NGO Uses Psychology To Aid Earthquake Victims

by Siranush Ghoukasian & photo by Lorelei Kelly

After the disastrous earthquake of December 7, 1988, a group of volunteers founded an NGO called Light of Hope. The mission of the new organization was "to help people who have family troubles and stresses." While coping with the earthquake's aftermath, Armenian specialists worked at the Center side by side with American humanitarian aid organizations. Light of Hope has been active ever since, helping people attain psychological and social rehabilitation.

When Light of Hope was founded, principles of psychology were not familiar to Armenians, and many people were ashamed to be seen applying for help. Our specialists were nevertheless able to aid many of those suffering. Much of our work focused on the needs of children. Teams were sent out to visit schools to work with children suffering from phobias and other stresses and to involve them in rehabilitation programs.

The Armenian family is traditionally a strong unit, but because of the earthquake many children lost one or both of their parents. We devised a special plan to work with orphans and disabled children, aiming to make them more confident and to reintegrate them into society. We lacked practical experience, and this was very hard work. But the need was acute, and with the help of foreign specialists we gained experience over time. We worked amidst the chaos, cut off from current psychological information and surrounded by the ruins of buildings. There were few sources of hope.

We planned our program for the disabled around two approaches-psychological therapy and physical therapy. We worked to ease the social problems of the disabled. Because it is difficult to help a child adapt to his changed abilities, we founded the Theater of the Disabled, where disabled children play themselves, and get used to their bodies.

Before the earthquake there was little information on psychology available in our city. As we worked to support families in the earthquake's aftermath, we established eight-month training courses for educators to study practical psychology. Participants in the program went on to become school psychologists, an extremely important part of providing children with daily care.

We worked to further psychological education, holding conferences to spread knowledge and skills. We also published articles on psychology and organized television appearances.

Today there are a wide range of areas in which social workers can help, since the city still suffers from extreme conditions. The destruction of the Communist system and the Karabakh war were great blows, and people have had difficulty adapting to the new circumstances. Unemployment in Gyumri is reaching tragic levels and children suffer from its effects most of all. Where before the earthquake there were playgrounds, well-furnished sports facilities, schools and many other institutions, now this beautiful town full of expectations has disappeared.

The gap between the rich and the poor has increased. Children from poor families have been forced to earn their living themselves, and have became street wanderers. Our center began to work with these children, devising a project to teach them trades and include them in artistic groups. Many of these children are quite gifted. We keep in touch with their families and with a special department of the police, and work to prevent the children from becoming criminals.

Together with NGOs in Gyumri and other cities, we are implementing joint projects, making it possible to do a great deal of work in a short time. Our specialists are constantly developing and implementing new ideas, as we work to help our nation not only to survive, but even to live a life full of creativity.

 Supporting Civil Society: The NGO Training and Resource Center

The NGO Training and Resource Center (NGO Center) was founded by the Armenian Assembly of America in the belief that the nongovernmental sector plays a unique and essential role in rebuilding Armenia. By strengthening the institutional capacity of indigenous NGOs, the NGO center supports the growth and development of Armenian civil society. Toward the end, we help:

  • Develop the institutional capacities of NGOs to effectively manage their own programs and projects in order to achieve stated goals and objectives.
  • Develop a core group of NGOs to guide the future growth of the NGO sector.
  • Promote multilateral partnerships and collaboration among NGOs, private voluntary organizations (POVs), intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and governmental institutions through joint programs, information sharing and resource pooling.
  • Increase public awareness of the sector, and of the activities and contributions of NGOs for a just, inclusive and sustainable democratic society.
  • Through training, technical assistance, outreach and the services of a fully-equipped resource facility, we strive to develop a broad network of NGOs that can respond effectively to both the short-term emergency and long-term development needs of Armenia.

As of 1997, there were 1,300 nongovernmental organizations registered with the Ministry of Justice in Armenia. The NGO Center, which was funded in April 1994 by USAID, through Save the Children, currently serves 535 NGOs, over one-third of the Armenian nonprofit community.

With conditions in Armenia constantly evolving, the focus of the NGO Center has gradually shifted towards providing more in depth-skills and a better understanding of the role NGOs can and should play in the growth of an inclusive civil society. Programs such as the Advanced Training and Consultancy Program and Advocacy Training seek to strengthen a core group of organizations which have demonstrated the potential to become leaders of the NGO community. Activity has also been stepped up in the areas of information and social marketing, legal information and education, coalition building and advocacy.

In an effort to support the development of a truly national NGO sector, the Yerevan-based NGO Center has established a permanent presence in Gyumri, in the north of Armenia. Also, the NGO Center has begun extensive outreach to NGOs in outlying regions. Eurasia will fund a local, regionally-based NGO to set up an NGO Support Center, with the AAA/NGO Center providing training services and other support. This is a most exciting step as it involves collaboration and pooling of resources in the establishment of a center which is managed from day one by a local partner organization. Should the pilot Regional NGO Support Center prove successful, the NGO Center and Eurasia will continue their partnership in establishing a network of regional NGO support centers, thus ensuring that a truly national NGO sector is developed.

Siranush Ghoukasian is a psychologist and the director of Light of Hope, 2 Peace Street, Gyumri, Armenia; fax: (3742) 15-17-95.