AVC Library Project

In Beginning of June, a few Volunteers ,along with myself, pioneered a brand new concept to the children of Yerevan: Integrate the children’s library IN the summer. The concept was two fold: one was to bring the children off of the streets and bring them into the libraries and secondly to strongly integrate the libraries into these children’s lives. With help from the librarians, we began a consistent schedule twice a week for several hours to completely bring the world of libraries, books, imagination, theatre, music, and writing. I’ve found that the children up-held such a strong standard for the volunteers solely because they knew we studied in universities in North America. In exchange, we gave them unconditional friendship and mutual respect for them. It was a two-way road to gain and learn from one another. The studiousness of these children was astonishing to me. We realized quickly how eager they were to learn absolutely anything that we could possibly offer for them.

I began to realize the need to utilize my English writing skills and convey a whole new aspect of writing to these kids but I wanted to bring a motivator for them; creating their very own book. The minute I told the 12-14 year olds the idea of creating their own book, full of their personal English-written essays, was so completely surreal to them. This far-fetched idea of these young Yerevan kids becoming published authors and cumulatively creating their own book by the end of the summer seemed attainable now to them because of the positive guidance I feel the volunteers have brought.

The blend of games bringing in the laughter, the reading which sparks imagination, and the writing which fills the room with thoughts makes the AVC Library Project truly remarkable and one that I am eager to see grow.


By: Maral Melkonian