Planning the Future of Camp Armen

PARAMUS, NJ – Early July, Rev. Kirkor Ağabaloğlu, Pastor of the Armenian Evangelical Church of Gedik Pasa, Istanbul was in Armenia, along with a delegation comprised of members of the Committee for the Construction and Rehabilitation of Istanbul’s CAMP ARMEN (Kamp Armen), including engineer Nazareth Binatli, architects Aleen Pontioglu, Zhan Gavrilov, representative of the Hrant Dink Foundation Delal Dink (Hrant Dink’s daughter) and benefactors Harout and Talar Khorozoğlus.

They came to Yerevan to get acquainted with creative centers for children and youth, and learn some positive things that they can implement at CAMP ARMEN, where children and youth will come during their summer vacations and develop their creative thinking and artistic abilities.

The guests met with RA’s Minister of Diaspora Hranush Hakobyan. The Minister welcomed the guests warmly and expressed her gratitude to all the Armenians of Istanbul, for staying true to their national identity and setting an example of how to live as an Armenian. During the meeting, the Minister also touched upon the school for children from Armenia, based under the roof of the Armenian Evangelical Church in the Gedik Pasa. She expressed her gratitude to Rev. Ağabaloğlu for his attention and heartfelt attitude for this school, as well as to the school’s sponsors, Harout and Dalar Khorozoğlus for their financial assistance.

They later visited “TUMO Center for Creative Technologies,” and got acquainted with creative and skilled education of the students and the control system of the center led by the qualified educators and technical experts. The guests also visited the AMAA’s Nor Nork District’s SHOGH Day Care Center and got acquainted with the activities of the children who come from families with social issues and problems. They also talked with the teachers, the social worker and the psychologist of the Center. The guests familiarized them with all the activities that are carried in Istanbul among Armenian children.

Rev. Kirkor Ağabaloğlu spoke about all the difficulties that they went through last year for the return of CAMP ARMEN to its right owner, the Armenian Evangelical Church of Gedik Pasa.

“The AMAA commends and whole heartedly supports the community efforts in Istanbul exerted to reconstruct Camp Armen,” said Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO.  “It is our sincere wish to see the mission of the audacious hero, Hrant Guzelian, and the legacy of Hrant Dink, reignite at Camp Armen with new generations of Armenian Youth walking the path of the faith and may the ‘homecoming of the remnants’ vigorously resume.”