YEREVAN — I had heard about the many orphans in Armenia, some of whom fit the definition in that they have no mother or father, and others, known as “social orphans,” who have a parent or parents, but none willing or able to care for them.
As I was making plans to travel to Armenia with my 22-year-old son, Tyler, last year, I contacted a Philadelphia-based organization (with a Boston chapter) called the Society for Orphaned Armenian Relief (www.soar-us.org) to find out what we could do to help.
My son is a musician and has led bucket boot camps, where children of all ages and ability levels — including with special needs — learn rhythm, timing, and other music-related disciplines by drumming on overturned buckets.
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When I was told that the orphans enjoy interactive programs, I knew that a bucket boot camp would be a positive experience for them. I went to work getting donated plastic buckets (thanks to Lowe’s) and discounted drumsticks (thanks to Guitar Center) to bring with us. Tyler was on board with the idea, but I don’t think either of us had any idea just how much joy the bucket boot camps would bring these children.
With some creative packing, we were able to bring two dozen buckets and about 50 pairs of drumsticks to Armenia. George S. Yacoubian Jr., SOAR’s founder, connected us with Siranoush Hovhannisyan, who works with the organization here in Armenia’s capital.
Hovhannisyan, who could not have been more helpful or accommodating, arranged for us to visit three orphanages over the course of as many days. And while discovering Armenia’s history and culture during the rest our visit was amazing, those three days were the most memorable of our journey.
The looks on the children’s faces as they picked up the tempo with rapid alternating beats, then slowed things down and kept time with single, deliberate strokes on the bottoms of the buckets were priceless. They alternated between intense focus and beaming smiles, and their enjoyment and pride were palpable.
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When Tyler finished, we played games with the children, read books to them, and learned words in each other’s language. Many of the kids are starved for attention and affection, so just spending time together meant so much to them — and to us.
Juliet Pennington can be reached at writeonjuliet@comcast.net.