Anush Nersisyan is my hero. When she was my age (30 years old), she and her husband, along with their one-year-old, moved to the remote village of Darbas, deep in the mountains of Syuniq. Their move wasn’t motivated by a desire for a quieter life, to open a guesthouse, or to start a farm. They came to serve the local community.
Anush’s husband, a patriot, wanted to join the military to protect Armenia’s border regions. But Anush, a physician, thought there was a better way to give back.
At the time, the Darbas medical clinic was occasionally visited by doctors, but there was no primary physician on site. Serving seven surrounding villages, the clinic struggled to provide adequate care. Tragically, cases of infant mortality had occurred due to the lack of accessible medical services.
Although Anush and her family originally planned to stay in Darbas for just two years, they’ve now been there for over 30. The village quickly became their home. In a community where paying for medical services was often impossible, patients would offer what they could—matsun, milk, cheese, apples—as payment. Dr. Anush and her family grew to love the people of Darbas, and the village embraced them in return. Their son, now a dentist, grew up in this tight-knit community.
One of the biggest challenges for rural doctors is the lack of access to continuing medical education. To stay current with advancements in healthcare, they must travel to Yerevan, forgoing their income for the day and covering their own transport and accommodation costs. As a result, many doctors simply can’t afford to pursue further education, which leaves patients in rural areas at a disadvantage.
Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR), a charitable organization with over 30 years of experience, is working to change this status quo. Our projects are focused not only on healthcare, but on important focal areas such as child protection, education and economic development across Armenia.
Thanks to FAR, Dr. Anush and hundreds of other medical professionals have been able to participate in continuing free medical education courses without any financial burden to them. These courses help physicians and doctors stay up-to-date with the latest practices, ensuring rural patients receive the best care possible.
While training is vital, sometimes, provision of quality healthcare starts by meeting the most basic needs. One story Dr. Anush shared with us left us stunned: the Darbas clinic had no heating system for decades. In the harsh winter months, Dr. Anush and her small team of nurses relied on space heaters, and the nurses would huddle together in one room to stay warm. Patients often kept their coats on during check-ups due to the cold.
FAR has a crowdfunding platform called Ayo!, and our goal is to fundraise for small-budget projects that make a big impact. In 2022, our Ayo! team decided to tackle this problem of heating. Amazingly, it only cost $9,000! Our donors raised just over $10,000 to install heating systems not only in Darbas, but also in another Syuniq-based clinic.
Instead of installing costly and environmentally harmful gas lines, we chose solar panels to power radiators as a financially sustainable and environmentally-friendly option. Most regions of Armenia have over 300 days of sun per year! Dr. Anush happily shared that the nurses now enjoy spending time at the clinic well into the afternoon, as it’s warmer than their homes!
On my most recent visit, I was able to comfortably stand in the doctor’s office in a short-sleeve t-shirt, a far cry from the chilly conditions they once endured.
But Dr. Anush’s work isn’t done. She shared another issue that left us shocked: in her region, public transport doesn’t reach some villages, and in others, it only operates a few times a week. What happens if you miss the last bus home after an appointment? What happens if you can’t reach the doctor at all?
To address this, we’re currently running a crowdfunding campaign to purchase an all-terrain vehicle for the Darbas clinic. This vehicle will help the clinic reach remote and elderly patients, as well as assist in emergency situations when weather conditions prevent other vehicles from accessing those in need.
At the time of this article’s publication, the vehicle is 60% funded! Join us in supporting rural healthcare by contributing here.
“Ayo!” is the fundraising platform of Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR). We exist to build a bridge between young Armenians around the world who want to make a difference and organizations doing amazing work on the ground.
