News

       The schoolchildren and teachers from Vahan Tekeyan Schools will never forget their summer holidays of 2010. The summer has really been extraordinary for them as Tekeyan Centre Fund being true to its mission and following its statute, favoured the Tekeyan schoolchildren with unforgettable moments – the Fund, in cooperation with Bishop Abraham Mkrtchyan, the Primate of the Diocese of Syunik, and “Syunik” NGO, gave them an opportunity to spend their holidays in the summer camp “Siranuysh” situated on the bank of the river Yeghegis in Vayots Dzor.
       The project “Summer Camp”, adopted by the TCF Board of Trustees at the AGM in May, provided a ten-day-holiday for the IX-XI formers from four Tekeyan Schools in Yerevan, Karbi, Stepanavan and Gyumri. The Fund aimed at encouraging intellectually and physically gifted pupils, so the participants had been chosen on the basis of their progress and behaviour at school, physical fitness. Children in need hadn’t been ignored either. The total number of participants was 41 (nine pupils and one teacher from each school plus one instructor). 
       The project launched on June 25 when all the participants gathered at Tekeyan Centre to be welcomed by Vartan Ouzounian, the Chair of the Board of Trustees of Tekeyan Centre Fund, who had arrived from London for this memorable occasion, and by TCF Director Armen Tsulikyan. The welcoming speeches were followed by party snacks.
       Then the participants set off for Vayots Dzor. Tekeyan Centre Fund provided two excursions to make the long trip to the camp site impressive and interesting. The first sightseeing tour was to Khor Virap, an architectural monument, a monastery, the holy site of the Armenian Apostolic Church and pilgrimage, the place where Saint Gregory the Illuminator for spreading Christianity was imprisoned in a deep dungeon for 13 years by the King Trdat III. The Tekeyan schoolchildren excitingly exchanged this information demonstrating their deep knowledge of their history. They became more enthusiastic seeing the picturesque view of the Biblical Ararat.
       The next excursion was to the museum of the great Armenian poet Paruyr Sevak in Chanakhchi village in Ararat region. The schoolchildren refreshed their knowledge of the great Armenian poet’s literature and public activity. They saw the poet’s handwritten documents, publications and personal belongings as well as listened to the records of Sevak’s poems read by the author himself. Visiting Sevak’s tomb in the garden of the museum, the children paid a tribute to the memory of the great Armenian who died being involved in a car accident on the road to Yeghegnadzor in 1971.
       When the children got to the camp they were very excited and impressed by the site. Wonder fell on all when they saw the wonderful nature around – horrific mountains and unscalable rocks, bottomless abysses and the beautiful river Yeghegis. The children expressed their feelings and emotions by rhyming about the beauty of Vayots Dzor.
      To make the children’s holidays unforgettable the Fund had worked out a camp program full of educational, cultural and sports activities; and the teachers had a very great role in implementing the program. They arranged draughts and chess tournaments, as well as tennis basketball, football, volleyball and other championship games. The children also took part in review lectures on various disciplines; at literary evenings they read the poetry by Vahan Tekeyan, Paruyr Sevak, Vahan Teryan and many other prominent Armenian poets. They performed their theatrical skills and acted in a few plays. They also had singing and dancing parties gathering round a campfire.
       The “Summer Camp” project included camping to Hermon Monastery dated the 10th century, Zorats Temple, Jewish Cemetery and Smbat Orbelian’s Tomb. The final stage of the project was the sightseeing tour to a paradise namely Noravank surrounded with numerous caves and reddish rocks. The wonderful monastery which was a religious and cultural centre in the 13-14th centuries is very rich in carvings made by the famous Armenian architect, miniaturist and carver Momik.
       The Tekeyan schoolchildren returned to Tekeyan Centre from Yeghegnadzor on July 4 and expressed their gratitude to the Chair of the Fund Vartan Ouzounian, the Fund Director Armen Tsulikyan and all the staff for initiating and sponsoring such a unique project which enabled the Tekeyan schoolchildren not only to have a good time but also to strengthen ties, to unite and to make new friends, who parted in tears.