I couldn’t sit by idly and had to do something myself

Hasmik welcomed us to her mother’s house in Sevan, Armenia, where she had arranged her atelier studio. In a neatly set vintage interior, she organized everything perfectly: the fabric and sewing materials, the sewing machines, and the ready products lay in the original paper bags, each decorated with care; everything had its own place.

After her husband returned from the war disabled, Hasmik realized she couldn’t sit by idly. She needed to do something herself.

Having two small children to care for, Hasmik initially tried to find a job as a teacher because she had a degree in education, but her continuous search was in vain.

She learned about the “Women’s Empowerment Program” run by the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development and decided to apply for support.

She participated in capacity-building courses on entrepreneurial skills and, after thorough reflection, submitted her project to open a sewing micro-business. Everyone around her, even her family, was skeptical about the positive outcome of her application. But she was optimistic, and she had a pay-off.

Several days after the funding commission, when she demonstrated her motivation and the necessity of opening this business, she got a call. She was told that her proposal had been approved. She felt happy not only because of the possibility of a stable income to support her family but also because she could do something she genuinely enjoyed.

Hasmik has always been passionate about sewing. She never received professional sewing training and only learned the basics from her mother. When she was a child, she started using a simple needle and thread to make dresses for her dolls from scrap fabric, then passed to using sewing machines in her mother’s absence so as not to be scolded for breaking many needles.

The “Women’s Empowerment in Armenia” project also funded her vocational training, and with new skills, she was more than confident that she would succeed.

When we visited her and saw the orders, we understood that Hasmik’s atelier was already well-known in the neighborhood. She explained that her main orders were bedding, kitchen towels, kids’ blankets, napkins, and aprons.

She told us that she is constantly learning and improving her skills, either through the Internet or by seeking valuable advice from other professionals.

We were delighted to see that she was now self-sufficient and able to take care of her whole family.

“The “Vulnerable Women Empowerment in Armenia” project is co-funded by the Saint Sarkis Charity Trust and Association Arménienne d’Aide Sociale and implemented by the Armenian Fund for Sustainable Development.

The Arev Society provides management support to the AF4SD’s “Vulnerable Women Economic Empowerment in Armenia” program.