American teens sample life as young Armenians

[Sip]

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Out of the WHOLE world, they narrowed it down to Brazil, Costa Rica, and Armenia? That's gotta be the screwiest thing I have heard in a while!!! http://zr2.cs.ucla.edu/Sip/zr2/roflmao.gif

[MosJan]

A Different World: American teens sample life as young Armenians

By Zara Chatinian

ArmeniaWeek reporter

 

http://www.armeniaweek.com/july052002/photos/americans_1.jpg

 

A group of African-American teenagers has been sampling life in Armenia this week as part of a program for “at risk” youngsters.

 

For most of the nine visitors from North Carolina, Armenia was the first foreign country they had ever visited. Many had never even been outside of their home state before.

 

The purpose of the trip was to help the children develop an appreciation of other cultures through learning first-hand about the history and traditions of Armenia.

 

They lived and worked with Armenian teenagers on projects concerning the environment, diversity and teen empowerment during their two-week stay.

 

The American youngsters are part of a project that aims to help teenagers avoid bad influences by involving them in social programs and expanding their horizons.

 

Four adult staff and two volunteers also joined the trip, which was facilitated by Mary and Bill Mervill, International Executive Service Corps (IESC) volunteers in Armenia, together with IESC’s country director Lisa Scorsolini.

 

“The parents of the children were greatly concerned about this trip,” says Mary, who has been in Armenia a couple of times.

 

“I had to work with the parents and tell them that Armenia is very safe and that their kids would surely enjoy the trip.”

 

The location of the field trip was based on safety, plus the educational and historical resources of the region and people in the community.

 

“We had a choice between going to Brazil, Costa Rica, and Armenia,” says R. Dale Safrit, Professor at North Carolina University and coordinator of the trip. “We chose Armenia.”

 

The brochure that introduced the American teenagers to their destination sold it this way: “Shop at open-air markets, swim in beautiful Lake Sevan and experience an authentic Armenian barbeque.”

 

The group traveled as part of a program called 4H - Head, Heart, Hands, Health (www.4-h.org). It emphasizes learning through doing, development of leadership and citizenship that “comes from the heart, community service, physical and spiritual health”.

 

Organizers admit the teenagers had been worried prior to their visit about how they would be treated.

 

“They were concerned about how people in Armenia would react to African-Americans since they would stand out so clearly from the rest” says Elizabeth Dampier, assistant to the 4H program head at North Carolina University.

 

USAID’s Youth Club in Yerevan, the YMCA in Gyumri, Colson Youth Center and World Learning organized the visit and hosting of the teenagers, together with IESC.

 

The group stayed mainly with Sister Arusiag, at the “Our Lady of Armenia” camp in Tsakhadzor, where orphans and children from low-income families are currently spending summer vacations.

 

About 35 4H Armenian students spent time with the American teenagers during their visit to exchange experiences and make friends.

 

The visitors also traveled widely in Armenia. In Gyumri, they planted flowers and visited a home for the elderly. In Yerevan, the teenagers taught Armenian youngsters the American electric-slide and hoky-poky dances, and painted a fence.

 

They also visited villages. In Oshakan, the group worked with farmers to secure grape vines to sticks to help them grow tall, and in Spitak they helped villagers to weigh cows.

 

They all admitted they had been left with strong impressions of Armenia from their visit, and that it had changed them a lot.

 

“I never felt threatened, I am very much impressed” says Antoine Thomas, 16, who wants to become a chef and open his own restaurant some day.

 

“We have been with host families, and even though we didn’t speak the language it was very cool to stay with them. They were very caring and nice to us.”

 

De`Andra Hunter, 19, who wants to become a social worker, says: “We communicated with the help of an interpreter but then we learned some essential words such as io and shat lav.

 

“I used to become angry very easily. Now I’ve learnt to be patient, I can distinguish when I should be mad and when I can let things go.”

 

“I didn’t watch TV for about ten days and I didn’t miss it at all,” adds Alex Phipps, 15 who has dreams to be a pilot. “I try to spend money wisely now too.

 

“It was amazing to see that the people in Gyumri who had to go through such hardships could be so welcoming and kind to us.”

 

“I lived alone without my parents, and I was independent,” says Celeste Paylor, 13, who wants to become a physiologist.

 

The teens were amazed when the owner of a café in Gyumri refused to take money from them.

 

“There is something very nice in the relationship among friends here. Guys don’t have to play cool, they become friends so easily. In the States you have to hang around too long to be accepted by the gang,” observes Alex.

Photos by Mkhitar Khachatrian

 

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