Nazik Sargsyan lives with her large family of seven in Metsavan community of Lori region. She is a sewing specialist by profession; she worked as a tailor in a local textile factory for many years, and then in a private workshop. In recent years, however, the energetic lady has mostly been engaged in housekeeping, caring for her domestic animals, growing vegetables and berries on her small land plot,  looking after her grandchildren, while the men of the family were securing funds for the family, mainly through their seasonal work abroad.

Nevertheless, this family was no exception to the pandemic with its shattered financial stability, as the limited employment opportunities in the community were closed and it became impossible for men to leave the country for seasonal work.

Luckily, the EULEAD4 Lori and Tavush Regions project offered a support and it came through a sewing machine provided by “Tashir Kar” CJSC – a sewing factory operating in Tashir, Lori region. The latter had received sewing machines from the project with a condition that they would be  provided to women living in Tashir who became financially vulnerable due to COVID-19 or to ones that were displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh with temporary residence in Tashir, while organising their labour either in the factory premises or at home.

“The sewing machine was a great help to my family. My daughter in law and I have been receiving steady orders from the factory: patterns of uniforms, bags, masks, etc., for stitching. We get paid for our work while being able to also take care of the house choirs, the land plot and the grandchildren”, notes Mrs. Nazik with a big smile of gratitude.

Thanks to this initiative Nazik’s family was able to provide for its livelihood, secure income and overcome the economic crisis due to the pandemic. And we (the EULEAD4Lori and Tavush Regions project) are happy to aim our efforts at supporting and encouraging rural women and vulnerable groups  in Lori and Tavush Regions.

This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the “EULEAD4Lori and Tavush Regions” project and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.