Purchase a Home 23 - Nalbandyan Family

Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units. As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled. Staff from The Paros Foundation have visited and identified the Nalbandyan family as a good candidate to benefit from our Purchase a Home project. The family consists of Vachik and Kristine Nalbandyan, Kristine’s mother and their two daughters. Vachik works a few days a week in Gyumri doing construction to help provide for his family. Once the move is complete, the make shift housing unit will be destroyed to prevent its future occupancy.