A Mother of Ten Is Looking for Answers

Fourteen years old Iskouhi didn’t go to school. “She has only one dress. I washed it and it is still wet,” said Elya, the girl’s mother. Iskouhi is a seventh grade pupil at the Goris secondary school #2. She studies without textbooks, as she failed to pay AMD 6000($20) required for the books in September.

“My teacher Marine Borisovna paid for my textbooks last year. She is ill now, and I just have to borrow all of the 14 textbooks required for the seventh grade studies from my classmates. I dream of becoming a nurse or a barber to be able to earn a bit of money,” said the shy little beauty. Iskouhi is the only sister of seven brothers. Last year her younger sister was adopted and taken away from Armenia. “It’s hard, but at least I hope that one of my children doesn’t live a hungry life,” said Elya, the mother of nine, trying to hide that she is expecting the tenth baby. “My Iskouhi is a very smart girl. If only she had textbooks, she would get only higher marks. She also has to stay at home frequently. When the weather is cold she can’t go to school as she doesn’t have shoes.” Eight years old Gor also stayed at home. He had to take four copy books to school. His mother called the teacher and warned her that he would come to school in a couple of days, when they receive their allowance and be able to buy the copy books. Four of the boys are not at home either. They study at a boarding school and come home only on week- ends, as they don’t have a place to sleep. At nights the whole family finds shelter on four old and tiny beds. Gevorg, who is sixteen, doesn’t sleep at home either. At nights he works at one of the city’s bakeries. He brings home six breads a day as a salary. After several hours of rest during the daytime, Gevorg helps the neighbours, lends them a hand to assist his sick father and pregnant mother. “They often condemn me for having so many children without any proper living conditions. I don’t want to give any explanations to anyone, as there can never be too many children,” said Armen, the father of the family. “We live a hard life. Our family receives AMD 70 000($230) of monthly allowance. If we divide this sum into the number of our family members, each of us will have to spend only AMD 200($ 0,8) daily, including all of the utilities and the living expenses. But now I can’t imagine what would happen, if one of my children would not have been born. They all are so precious for me, even the little unborn child is already a part of my life. They will grow and be able to make their lives better. Seven or perhaps eight soldiers are going to serve in the national army from this family. Why should I feel bad for my having so many children?” Armen said. The so-called house where the large family lives is half-destroyed building without elementary living conditions. It belongs to the parents of the family’s father. “One of my brothers died in the Artsakh war. The other brother of mine doesn’t have a place to live, but he perhaps realizes what a hard life we live and doesn’t come to live here,” Armen told. Armen and Elya turned for help to the local administrative bodies, to the regional administration. “I am grateful to them. When I had my ninth baby, the regional administration presented us a TV. Sometimes they help us with some money, but we have so many problems that I don’t know where to spend that,” Elya told with bitterness. She said that she constantly hears that the state authorities support the large families, but she wonders where and how, as she can’t feel that in her own case. P.S.  When we went to their house Elya was working in the neighbour’s orchard with her husband. She fell down on her face and hurt her legs when she was breathlessly rushing to us. She couldn’t help her disappointment when she learnt who we were. “I thought you came to see our half-destroyed balcony. They promised to send some people to fix that. I don’t allow my children to play there, as it can collapse any minute. It’s useless to write to them, moreover, sometimes hearing about us, the number of people who condemn me for having so many children grows, especially when I have no answers,” Elya said. Translated by Anoush Mkrtchyan