Known as CYMA, the non-profit organization has been developing humanitarian aid projects since 1993. With the generous help of young participants from cities such as Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, Halifax, Montreal, Hamilton, Calgary and Vancouver to name a few, the group has been able to change the lives of countless Armenians in need of a better standard of living. After long preparations, CYMA hosts annual trips during the summer to wherever help is needed most. Every year, young adults with different backgrounds, talents and skills voluntarily travel to Armenia at their own expense to help the quickly developing country hasten its progress by reaching out to communities who are lack the necessities to move forward. Furthermore, participants get the chance to discover their land, heritage and culture.
Customarily, proceeding the creation of different activities by committed members both past and present, participants outline major construction projects, conduct day camps for children from orphanages and reach out to families who ask for spiritual guidance. Along the way, as the willingness to participate would describe those who make the effort join CYMA, the generous youth encounter endless opportunities to carry out random acts of kindness. The feeling of pure joy after having helped someone in need follows the participants forever in their memories. Stories of laughter and tears are shared between new found friends at the end of each day. Today, if a volunteer from two decades ago was asked to describe what they had experienced, every detail would come out as if they had just left Armenia the day before.
Over the past few years, the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia has been trying to reinvent itself by using today’s technology to improve communications, event coordination and fund raising. Direct links to contacts in Armenia allow the group to identify those who are most desperate for help. Planning renovation projects and day camps have become much easier. Furthermore, searching for donors can now be done through social media. This year, CYMA is not only looking ahead but exploring the schematic of its initial assignments from twenty years ago.
The mission selected for 2013 will take place in the small village of Geghadir in the Kotayk region. Projects include major reconstruction of two homes, renovation of a school playground and a day camp for children. To fulfill all of these tasks, the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia is calling out to young Armenians between the ages of 17 and 29 to join in the efforts to help the families of Geghadir.
During the trip, volunteers stay in several different homes in the same village. As a part of the experience, members are expected to fully immerse themselves in the lifestyle of an Armenian villager. And what better way to do so than to spend one month with an entire family. It is common to find three generations of a single family living under one roof in Armenia. Even we as Western Armenians share the value of family and cherish it close to our hearts. It is one of many traditions taught not only by CYMA but the youth and elders of our country. The values are what define us as a people and the volunteers of the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia have been able to reconnect with their roots. Never forget where you came from, because when you do: it’s a long road home. CYMA frequently meets young individuals searching for their identity and who can blame them. We live so far from Armenia yet we feel a sense of belonging as soon as we set foot on the land. The long road home becomes a plane ride straight to the same place our ancestors lived, fought and died to protect what makes us who we are. Armenians.
If you or someone you know is interested in making a difference in Armenia you may contact the organizing committee;
Toronto:
Bedros Kokorian
Tel.: (416) 804-4763
kokorian@rogers.com
Montreal:
Mission Leader, Deacon Ivan Gyadayan
Tel.: (514) 549-0416
(514)276-9479 (ext. 6)
deaconivangyadayan@gmail.com
Vancouver:
Brigitte Karakas
Tel.: (604) 922-5747
bizi@shaw.ca
