Your trusted source

The heads and teams of Viva-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia continue visits to beneficiary families. This time the partners left for Gyumri to visit one of the families assisted through the 2019 housing program; the family, living in a metal container house, has now finished the construction of their semi-built house. The teams had already visited the family last fall for a volunteering initiative to participate in the construction of the house. Six months later, everyone is back together, this time to celebrate a housewarming, Viva-MTS said in a press release. 

The Tadevosyan family living in Gyumri had to live in a metal container for years after the 1988 earthquake. 32 years later the hard memories are left behind.

“After so many years, finally, my family feels this happiness. Having a home of our own is a big and awaited event in our life. After the earthquake, we had to live in a metal container. And now we have a home of our own with all necessities. Our happiness can't be put into words. We are grateful beyond words,” said Kristina.

Owing to the housing project, 5 houses were built, renovated or purchased in 2019; in the course of years overall 12 houses have been built as a result of the partnership in Shirak region.

Viva-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia consider all aspects of the positive impact of the project important. Heads of partner organizations reported that families who already live in decent home strive to get rid of not only the memories of the metal containers, but also by physically dismantling those structures.

“When a family who has spent years in a metal container house, gets up on its feet to open a new page of life, it means that it has the power to dream, and that is a good sign. And when that family seeks to remove the iron shelter from the view, we can say that we have all succeeded. I am glad to state that we have been particularly successful recently. Gyumri should not remain a city of metal container houses whether in memory or in terms of architecture,” Viva-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.

“Families living in metal containers are in the center of our attention. Since the earthquake, this family has lived in a metal container. The childhood of three children in this family passed inside the walls of the metal container. Together with Viva-MTS we stretched a helping hand to the Tadevosyan family. Now that they have finished the construction of their home, I am sure the new home will bring joy and good memories,” said Fuller Center for Housing Armenia President Ashot Yeghiazaryan.