undertaken its implementation.