Job opportunities for women battling cancer

In 2019, Satik Zakaryan was diagnosed with cancer by doctors. Satik’s baby was ten months old at that time. She says that at first the stress was great, but her family and friends took her out of that situation with their care. Satik has undergone 8 courses of chemiotherapy, the treatment is still going on. Medicine is expensive, it is difficult to get. She says that it has been a long time since she was given medicine by the “Europe Donna Armenia” non-governmental organization. She had learned about the latter from the Internet.

“After the operation, I could not buy the medicine I needed. I accidentally read on the social network “Europe Donna Armenia, I called, and as a result they still give the medicine to me, and every six months I get the medicine for the bones through them,” says Satik.

Europe Donna Armenia, a non-governmental organization, helps vulnerable women in the process of overcoming cancer by raising money through various activities to obtain medicines and to screen them. The organization aims to raise awareness about early detection of cancer in our country, to inform the public that in this case the cancer is fully cured, it is necessary to be examined at the right time.

The head of the organization, Nvard Kocharyan, told WomenNet.am that they managed to get money from benefactors and direct it to women’s treatment, but at some point, they decided to involve the women’s resource in the process of raising money for medicine. This is how the “Evi” social program started, in which all the items for sale are made by cancer patients / patients, the needy, the residents of the provinces, so that these women are not only able to use their handicrafts, but also help others to get medicine.

“Women who can do handicrafts are involved in the program. We decided to buy those handicrafts from them, sell them and transfer the proceeds to the foundation. “It is not a secret for anyone that women receiving treatment work hard during or after that, and finding a ‘light’ job is not so easy,” says Nvard Kocharyan.

… Tatev Kochinyan’s handmade works are among the best sellers. She says that when the disease was discovered, she did not imagine that one day she would take the tools of handicraft again, but her family and relatives were by her side and did not allow her to be alone with the problem. Tatev’s completed the course of treatment, and she still has many plans to work on.

 “Even though my treatment is over and I’m not taking any more medication, I continue to work to help women who do not have access to medication,” says Tatev.

Nvard Kocharyan mentions that women apply to their organization a lot, but due to lack of finances they are not always able to help. One of the solutions is regular charity concerts. For example, recently, on March 5, the entire proceeds of the charity concert entitled “Life is Love” held at the Aram Khachaturian Concert Hall were donated to vulnerable women with breast cancer to purchase medicine.

Armine Gevorgyan

Full Text in Armenian