Story of Anahit: Building a Future from Loss

Vanadzor, Armenia — In a small garage that once served as a storage space, now transformed into a spotless, fully equipped kitchen, Anahit spends her days preparing handmade frozen dough-based foods. Her specialty is pelmeni, traditional meat-filled dumplings, carefully crafted by hand, then packaged and sold for families to cook at home. The modest food business she built, called Irma, is the result of years of resilience and a fierce commitment to support her two children after losing her husband in the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war.

Anahit was born and raised in Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). She met her future husband, Eghishe, there during his military service. They married and had two children: Maxim and Iren, who quickly became the center of their world.

In 2020, when war broke out once again, Eghishe was sent to the front lines. To protect their children from the dangers of military conflict, he sent Anahit and the family to Vanadzor, his hometown. Killed in combat, Anahit's husband was buried in Vanadzor, and she decided to settle definitively, close to his resting place.

The months that followed were among the most difficult in Anahit's life. Eghishe had been the caring father, a cornerstone of their family's hope and security. Overnight, she found herself a widow in a new city, with the sole responsibility of caring for two young children. "Everything changed so fast," Anahit recalls quietly. "I was alone, and it felt like I had to figure out everything by myself, where to live and how to keep my children safe and happy."

The weight of grief and uncertainty was heavy, but Anahit knew that giving up was not an option. Her children's eyes were full of hope, and she was determined to be their driving force. "They needed me to be strong," she says, "and I had to be, I had no choice, and no matter how hard it was."

Anahit took tentative steps into a new life. She was exploring paths to determine which one was for her. Thus, she enrolled in various courses, starting with computer science, hairstyling, and baking. Each course was part of a search, a way to find a new purpose and a source of income. "It wasn't easy," she admits. "Each thing I tried taught me something different, but it was a struggle to find where I realized myself after losing so much."

Finally, she decided to launch a traditional frozen food production, and she began exploring possibilities to convert the family's garage into professional premises and start out. Before discovering the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development's (AF4SD) announcement about its women's economic empowerment support program, she had already started producing and distributing traditional frozen meals to local communities. That call for grant applications was an opportunity not to miss out. She applied for support, and the AF4SD's representatives visited her house to assess the garage. They informed her that if her funding request were approved, she would be required to undertake all necessary construction and renovation work to transform the garage into professional premises. That was the condition for funding, and Anahit was able to turn her dream into reality. The family's garage was converted into a clean, well-equipped kitchen, where she could produce food on a small but professional scale. The AF4SD's assistance was crucial, providing the equipment and resources necessary to start "Irma", her homemade frozen food production business.

Today, "Irma" supplies families across Vanadzor with handmade frozen dough-based foods, mostly pelmeni. For Anahit, this business is more than just a livelihood; it is a way to rebuild stability for her family and honor her husband's memory.

She often reflects on the strength she found within herself during those early days of loss. "No matter how low I felt, I always took care of myself," she says. "Not because I wanted to impress anyone, but because I had to keep going. My children were watching me, and I wanted to show them that life can continue, even after tragedy."

Her commitment to her children is unwavering. "They deserve a dignified childhood," Anahit says firmly. "A home, toys, trips to cafes and parks. They don't have their father, but they have a mother who loves them and fights for them every day."

Anahit often remembers her husband's words. "He used to say, 'The fact that I have a wife like you is already a huge success.' Those words keep me going. And he also said, 'I lacked a lot of things in my childhood, let my kids at least have it now.'" This was his pledge, and Anahit is committed to honoring it.

Even with everything she has endured, Anahit refuses to dwell on misfortune. "There are people who have been through worse," she says. "I was lucky enough to have the love and strength to carry on."

Looking ahead, Anahit dreams of expanding "Irma" beyond its current home-based scale. She envisions a recognizable brand known for quality and care, one that Armenian families can trust. "I want 'Irma' to stand alongside other well-known food brands," she says. "I want people to know that every product carries not just flavor, but love and dedication."

For now, the business provides a steady income, a source of hope, and a reminder that life, even after loss, can grow new roots.

Anahit's story is one of quiet courage and resilience. It is about the love that endures, the strength born from grief, and a mother's promise to create a better future for her children.

Each day, as she kneads dough, shapes dumplings, and prepares meals for families across Vanadzor, Anahit rebuilds her world piece by piece, hand by hand. Through her work, she carries forward a legacy of sacrifice, determination, and unbreakable family bonds.

Arev Society provides management support to the AF4SD "Vulnerable Women Empowerment" program.