Description

In post-Soviet Armenia, the village of Chochkan strives for restoration. The process proves to be arduous, but community members remain optimistic.

“Go and see our kindergarten, it’s like a sunny place in the middle of our village,” said a child from Chochkan in regard to the new facility.

Chochkan had not had a kindergarten since the collapse of the Soviet Union. The only kindergarten building in the village still has parts of it standing, but it is almost destroyed due to years of no use.

In face of the need, World Vision used the Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) approach to mobilize the community. Led by a few community members, parents partnered with the local government (LSG) to find joint solutions and create opportunities for the small children of Chochkan. As a result, community members designed a plan of action with what it would take to have a kindergarten in the village. Based on the community agreement achieved during the CVA interface meeting, LSG provided three rooms in the building of community Cultural House and some construction materials. World Vision Armenia Alaverdi ADP also supplied extra construction material that would enable the restoration of the rooms into a suitable and fun environment for the children.

LSG paid for specialised construction, and parents along with other community members gave their time and expertise to the project. In addition to aiding in the construction, Alaverdi ADP assisted with training two young specialists, who were selected by the community, to fulfill the roles of kindergarten teachers.

Some old furniture and toys were brought, repaired and cleaned from the old building of the kindergarten. Parents added curtains, pillows, rugs, flowers, and other items that transformed the place into a comfortable area for children.

“We simply wanted very much to provide education opportunity for our children. Of course we try to spend time with them at home as well. But in the pre-school it is done in a more structure[d] way. Besides children socialize with each other, which is very important,” said a satisfied parent.

The salaries of the kindergarten workers and 50 percent of the food are paid by the local government. The other 50 percent is covered with monthly fees that parents pay.

More than the kindergarten in itself, CVA has shown Chochkan that change is attainable with their own hands.

“Our success of pulling this process off has been the other great achievement of the mobilization process; we have regained faith as community members that if we work together then we can achieve something,” said one of the kindergarten employees.

“We have something that all of us are proud of, regardless [if] we have children of pre-school age or not. Now we are sure that we can resolve many other issues and make our community better and better,” said a Chochkan parent.

In this northern Armenian village, CVA has effectively equipped community members to assess their situation and demand their rights from the local government.

“We understood that there is no need to seat and wait until somebody comes and does something for us. Probably we do not have the best conditions in our kindergarten, but we have the kindergarten, where our children play and learn new things. We started small. And we have a desire to make it better and better,” said another parent who was part of the CVA project.

CVA has not only equipped the people of Chochkan to fight for the kindergarten, but it has taught them to advocate for their rights and seek solutions for their problems. Being able to produce actual change has inspired the community and given them more confidence to lead their own development. Another strength of the CVA process is that everyone, including children, has a chance to get involved and voice their opinions and concerns.

“Before the meetings the villagers would have never believed that someone would ask for their opinion. There's a significant change in people, they feel their opinion is heard, and they can change something for better through expressing their opinion,” said a local social worker.

In Chochkan, CVA has shifted people’s perspective of their own potential as a community. The kindergarten thus marks the beginning of a new stage in the history of the region, and paints the picture of a brighter future.