Hey, road, take me to Bourastan …

Bourastan is a name of a village, literally- garden in bloom… “The road was of vital importance for our village. In order to get to the regional center, we were supposed to bypass three villages. Besides the loss of time, the cars were getting damaged on the dilapidated roads. Due to the new road our village experienced a great progress. Nowdays transporting the harvest is easy and most importantly, children go to school by this nice road. Before the renovation the problem was even tougher during winter times”, tell Bourastan village residents and at the same time happily mention that the issue is already solved and left behind.

The Bourastan road renovation works began in 2009 within Asian Development Bank rural road construction program. The road was to connect the village with the regional center but as a result the entire road between Artashat highway and the railway station was entirely reconstructed. This is the road that serves and brings much benefit to Bourastan and five other neighboring villages.

Thus, everything is possible.

“Our privatized agricultural lands are far from the village and during the summer season we have to go to the land several times a day. The dilapidated road created many challenges for us, the time was passing in vain on the roads and the cars were getting broken,” tells Evelina Ghazaryan, the Secretary of Bourastan village council.

Being the village resident and a state representative, Evelina deals these kinds of problems on daily basis. It is already 30 years Evelina is the Village Council Personnel Secretary and according to the co-villagers, she spends most of her time at the workplace. The peasants face diverse challenges starting from personal issues to completing the tasks assigned by the supervisor.

“There are moments that I think that my husband should have disallowed me work and these are the days that I feel really tired. But later if I stay home for a few days, I realize that I my life is impossible without work,” adds Evelina with a smile.

Evelina is punctual at work and meantime manages the household perfectly. I asked her to share her secret with us. As a response she replied:

“Everything is possible. I gave birth to three children and never worked less than 8 hours a day. Years ago we managed the cattle farming, cultivated the land, the garden and sold the products with a great enthusiasm. Those days I used to sleep at 2 or 3 o’clock in the morning, but now the conditions are refined and I have nothing to complain about”.

Evelina is sure that she overcame the challenges due to her family support.

“My family members got used to the idea that I have to work. My husband and my kids assisted me greatly and the synergy of efforts helped us build our house.”

Evelina’s family posses 4 polyethylene vegetable greenhouses and recently planted a grape yard.

“Recently our life has improved greatly. In the old days there was no gas supply, we carried and watered the land by buckets. My husband and I built our house, created everything by ourselves and overcame the challenges together. I am happy for having a big family, three children, two daughters-in-law and mostly I am blissful for having grandchildren.”

Surely, Bourastan is loyal to its name.

Everyone knows her in the village – one needs to measure the blood pressure, the other needs an urgent injection, the third broke his arm, or the bee stung someone else … in one word Aida is the first aid provider in the village. She finds solution for everyone and she states she takes the burdens of others.

Aida Hovsepyan is the nurse of Bourastan health ambulatory for years. The advantages of the renovated road immediately impacted Aida’s work and now she can easily arrange transportation of urgent cases to the regional hospital. Aida graduated from high education and started her career at Yerevan hospital # 1. After 6 years of employment at the hospital she got married and moved to live in Bourastan.

“Although my mother received no professional education, still she was assisting and healing people by traditional medicine and herbs.”

Aida inherited the great love towards flowers from her mother.

“I remember my childhood and my paternal house at Mkhchyan village where we had a greenhouse of flowers. Here in Bourastan we decided to build a carnation greenhouse.”  The family started with one greenhouse and now they own four. Bourastan is faithful to its name even during winter season. Red and white beautiful carnations and yet to bud tulips in Aida’s greenhouse, and it feels like in the real garden in bloom.

Lilit Kocharyan

P.S. The Asian Development Bank improved lives of over 170 thousand people under its rural road renovation program. More than 600 thousand people benefited within water supply and sewage system programs by ADB.