Our
Lady of Armenia Camp is organized to provide orphans and needy boys
and girls, ages 8-14, from the different regions of Armenia, Southern
Georgia, Artsakh (summer 2006, 2009), and Lebanon (summer 2006, 2008,
2009) proper physical rest, nutritious meals, religious-educational
experiences and life skills non-existent in children’s regular
daily environment.
The
overall goal of the Camp is to provide a warm and caring learning
environment and bring joy to 850 very disadvantaged boys and girls
from different regions of Armenia and Southern Georgia. The Camp strives
also to strengthen the children’s spiritual, physical, and emotional
well-being and diminish the immediate and long-term impact of poverty
in their lives through a wide range of athletic, cultural, and social
activities. In addition to providing a summer filled with joy and
learning, the Camp focuses on improving the children’s health
and hygiene through nutritious meals and medical and dental services.
Preparations
for the Camp begin with the selection of the children. This is one
of the most difficult parts of the program because there are usually
more needy children than the Camp can accommodate. The children are
selected in the following order of priority:
1. Orphans living in state orphanages;
2. Orphans or children with only one parent living at home or in a
state institution;
3. Children from extremely poor families;
4. Children in unhealthy home environments (drinking and abusing parents);
5. Poor children living in isolated villages who were never given
the opportunity to go beyond their village.
