The Renovation Initiative
Following the occupation of Artsakh in September 2023, over 100,000 Armenians fled to Armenia seeking safety and stability. Many used their remaining savings or social benefits to purchase housing. Due to tight budgets and job insecurity, most could only afford homes that lack basic infrastructure, bathrooms and kitchens.
Other families across Armenia have also been deeply affected by the war, including the families of soldiers and those living with the long-term economic and emotional consequences of conflict. Many face similar housing challenges, struggling to repair or maintain homes while supporting loved ones or rebuilding their lives.
We launched The Renovation Initiative to support integration and restore dignity for these families by building, renovating and restoring essential their homes.
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Location: Nizami, Armenia | Family Size: 6 | Status: Displaced from Artsakh
After fleeing the 2020 war in Artsakh, Armine’s family resettled in Nizami with little stability. Their outdoor kitchen was unsafe and unlivable, so through our Housing Renovation Initiative we rebuilt it into a functional, warm space for daily life.
“This improvement gave us strength to keep going,” Armine shared.
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Location: Abovyan, Armenia | Family Size: 7 Status: Displaced from Artsakh
After losing her husband during the 2020 war, Ani resettled in Abovyan with her children, grandparents, and siblings. Their home lacked a functioning kitchen, making daily life especially hard for both children and elders. Ani saved what she could to cover labor, and through our Housing Renovation Initiative, we provided the materials to complete the renovation.
Ani shared this message with us:
“Because of your help, we now have a comfortable kitchen in our home, where my family can cook and share meals together. May God bless you, and may your kindness return to you a thousandfold.”
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Location: Noyakert, Armenia | Family Size: 3 Status: Displaced from Artsakh
After the 2020 war, Nvard, her husband, and their young daughter were displaced from Artsakh. Pregnant when we met her, Nvard shared the family’s struggles with debt, lack of food, and the instability of starting over in a new village. Their home in Noyakert had an unusable outdoor bathroom, worsening already difficult living conditions.
Through our Housing Renovation Initiative, we hired a construction worker from Artsakh and provided all materials to complete a safe, functioning bathroom for the family.
“My husband works in a construction store, I am pregnant and cannot work, and our daughter goes to kindergarten. We struggle with debt, lack of food, hygiene, and baby items. Our house is in poor condition,” Nvard told us.
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Location: Lernanist, Armenia | Family Size: 9 | Status: Displaced from Karvachar, Artsakh
After losing their home in the 2020 Artsakh war, this family was forced to leave Karvachar, the place they had lived their entire lives. A father who served in Military Unit 105 and fought in both the 2016 Four-Day War and the 2020 war described leaving as “one of the hardest decisions we ever had to make,” after their house was completely destroyed.
They resettled first with relatives in Drakhtik, facing the stress of displacement, trauma, and starting over with nothing. Today, the family is rebuilding their lives in Lernanist, where they were able to purchase a small apartment with government support. The father now works in construction while their children adjust to school and continue to recover from the upheaval of war.
Through our Housing Renovation Initiative, Kooyrigs supported the renovation of their new home transforming an unstable space into one that can finally offer safety, warmth, and dignity.
“The war took away everything we had built with love and hard work. There were days when we felt hopeless…but people like you remind us that we are not alone in this journey, and that kindness still exists in the world,” Nver shared.
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Location: Kaghsy Village, Armenia | Family Size: 5 Status: Displaced from Artsakh
After years of displacement and loss, Arevik and her husband are raising three children while rebuilding life in Kaghsy. Their home lacked a functioning bathroom, adding strain to already difficult daily life. Through our Housing Renovation Initiative, we provided materials and partnered with a displaced construction worker to complete the renovation.
“Your support has brought comfort and a sense of normalcy back into our daily lives,” Arevik shared.
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Location: Armenia | Family Size: 9 | Status: Displaced from Himnashen, Artsakh
After losing their home in the 2020 Artsakh war, Azniv’s family of eight, including her sister, her sister’s husband, and four children, has been working to rebuild a sense of safety and stability. They once lived in Himnashen, where they ran their farm, cared for their animals, and believed their future was rooted in the land they had built a life on.
During the war, their home was bombed and burned. “We left with only the clothes on our backs,” Azniv shared. Her husband went to the frontlines while she took the children to Yerevan in search of safety. What followed were months of instability, including crowded temporary housing and unaffordable rent, all while caring for a child with serious health issues who has already undergone seven surgeries.
The family eventually purchased a small house in Sis village with a government certificate, but the home was nearly unlivable. There was no bathroom, no gas, no hot water, and the toilet was outside. The walls were crumbling, and the family slept on the floor without proper beds or furniture. Her husband is the only one working, and most of their resources go toward medical needs and long trips to the hospital.
Through our Housing Renovation Initiative, Kooyrigs stepped in to support the family by helping rebuild essential parts of their home, providing stability in a moment when hope felt distant.
“Your kindness gives us strength to keep going,” Azniv said.
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Coming Soon.
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Location: Armenia | Family Size: 8 | Status: Displaced from Humnashen, Kashatagh- Artsakh
After fleeing the war in Artsakh, Shiraz’s extended family of eight two parents and two daughters and another mother, father, and two children, resettled together under one roof. Both families are working to rebuild a sense of stability while navigating the emotional weight of displacement.
Shiraz shared that they once lived in Humnashen, a mountain village in the Kashatagh region, where life was rooted in animal husbandry, beekeeping, and the calm of rural nature. “My entire family, including my brothers, took part in all the wars,” he said. “We went through a very difficult path and lost good friends.”
Now living in a relative’s home, the family is trying to re-establish daily life. Shiraz works as a driver while the children attend school, and the household continues to grow, they will soon welcome a new baby. Through our Housing Renovation Initiative, Kooyrigs provided essential household items the family lacked, creating much-needed comfort and stability.
“This support eased our burdens,” Shiraz shared.
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Location: Armenia | Family Size: 8 | Status: Displaced from Jrakux Village, Hadrut - Artsakh
After losing their home in the 2020 Artsakh war, Rafik’s family of eight, including parents, four children, a daughter-in-law, and a one-year-old grandchild, was forced to rebuild their lives from nothing. They once lived in the historic village of Jrakux in the Hadrut region, where Rafik owned four successful stores that provided stability for the entire household.
“When the war began, I stayed on the frontlines until the very last day,” Rafik shared. His wife and children evacuated to Khanaker for safety, where the family later reunited after learning they would never be able to return home. Their time there was filled with financial hardship, instability, and the grief of losing everything they had built, including all four of Rafik’s businesses, for which he received no compensation.
The family has since settled in Nor Hachn, where Rafik opened a small vegetable shop to support them. With a recently married son and a growing baby in the home, their responsibilities continue to expand, making stability even more essential.
Through our Housing Renovation Initiative, Kooyrigs renovated their bathroom, transforming an unsafe and unusable space into something functional and dignified.
“It has been a huge relief for our family,” Rafik wrote. “We now have a proper bathroom, something we had been struggling with for so long. Your kindness lifted a burden from us. We will always remember your support.”
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Coming Soon.
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Coming Soon.