Alen and his mother have started a new life

Two days ago it was the house-warming of Narine Harutyunyan, resident of Yerevan’s Dro street 62. The story of Alen, aged two, made us open the door and look into the life of alcoholics and prostitutes, and think about the values of their life and come to conclusions. Alen’s door was an opportunity for us to recognize our inner self and made many people find their truth. We are living in a society, where few people give a hand to others that fall down, and even there are many who push people down without thinking twice. Residents from the neighborhood and even community police officers were gathered and were looking through the open door of Dro 62 house.

One month ago Alen was living in a space, where the most undesired behavior of humanity was taking place. Alen was born two years ago, and now he could not be there because his life was in danger.

Narine, who used to be an alcoholic, is now doing what he did not do before and is not doing many things she used to do. Now she is doing her best to be a good mother and good person. Little Alen made her mother to find the truth in her life and break and throw away the bottles of alcohol and her shameful past. Two days ago Narine walked in her newly renovated house and is doing her best to adapt new values in her life.

During the house-warming, members of facebook group Let’s Save Alen, who had been with them since the beginning of this story, had gathered to celebrate the new life of Alen and his mother.

Members of the board of trustees and social care of Kanaker Zeitun community were invited too, some of which even came to Narine’s place and were surprised to see the change. Narine’s house was reconstructed and furnished due to private donations. Since the publication of Alen’s story, individuals and officials made donations to change little Alen’s life.

People were waiting to see the end of the story, so we will publish photos before and after. Even though people helped little Alen, 168 Hours will continue to follow-up and write about the future of Alen and his mother. It s worth mentioning that a group of young people were inspired by Alen’s story and they were with them all the time since then, even some of them had problems at work and universities.

We hope the activists of facebook group Let’s Save Alen were an example for community organizations, who had to do many things but did not do as we know how many of them relate to human beings and what their “compassion” looks like. We also hope that the representative of the municipality, who was there too, will tell the community head about this story and how a group of people could restore the house of this family and build hope for their future, which their huge organization with its departments, chiefs of departments, officials, inspection officers and others were not doing during two years.

We are happy to write that Narine has quit drinking and even refuses alcohol with disgust. During the house-warming she said, “I have started reading. I like reading, but I did not have books. Several days ago, when the editor of your newspaper visited me, she gave me a text about difficulties in life, the truth and wrong things. I understood that I needed to read again and again. Now I have everything; I don’t need anything, but to be honest, I mostly need to get books now. Life has acquired a new and totally different meaning for me. Everyone in your group made me learn something new”.

By Lusine Stepanyan