I need to stay strong

Women Empowerment

When news first arrived that Nvard's husband had gone missing during the war, a deep sadness fell upon their household. The heavy burden of his disappearance weighed down the family, plunging them into profound grief. She had to face many challenges since then. She became the sole provider once her father-in-law seriously injured his arm and her mother-in-law stopped working, struggling with not knowing what had happened to her son.

In 2023, Nvard learned about Arev Society's women's empowerment project supporting war victim families through small business creation and decided to apply for funding. It was an opportunity to get financial support to build a greenhouse by their house and become self-sufficient, envisioning growing seasonal vegetables to sell locally.

This idea also encouraged her mother-in-law to help run this, sharing her cultivation knowledge and skills from the past. It was her chance to aid the whole family. We discussed this project at their home before the preparatory works began, and her mother-in-law held her hand tightly, saying, "Now we are building our new life within these walls until my son comes home."

The implementing partner, the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development, is helping them organize the greenhouse construction that will allow them to reap wintertime rewards when produce is scarce across the region.

There is still much uncertainty ahead for Nvard’s family. However, the garden that had represented sorrow and despair will be a vibrant source of life and hope for a family yearning for the day they hear the familiar knock at the door announcing their hero's safe return.