Viva-MTS: Spacious stone house instead of a half-ruined room
For years, the young family of Galstyans has lived in a room with small, dirt walls in a building of 1960s. The climatic conditions in Gegharkunik region have made the lack of basic living conditions even more significant. Raising two children in a small room was quite difficult. The father of the family, Arman, who is a military serviceman, decided to expand the area and build a stone house, but the dream was not easy to fulfill.
Viva-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, partnering in the frames of housing project, have supported the young serviceman, who has taken the protection of his Homeland and the problems of the family with an equal sense of responsibility. Although the construction period of the house was not very successful, the support of partner organizations and the persistent efforts of the homeowners gave the desired result. The Galstyans living in Torfavan now own a spacious stone house filled with sunlight.
“My son is on the border; he protects his family and our Homeland. I should try to convey not only my feelings, but also those of my son. Years ago, I wondered if there would be a day when my son would live with his family in a stone house and continue living in his village. Now I say with a clear conscience that my dreams have come true,” said the homeowner’s father, Nver Galstyan.
“A mentally and spiritually rich person has one’s own formula of overcoming problems – patiently, strong in his faith and willfully. Believe it, you pass over your willfulness to your children and serve them as a role model. They see examples of how home shall be built and how homeland shall be cherished, and these examples speak louder than words. The hardest days are behind. Set new goals and strive for them with the same commitment,” Viva-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said during the video call.
“The situation we saw during the first visit and now is incomparable. There were walls made of soil; the entire family gathered in one room. Now the picture is completely different. There is nothing left of the old damp and earthen room. Now the family lives in a spacious and bright house with all necessities. Despite that the pandemic had a significant impact on the progress of our programs, in general, we succeeded. We all realized that we had to get out of the situation with honor. Together, we succeeded,” said Ashot Yeghiazaryan, president of the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia.
The partners implementing the housing program for over ten years, Viva-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia, are recording desirable results in different regions of the country. This year, the partners plan to make the dream of a home into a reality for 84 families. The list of beneficiaries includes families who, due to circumstances, have to start the difficult task of building a house for the third time.
Viva-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) is Armenia’s leading telecommunications operator, having the widest network reach and spreading a wide range of Voice and Data services all across Armenia. Having the best of the Armenian people interest at heart since its launch on the 1st of July Y2005, and in a short period of time, Viva-MTS has managed to build a nationwide network and a considerable customer base. Viva-MTS drives innovation and aims at always being at the forefront of any development serving the Armenian mobile communications market. The company follows the guidance provided by ISO 26000 (International Standard of Social Responsibility) and ISO/IEC 27001:2013 (Information Security Management System). For more information, visit www.mts.am
Mobile TeleSystems PJSC (“MTS”) is the leading telecommunications group in Russia and the CIS, offering mobile and fixed voice, broadband, pay TV as well as content and entertainment services in one of the world’s fastest growing regions. Including its subsidiaries, the Group services over 86.8 million mobile subscribers in Russia, Armenia and Belarus. Since June Y2000, MTS’ Level 3 ADRs have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol MBT). Additional information about the MTS Group can be found at: www.mtsgsm.com
Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is a non-governmental, charitable organization that supports community development in the Republics of Armenia and Artsakh by assisting in building and renovating simple, decent and affordable homes, as well as advocating the right to a decent shelter as a matter of conscience and action. FCHA provides long-term, interest-free loans to low-income families. The monthly repayments flow into a Revolving Fund, which is used to help more families, thereby providing a financial foundation for sustainable development. Since 2008 the Fuller Center for Housing Armenia has assisted 1018 families. For more information, please visit www.fcharmenia.org or email us at fcarmenia@fcharmenia.org
