Since our first project in 2014, one of our main goals has been to enable individuals from underprivileged families to receive a higher education at their desired university or college. Building hospitals and schools are great; however, they require professionals to operate, and together we can help young professionals in Armenia to accomplish their dreams. Thanks to our donors’ continuous support, we were able to sponsor our second university student, Haykuhi Maskaev.
Haykuhi is 18 years old, and is originally from Qashatagh region of Artsakh, Armenia. In September 2019, Haykuhi along with her brother Ara (23) and her sister Oksana (20) moved to Yerevan, so Haykuhi could attend university there. She is enrolled at Yerevan State University, in the first year of Journalism Program. Haykuhi’s brother Ara, works at a furniture store, and this is how they are able to pay for their living expenses, but are unable to save up to pay for Haykuhi’s annual university tuition fee of 410,000 AMD = $1,200 CAD. A donor has paid for Haykuhi’s first year’s first semester (205,000 AMD), which began in autumn of 2019. For the winter semester Haykuhi has qualified to receive a 50% discount on her university tuition fee due to the situation that she is in, which I’ll describe in detail in the next paragraph below. Therefore the tuition fee for her winter semester, which started in January 2020 is 102,500 AMD = $301.47 CAD. Empower Armenia has opted to aid Haykuhi, by paying for her first year’s second semester tuition fee of $301.47, and continue to aid her in the following years as well, until she graduates from the program. The only condition that we’ve put forth is that she needs to study well and receive good grades.
Background:
Haykuhi has five siblings, Karen 32, Ara 23, Ani 22, Oksana 20, (then Haykuhi 18), and Nataly 14 years of age. Haykuhi has had a difficult life; her father passed away when she was only 8 years old, in 2010. Her mother is a survivor of the 1988 Spitak earthquake. Her mother along with her oldest brother (Karen), were stuck under rubble for a few days before they were saved, her mother suffers from PTSD, and her brother Karen from a mental disorder. We were told that their mental illness may very much be due to the suffering they endured during those few days. Shortly after the earthquake Haykuhi’s parents and their only son (Karen) at the time moved to Qashatagh. All children except the oldest son (Karen) have been raised in an orphanage in Qashatagh region of Artsakh. Her mother is very emotionally connected to Karen, and refused to part with him to be sent to the orphanage. Ani, Haykuhi’s older sister has married and has moved to Russia. As mentioned above, in September of 2019, Ara, Oksana and Haykuhi have moved to a rental apartment in Yerevan so Haykuhi could attend university. Nataly (14) is the only sibling still in Qashatagh, living at the orphanage.