Support A Safe House In Armenia

1A and the Tufenkian Foundation partnered with the Women’s Support Center in Yerevan to close the gap in the 2013 operating budget of one of only two safe houses for battered women in Armenia’s capital.

Because of the potential for pursuit by perpetrators, the safe house’s precise location is kept confidential and is not revealed to the public. It has the capacity to house and nurture up to 5 women and their children at any given time, with an average yearly impact on 30 women and about 60 children.

In addition to providing a safe space where women can seek solace and reprieve from their harrowing experiences, the safe house employs social workers, legal counselors and psychologists who work with the women to slowly build up a sense of independence, potential and eventual self-actualization.

Group therapy sessions, individual legal counseling and activities designed specifically for rehabilitation guide the women toward setting goals (for employment, divorce, housing, education, etc) and working toward realizing them. Their children are enrolled in school and monitored by the shelter’s staff. By the end of a maximum 60-day stay at the safe house, women are prepared to begin new lives with newfound self-reliance and confidence.