Susanna Vardanyan is an older woman without heir, who has met a lot of difficulties during her sad 67 years.

She attended school only up to the VIII grade, as she had to work, not even managing to enjoy her sweet years of adolescence. Her both parents passed away, her father first, then her mother. Thinking to find her happiness at last she got married, however, she could not anticipate another blow of fate: her husband who had health-related problems died, leaving her wife and son alone. Their son also died at his early age.

Mrs. Susanna worked at “Manaran” workshop of Gyumri’s Textile factory as a worker, but after a devastating earthquake, the workshop moved to the Textile factory of City of Maralik. After 6 years of work it was closed and the workers stayed unemployed. A woman who lost her job wasn’t compensated because she wasn’t a pensioner, and so nothing was given to her. Reaching the pensioner age, she receives about 30,000 drams (equivalent of around $60), which isn’t enough even for paying utility bills.

The woman with diabetes buys her daily bread on credit, promising to pay from the next pension, and after receiving it, she hardly manages to pay her previous debts. She hasn’t got any relatives or someone who would be able to help her, at least provide some food.

Diabetes requires a special diet. But how can a woman follow it if she is marginalized and alone in this world. She hasn’t got anyone, she hasn’t got anything… Just imagine for a moment … TO BE ALONE IN THIS WORLD.

She benefits from “Armenian Caritas” since 2012, and it has been already 4 years that she is the “Day Care Centre for the Older People” beneficiary and can somehow live a “safe” life. “Armenian Caritas” gives an opportunity to be in communication with other elders, feel a full member of the society, smile (though I did not succeed to see the older woman’s smile, just her tears…), talk, be helpful to someone and be confident that she will also be helped by the Center and her friends from the Center.

She comes to the Center at 11 a.m. and leaves at 4:30 p.m. to return to her dull, boring and grey life. She is very grateful to the Center’s staff and their attitude. She looks happy.

-I have broken my leg and was taken to the hospital, they took care of me. Even if I had someone she or he couldn’t help me that much.

She gets Centre’s food boxes or bags to use as her winter fuel substitute to somehow keep her existence. She lives in one of the cottages in Gyumri Manushyan district. The house is a in terrible condition, also accommodating many mice and rats.

Prepared by: Stella Antonyan