“I explain the rules of caution to people with my own example”

            Satenik Tashchyan, a member of the Ptghni village council in the Kotayk region, is convinced that the best way to overcome coronavirus is isolatation, especially in families where there are elderly people and pregnant women.

She says that from her 27 years of pedagogical experience, she knows that the best way to teach is to show by your own example what you are trying to teach the other person. As an active woman, she has decided to use the opportunities of modern technology in the fight against the new type of infection, using the opportunities of distance learning.

– I am isolated at home, I teach by distance learning the 5th-12th graders natural science, patriotism and geography. “Before the lessons, I invite the parents, we talk about how to protect ourselves from the coronavirus,” she says. People have doubts about whether there is actually a coronavirus or not, and I’m trying to dispel those suspicions by providing information and giving specific examples. I explain that although we are in the village, far from the recorded cases, we must be careful.

She is concerned with the fact that there are still children who have not participated in distance learning.

“Although distance learning passes normally, there are children who are out of sight due to lack of communication, they have absolutely no opportunity to take courses, I don’t think that’s right,” she said, noting that distance learning is just a consolation. They are forced to be satisfied, which cannot replace the enthusiasm of the children in the classroom with the first alphabet event and the last bell that did not take place this year.

Speaking about the control of the disinfection works by the Council of Elders, she says that at the sitting it was decided to act as necessary. “Shops are being disinfected but I haven’t noticed the streets being disinfected,” she said, adding that no cases had been reported in the village. These days, the villagers use the two shops in the village more, and the village administration carries out their disinfection.

The member of the Council of Elders is sure that the mitigation of restrictions will not bring big changes, especially in rural areas, especially since there is a feeling of fear among the people.

– The restrictions have been lifted, but I don’t think it will change much, the feeling of fear is still present and people will hardly go out and  let’s say  visit someone’s house, because that person may not like your visit, so people realize that and avoids unnecessary visits.

In any case, she is sure that we need to be careful, because we do not fully imagine what is really happening…