Raffi N's apologies for not writing very often made me realize of my own sins.
It's the end of tourist season and we're hosting our last large group, Habitat. 15 Americans have volunteered to come to Armenia and help local Armenians with renovations of their homes.
One of the conversations I had with a group member was related to the insufficient funds for the project. She asked why Armenians did not donate more finances to Habitat.
Part of my explanation was that Diaspora Armenians are used to donating and volunteering in the West. As for Armenians who have left Armenia it's not that they do not send assistance, but they prefer the direct way with no intermediary organizations. They directly assist their own relatives, neighbors and friends. Most of them have a deep-rooted mistrust of the system. Though there is a gradual change.
I investigated and there are around 90 local Habitat volunteers.
I've been thinking a lot about volunteerism in Armenia and how to expand it. One of my lesser bright ideas is to replace the financial assistance of all Non-for-Profit organizations by volunteer-work-for-assistance program.
A family has lost a member to the war and is getting financial assistance. And a couple of their family members are unemployed or have part-time jobs. In return, one of the unemployed volunteers a certain amount of time (four days a month) to Habitat or Land and Culture or another organization he wants to work with and brings a written statement from them.
Does it sounds more of a compulsory work than volunteerism?
Work is good for the soul and volunteer work is more healing that getting free financial assistance.