Story: Natalia Mackojć
Photos: Natalia Mackojć & Małgorzata Witczak

Me and my companions, the European Voluntary Service volunteers from Youth Events Holding Center, are capable of sticking our nose in many places in Yerevan and around.

Pretty enigmatically I can give you a hint that recently we are beginning to train ourselves in the art of documentary work. This week’s lesson was a practical one.

Ani Hovannissian and Narek Aleksanyan - journalists from Hetq.am -  took us under their wings this time. Armed with a camera, we traveled to the village of Ushi, north of Yerevan. There, in the main intersection, we hop into the “Happy Bus”- dreamy Yeraz owned by one of our hosts - Dyuma Poghosyan. Smiling, he takes us to his house, surrounded by peach trees. 

"- All girls’ names start with a letter T. – And boys? – Boys no!"

The family that we are supposed to visit is hosting our journalists for the second time - this time they are here to film the final of the case that troubled heroes of this story for years. These heroes are Gayaneh and Dyuma- a married couple, blessed by a Higher Power with eleven beautiful children (no twins!), and far for being blessed by the Armenian government with any necessary support and decent living conditions needed for their kids. Hetq team publicized the case and not later than after a few months a private donor was found. Poghosyan family received a spacious, two-story house.

Gayaneh, age: 39, kids: 11.

Today, the heroic mother Gayaneh is showing us her new homestead with a flashing gorgeous smile. Introduces us to all of her kids and forces another portions of cakes into us.

The youngest elf.

For me, a person that does not deal so well with a company of little creatures it was some sort of a trial of strength. However I must admit that the atmosphere prevailing in the house so full of love and mutual devotion made all of us feel like a part of it, already starting to love the surrounding company.

The eldest son already started to work as tombstone carving artist.

Family, all together.

The Dad: „The most difficult language in the world is Dagestani." 

Me: "I think it depends on your native language. If your native langue is English, other language will be the most difficult, than if you speak Chinese." 

The Dad: "No no. It’s Dagestani!"

We have a biiiig Yeraz.

The eldest daughter is practically being the second mother for the youngsters.

While going out I suggested to the journalists’ team: in a village nearby, there’s a nice monastery, Ohanavank- it lies over the river gorge, maybe we can check it out? Suggestion was quickly caught by the father and soon we found ourselves rolling in the Happy Bus towards neighboring Ohanavan.

Selfie with Hovhannavank. Can’t miss that!

At the end of the day kids hugged us goodbye. We waved at the Happy Bus, wishing the bunch even more of this love and joy we managed to see in one visit.