STEPANAKERT, Artsakh—Kamo Davtyan, a soldier wounded in the Artsakh Liberation War in the early 1990s, was given a new home in the village of Nor Shen of the Martuni region of Artsakh on Aug. 11. The house was rebuilt by the Tufenkian Foundation Housing for Wounded Soldiers initiative.
Tufenkian Foundation Executive Director Raffi Doudaklian, representatives of the Martuni Regional Administration, the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) Meroujan Mosiyan gomideh representative, local media, and members of the Nor Shen community attended the housewarming.
Kamo Davtyan, a soldier wounded in the Artsakh Liberation War in the early 1990s, was given a new home in the village of Nor Shen of the Martuni region of Artsakh.
Since 2003, the Tufenkian Foundation has implemented various projects and initiatives in support of Artsakh. In April 2016, in response to the Four Day War, the foundation launched an urgent appeal to help the people affected by the war. Since then, with funds raised during this emergency appeal, and through additional support from individual donors, the foundation provided housing support to six soldiers: three in Martakert, two in Hadrut, and one in Askeran.
Kamo Davtyan and his wife in front of their house, during renovations
Although the initiative was launched with the aim of supporting soldiers injured in the Four Day War, it was later expanded to include soldiers with housing needs who have been injured in battle and are not able to repair their homes or purchase new ones.
“Every soldier who has risked his life for our homeland deserves a dignified living, and that is not possible without a decent home. By building, renovating, or purchasing houses for the soldiers of Artsakh, we not only honor and support these brave individuals and their families, but we also help rebuild Artsakh, one house at a time,” Doudaklian stated during the housewarming ceremony.
Davtyan in front of his new house
Davtyan is the seventh soldier to receive a fully renovated house from the Tufenkian Foundation, and the second soldier of the Artsakh Liberation War to benefit from the initiative. During the war, Davtyan joined the Nor Shen self-defense group. He fought bravely and was seriously injured in one of the battles.
Davtyan is 50 years old. A hardworking man by nature, he is now unable to do physical work because of the injury sustained in battle. He lives in Nor Shen together with his wife and two daughters. Following in his father’s footsteps, Davtyan’s son has joined the Artsakh Army and serves his country as an officer.
Prior to the renovations, Davtyan and his family lived in an old village house that did not have a kitchen and an indoor bathroom. In addition to general repairs, the Tufenkian Foundation has constructed an adjacent building, thus expanding the house and adding a fully renovated kitchen, bathroom, as well as a corridor.
In his remarks during the housewarming ceremony, Davtyan said: “I am happy to finally have a home we will be proud to live in. My only wish is that all my friends who have fought in the war have a place they can call home and a decent roof over their heads.”
“Although the 2016 emergency has ended, the housing need for Artsakh’s soldiers is still a pending issue. With many wounded/disabled soldiers requiring similar assistance, the [Tufenkian] Foundation will continue this work in the foreseeable future,” read a part of a statement released by the Tufenkian Foundation.
Source: Armenian Weekly
Link: Seventh Wounded Soldier Receives House in Artsakh from the Tufenkian Foundation