Winter clothing vouchers keep refugee children in Armenia warm this winter
The vouchers give families a sense of autonomy as they can choose their own clothes and blankets based on their needs and preferences.
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Mother-of-five Lusine Grigoryan, 36, fled her hometown with her husband, children and grandmother following an escalation of hostilities in September last year. They arrived in Armenia with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.
"My younger son, Grig, came with house slippers because the situation was so dire that I couldn't think properly, we needed to leave right away. I left the laundry hanging on the line as it was and rushed out. All the children’s best clothes were on that rope," says Lusine.
As winter approached, UNICEF distributed vouchers to families of more than 14,000 young children and children with disabilities to ensure refugee families living in Armenia could keep warm. The vouchers give families a sense of autonomy as they can choose their own clothes and blankets based on their needs and preferences.
With the 25,000 AMD voucher, Lusine took her six-year-old son Grigory and seven-year-old daughter Anush on a shopping visit where she bought jeans, jumpers, warm coats, blankets and a cuddly toy.
"Anush is a very introspective child, and I am aware that she carries trauma that we still need to work through," says Lusine. She explains how Anush draws memories of their old home, her rabbit Anushik who she had to leave behind when they fled, and their garden with the laundry hanging on the line. Anush misses her pet dearly and as a tribute to it, all the clothes she chose when shopping were printed with rabbits. Anush asks ‘if people will take care of her [rabbit] as she did.’
The family is living in a small apartment which is filled with the sweet scent of gata (traditional Armenian pastry) and exuding warmth and affection. Lusine is proudly wearing a necklace with the Armenian national flag, with the inscription ‘29.09.2023’, marking the day she arrived in Armenia with her family to start a new beginning.
Thanks to funding from UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund, US Government and the European Investment Bank, UNICEF, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (MOLSA) and the Armenian Progressive Youth NGO, UNICEF is providing refugee children aged 0-9 and children with disabilities with a one-time clothing voucher valued at AMD 25,000. Families receiving the vouchers are supported with information and guidance on vaccinations, parenting, breastfeeding and healthy nutrition.
