“I have a dream of one day running my own rug-weaving school”

Narineh Badalyan can neither hear nor speak. Alienated from society, this young woman registered with 2nd degree disabilities, would have wound up alone and aloof, especially after the passing of her mother, if she hadn’t accidentally wound up in the crafts center run by the “Armenian Unity Cross” NGO in Etchmiadzin that lucky day in 2003. Narineh’s second mom, Vera Badalyan, says that when the girl saw the sketches of ornamental Armenian rugs, her attitude completely changes.

Mrs. Vera says, “The girl convinced her father to let her attend carpet weaving classes.” Narineh has been weaving rugs for six years now. The girl quickly mastered the intricacies of rug weaving and didn’t notice that she soon had started teaching others. When we asked her how she communicates with her students, Narineh, with the help of Mrs. Vera, said, “I am not a complicated person and people soon understand what I want to get across. I feel on an equal level with the students. I’ve even started to utter some sounds and the students have learnt the basics of sign language. Thus, we understand each other fine.” Mrs. Vera says that Narineh’s father sent the girl to the carpet weaving classes so that she could get out and meet people on her own and loose some of her inhibitions. “But he never dreamt that Narineh would become internationally known for her work,” she added, showing us the brochures of exhibitions that Narineh’s rugs in Italy, Iran, Turkey and Israel. Mrs. Vera said that Narineh also had a one-woman exhibition in Yerevan’s Narekatsi Art Union. New vistas opened up for the 24 year-old young woman after her exhibition in Tehran’s Ararat Center. A few months ago Narineh received a work offer from Tehran’s “Akunq” center. “I was so confused that at first I didn’t understand who has calling me and from where. After composing myself, I still found it hard to believe that people would be interested in the work of someone like me,” Narineh said. Narineh’s father, Hakob Badalyan, says, “It wasn’t easy when we decided to let her leave the house on her own like that. But we were happy to see that people had noticed her and appreciated her work. We thought that the more people she met the better it would be for her. Then too, I believed that by coming into contact with a foreign land and culture she would have a different perspective on life.”  Narineh returned from Tehran just days ago. She spent three months teaching rug weaving to children with various mental and physical disabilities at the “Akunq” center in the Iranian capital. She says that the language used was that of the craft and that the Iranian-Armenian kids easily understood her. Besides teaching, Narineh found the time to weave a rug with a biblical theme, which she donated to the organization that employed her. While in Tehran, Narineh not only taught but also learnt. Marta Hovsepyan, Director of the “Akunq” center says, “After work I spent time with Narineh, trying to teach her to say a few words. It was tough but she managed to learn some.” Mrs. Hovsepyan believes that rather than feeling sorry for people like Narineh and trying to help them at every turn, we should treat them as equals and provide them with the necessary conditions so that they can live and work up to their true potential. Narineh isn’t displeased with the wages she received in Tehran. She says that the money will help supplement the family’s income which comes from her father’s salary and her monthly disability pension of 9,500 AMD. Then she confessed the following: “I have one dream which keeps me going. One day I want to run my own school for rug weaving so that I can make enough money and go to France. They say that people like me are treated as equals there.”