The first time I met Marie Iskenderian was on the eve of September 1st. This smiling and vibrant woman so full of energy had come to the town of Sevan with Paul, her Belgian husband, and their four children. They had only one goal – to bring joy and relief to socially vulnerable families and their school-age children in Sevan.
And yes, Marie accomplished her mission, earning thankful words and grateful looks. This was another charitable project by Marie’s family, this time in Sevan.
Everything began back in 2015 when the world was commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide along the Armenian people.
Marie is of Armenian offspring, born very far from Armenia to a family of son and daughter of Armenian refugees who had narrowly escaped the massacres and found a second homeland and home in Syria and Palestine. They first met in Lebanon.
The map of Marie’s parents’ lives stretches from Lebanon to Japan, then to the USA and Europe. The family not only settled down in Switzerland permanently but also got established and created job opportunities for many Armenians.
“My family found their place in Switzerland. I, having never seen Armenia, grew up a patriot and with the mindset that I would come to Armenia one day”, confesses Marie.
Marie started a family living in Luxembourg with four children: she learnt about Armenia from books and the news and shared the information with her children.
“In 2015, while commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Genocide, my eldest son asked me: ‘Should we now remember and cry one year instead of one day?’ This was a slap in my face because, being an Armenian, I had transferred sadness and weeping to my child. At that very moment I firmly decided that after the 100th anniversary we should be strong, proud and we should look ahead. We should store that strength and come bring our assistance to our country”, says Marie.
Months later, in August 2015, Mary was in Armenia. She was setting foot in her historical homeland with the immensely pleasant load of love, homesickness and the desire to be helpful in one way or another.
“I got off the plane and kissed the soil. I got off and did not know what to do, but quickly I noticed that we are all the same, and my loneliness vanished”, remembers this woman who lives in Armenia.
Marie, who is in love with her home country, shared that love with her children and her husband; she infected them with Armenia, so the children, who do not speak Armenian, do not feel strangers on this soil at all.
“The Magic Armenians” initiative by Marie and her family has reached Armenia and targeted Yerevan, Sevan and Hrazdan. Marie, who speaks seven languages, manages to teach accelerated language courses, performs psychological work with the parents of children with special needs who attend the rehabilitation center of the organization “Support for Children” in Hrazdan. She also temporarily took over the financial issues of the rehabilitation center. Along with all of this, she brings joy to the children of needy and vulnerable families with charitable programs. Marie’s children too have learned the lessons of charity: they give moments of joy to their peers with the money foreseen for their birthdays, as it happened in Sevan on the eve of September 1st.
Marie deems the deeds of her children natural and says, “I have engaged my four children in my activities: I know that one day they will do all of this better than me”.
Marie who has seen her home country with her own eyes, who has felt Armenia with her heart and who has loved her with her soul, who lives in Armenia and draws strength from Armenia, is now considering a new decision – to move to Armenia.
She knows it is not going to be easy; moreover, she has all the difficulties in view. She would exchange her comfortable life in Luxembourg for the not-so-soft life in Armenia, leaving behind a profitable job and good living conditions.
“I want to bring hope and joy to people. This revolution helped with new thoughts being generated, the homeland becoming twice as attractive, and the trust in the future to grow. Each one of us must give a hand to Armenia to the best of our abilities – spiritually, physically and financially, and with new thoughts and ideas. We are lucky to have experienced and enjoyed this historical moment”, notes Marie.
Marie’s inspiration and optimism are inexhaustible: through her benevolent projects she shares these handful by handful with socially vulnerable families and large families with many children, to people who need her assistance.
The desire to have a home of her own has become a reality, which is yet another reason for staying in this country.
Now Marie divides her life into two periods: before 2015 and after 2015. What she has found after 2015 is invaluable: she does not want to lose it regardless of the expected difficulties.
“My children know well that this is ours, and, despite language barriers, they should love and learn what is ours. I think that we will succeed in everything, and every question will be answered. Everything needs to be done now and at this moment. I have reached here from distant shores and I know that my home country needs me, and I need her. My husband who came to love this country through me, understands and accepts this too”, adds Marie.
Everything takes time. People who intend to move to the homeland are aware of this, and they are trying to hasten their homecoming by making frequent visits.
Marie will return in October; she will return with new projects. She misses Armenia even before she has left her. This homesickness is the biggest answer to everything; it is this homesickness that will bring many Armenians to Armenia, with the expectation of living here forever and with the greatest trust.
Original Article published in Armenian
A. GHUKASYAN
Translated from Armenian by Shushanik A. Avagyan