"This is an everyday existential problem, and today drones are flying in the sky, and people see it. But there are other countries as well, where people are at war, but they can live, work and solve their daily issues. War is an opportunity for us to wake up, no matter how sarcastic it may sound," said Shushan Mirumyan, the Head of the French-Armenian Rehabilitation Center.
The organization was created after the 2020 war, when French organizations united their efforts to provide targeted assistance to Armenia. The programs are the following: treat, train and build.
While talking about the existing gaps, Ms. Mirumyan notes that people should take personal responsibility and be accountable for their individual actions.
"We must start from us, live considering today’s situation, progress, this is the most important thing, this is our homeland, and there is nothing more valuable, Syunik is our backbone, we must value it and work hard."
Mrs. Mirumyan remembers the situation on September 13.
"I was in Goris, wasn’t sleeping, it was around 12:05... at first I didn't believe, because, unfortunately, we are used to having fireworks until late at night. Then I realized that these were not usual fireworks... I live with my elder parents and we went down to the basement, and though we have so-called “phantom pain” because of memories of the first war (1991-94), today this basement helps us a lot. This house was built by my grandfather.
We are right under the target, and there are destroyed buildings in the neighboring village and I am not even talking about the horror in the eyes of children, which was also the result of our unpreparedness...."
It was an interesting meeting with Ms. Mirumyan, where we talked about various issues, including security, and, according to the speaker, the solution lies in education.
"We have brilliant colleagues working in our center, young doctors that are regularly taking trainings, who may be more interested in living in Yerevan, but these people have а deep consciousness of their mission and work here. And I, as a person from Goris, am very grateful to them."
