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8 The Armenian Reporter | November 8, 2008CommunityA gift of hope and loveKach NazarTelethon raisesclose to $88,000for orphaned anddisabled children inArmeniaby Anna MargaryanGLENDALE, Calif. – With theholiday season looming on the horizon,the ninth annual Kach NazarTelethon, held on November 2,is igniting the spirit of Christmasand hope within the hearts of disadvantagedchildren in Armeniaby sparking a campaign of givingamong community members inLos Angeles.While many of us live in a cultureof excess inundated by materialismand comfort, the disabledand orphaned children of Armeniaconsider a roof, a warm meal,and tender loving arms preciouscommodities. A dedicating tohelping ensure these basic needslies at the heart of the Kach NazarTelethon.Ever since 1999, the year it wasestablished, the Kach Nazar Christmasfund has provided the underprivilegedchildren of Armeniawith gifts.The call to action for founderOvanes Balayan came when thepresident of Yerevan’s State PhilharmonicOrchestra, Laert Movsisian,approached him about raisingfunds to purchase gifts and organizea series of holiday concerts forchildren living in orphanages.That first year, Balayan managedto collect $18,000 – a notable accomplishment,considering thatit was a one-man operation at thetime.Balayan recalls that he sat downand spent two or three hours a daycalling individuals in the hopes ofraising funds. That grassroots efforthas now blossomed into theKach Nazar Telethon, an annualprogram that has, over the courseof eight years, reached 115,000kids.“Our main associates in Armeniaare the Philharmonic and LaertMovsisian,” says Balayan when Iask him about who has oversightover the funds once they reach Armenia.Balayan’s crusade seems tohave tugged at the heart stringsof the Armenian community. Thetelethon enjoys the support of numerousvolunteers, project advisors,and a long list of prominentlocal professionals, businesses,and cultural organizations includingGlendale Kia, Glendale WestPharmacy and Medical Supply,Universal Service Exchange, CommerceCasino, the Unified YoungArmenians, and Nor Serount,among many others.Today, while teenage volunteerswork the phones in thebackground, organizers and hostswork in front of the cameras, providingstories from the field andsituation reports, making appealsfor help, and acknowledgingsupporters. The only thing thatbreaks their concentration is aneruption of loud cheers and applauseat the announcement thata $5,000 pledge has just been received.The mood is light, but everyonegrasps the significance of the workbeing performed here.The fruit of all this labor, themuch-awaited figure raised duringthe almost nine-hour telethon, isclose to $88,000.Organizers of the Kach Nazar Telethon, which took place on November 2.For the childrenVardan Ghukasyan, director of theprogram that organizes holidayfestivities for the children in Armenia,offers an account of the changestaking place in the orphanagesbecause of the telethon.“The children leave that concertwith twinkling eyes after receivingtheir Christmas presents,” hesays. “These children receive emotionalnourishment from this. Themajority of these children are sick,so their greatest joy occurs duringthese Christmas celebrations.”Ghukasyan, who has been involvedin the program for the pastfour years, continues: “Workingwith these children, I fell in lovewith the happiness and sparkle intheir eyes. You bond with them andcan’t tear yourself away.”The telethon has brought togethermany segments of the Glendaleand larger Los Angeles communities,including residents, entertainers,and city officials.“I come every year to support andbring my check,” says Glendale CityCouncilman Frank Quintero. “Ihope everyone will help that beautifulcountry and those beautifulchildren.”While many prominent speakerstake the floor on behalf of thesevoiceless children, it appears thatthe children are their own bestspokespersons. Video clips of disabledand disadvantaged childrenwere broadcast throughout theevening, depicting images not onlyof great need, but also of powerfulresilience, intense joy, and unforgettablecourage.Today hundreds of childrenwho live a world away from Armeniaand the devastating conditionsin which their orphaned anddisabled peers live will walk intothe studio or call the telethon tocontribute to their welfare. Manyof these youths, who have beenraised in the diaspora, cannoteven envision the hardships anddeprivation that plague childrenin Armenian. Yet a cultural bondand a desire to help are enough tomobilize them.“I do this for the orphans in Armenia,”says phone-bank volunteerSusie Akhverdyan in between answeringphones.For the organizers, volunteers,and donors of this telethon, it’s assimple as that. Their only agendais to bring a smile to the faces ofthousands of Armenian childrendealt a cruel hand by life.As for Balayan, his involvementis grounded in his personal beliefthat the diaspora has a singular responsibilityto help strengthen thehomeland financially and socially.For the organizers, volunteers, and donors of this telethon their only agenda is to bring a smile to the faces of thousands ofArmenian children dealt a cruel hand by life.The telethon enjoys the support of numerous volunteers, project advisors, and along list of prominent local professionals, businesses, and cultural organizations.“I see the diaspora and the homelandas being equally important tous,” he says. “We complement oneanother. We are the same people,but due to circumstances of destiny,we have been divided.”From December 25 until January15, volunteers will distribute thegifts, purchased with funds raisedduring the telethon, to the childrenin Armenia during a series ofholiday celebrations. The gift-givingand festivities will commenceat the Hamalir in Yerevan, whichhas proven to be a cost-effectivevenue because it can accommodateup to 12,000 children. The celebrationswill then circulate among 50orphanages and schools in surroundingareas, where thousandsof children are expected to gatherfor concerts and a much-awaitedvisit from Santa.Last Christmas, 160 childrenfrom Shushi, eager to take part inthe New Year’s celebrations, werebussed in. Balayan hopes that thisyear will be no different.“A lot of these children havehad a lot of traumas,” he says.“They experience huge psychologicalchanges and happinessin those few hours. These childrenknow that once a year SantaClaus comes and gives out gifts.So that joy of receiving gifts,though a short one, means theworld to them.”One suspects that it is not merelythe presents bound in brightpackages that have such a transformativeeffect on the children.Rather, it seems that it is a moreheartfelt and abstract message ofhope, love, and faith which cannotbe unwrapped and resonates mostwith children accustomed to havingso little.Building a futureWhile funds raised at the pasteight telethons have been usedessentially to purchase gifts andorganize holiday celebrations forpoor, orphaned, and disabledchildren in Armenia, this yearassistance was also given to theKharberd Armenian Disabledand Orphan Children’s Center.The institution, located in theArarat region of Armenia, wasin a terrible state of disrepair,prompting the executives of theKach Nazar Telethon to build anew orphanage on the site. Theinitiative, which took hundredsof man hours and approximately$70,000, was completed on August15.The grand opening of the new orphanagetook place on August 19,Continued on page 9
The Armenian Reporter | November 8, 2008 9CommunityA gift of hope and love Continued from page 8when Dr. Haroutyun Balasanyan,president of the Kharberd Center,dedicated an honorary plaque toBalayan.“The builders were great guys,”recounts Balayan with a smile.“They occasionally called me duringconstruction and would say,‘Mr. Balayan, you see these kidsat a distance, but they are herein front of our eyes, so we will doeverything to make sure they livecomfortably.”The Kharberd Orphanage, a threestorybuilding with modern amenities,serves as a sanctuary for childrendenied the early joys of childhood.This new space, which ensuresthe safety and comfort of 50 children,is a world away from the tatteredremnants of the building in whichmany of these youths were destinedto spend their formative years.For Balayan and his fellow organizers,the challenge now is tocontinue to renovate and expandthe Kharberd complex, aiming tohelp house and care for some 255children.During our talk, Balayan showsme photos taken of some of thesechildren in their own abode. Thesparkle in their eyes and the smileson their faces speak volumes asthey view their new beds and gatheringhalls decorated with colorfulartwork. The warmth of their newhome and the love with which itwas built may compensate for theearly traumas these children wereforced to endure.“If we don’t have a healthy generation,we will be lost. That is whyI do this,” Balayan says, referringto his abiding faith in the longtermbenefits of projects such asthe telethon.In the worksWith the successful completionof the first part of the KharberdOrphanage, Balayan, his advisors,and supporters are now turningtheir attention to the rural regionsof Armenia, where schools and orphanagesare in desperate need ofassistance.Two dilapidated orphanages inShirak and a school in a surroundingarea are next on Balayan’s agenda,as he hopes the telethon willyield enough funds to begin renovations.He spews out statistic after direstatistic to illustrate the plight ofchildren in Armenia.“In Armenian villages there are130,000 disabled and orphaned children,”he says. “Generally speaking,80% of our orphanages are in an extremelypoor state. If you are puttingchildren in a classroom, thatbuilding needs to be safe. We haveto safeguard those school buildingsso when children come to school,they won’t have to worry that theroof is going to collapse.”Balayan goes on to provide anendless list of deficiencies in termsof basic needs, comforts, and amenitiesthat most children in the U.S.take for granted.“They need paper, pens,” he notes.“They don’t have books. For example,the books are copied. In Armeniathere are thousands of amazingbooks published, but the childrendon’t get them.”Plea to the diasporaBalayan’s appeals to the Armenian-American public have not fallen ondeaf ears, as donations have continuedto pour in and the numberof telethon supporters has grownexponentially year after year.The first year of the telethon sawthe participation of an estimated500 people. That number reachedover 2,000 last year.“I think that this year the numberof participants will be higher,”Balayan says. “Maybe the denominationswill be smaller because peopleare facing financial hardships,but the participation will be more.I’ve always said that the denominationis important, but it doesn’thold the first place. The first thingis participation. People’s [awarenessof the plight of] these childrenis what’s important to me.”Despite the current economiccrisis faced by Armenian-Americans,Balayan believes that peopleare prepared to give because theyare impressed with the work thatis being carried out to aid the childrenof Armenia.Perhaps the transparency withwhich these funds are distributedhas contributed to the outpouringof public support. “People believethat this work is being done,”Balayan stresses. “Year after year,our people become more consciousof the fact that they mustleave their sense of indifference.We need to help our country becausethat country is in need.”This year the appeal for aid hasreached a greater audience as simultaneousbroadcasts on amga,aabc, and High Vision as well as asatellite feed throughout the U.S.,Mexico, and Canada have widenthe scope of the telethon’s message.Previously the event was broadcastin only Glendale, Burbank, and LaCrescenta – a fact which makes theamount of money collected evenmore impressive.Furthermore, the tradition ofgiving has been expanded this yearwith strategically-placed donationboxes in over 100 Armenianbusinesses. The clear plastic boxes,bearing the telethon logo and imagesof children, have been overflowingwith donations since theirinstallment last month. Unlike thetelethon, which takes place once ayear, the donation-box campaignwill continue year-round, in orderto supply a steady stream of incomefor renovation projects thatare in the works.It appears that the man who hasbecome a household name withhis satirical Kach Nazar Monthly,published since 1970, and the KachNazar Live TV show, has found histrue calling in helping these children.“Growing up, I always dreamedof someday being able to help mypeople,” Balayan says. “I alwayswanted to be useful to my language,my country, and my countrymen.It’s a huge joy for me.”Listening to him speak about thechildren who look to him for help,it sounds as though he is talkingabout his own grandchildren. Heembodies a passion, warmth, andlove that cannot be contrived and isreflected in the deep Armenian eyesof the children to whom he has becomea surrogate grandfather. Let us knowwhat’s on yourmind.Write to us atletters@reporter.am
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