Reporter Lilit Harutyunyan came up with a unique initiative. She creates jewelry using fruits and vegetables, and she uses her profits to purchase Christmas presents for children from Artsakh who lost their homes and childhoods.
Lilit thought of the name “HayaMADE” for her eco-jewelry, which is a combination of both Armenian and English. Lilit said that it is possible to also say “pro-Armenian jewelry.” We spoke to Lilit as part of Aravot Daily’s Femini series. Our colleague said that she came up with this idea a long time ago.
“I started making this type of jewelry for myself a long time ago. People from my workplace and elsewhere would often ask how I made it. I didn’t polish them in the beginning. I used two of my pieces for over six years. They were earrings. Then, I decided that it would be possible to start a business one day, but I never initiated anything in that direction. When the war started, everyone started to gather money to help people from Artsakh. We understood that many children suddenly were in bad situations. I volunteered to teach Armenian literature courses in bunkers. Then, I decided to do something good for the children. I often gave them books. I thought that it would be nice to do something special for them for Christmas. The people who organized the bunkers found sponsors, and I thought that since these children already have help, it would be a good idea to find other families who are in difficult situations. Now, I found a family from Martakert where there are ten children, and the wife lost her husband. I was very upset when I heard that family’s story. So, that is how I decided to help. When I was thinking about how I could collect money, I thought of this idea again. In the beginning, I doubted that I would be able to do anything, but then I decided to try it out anyways,” Lilit said.
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“I am currently making earrings using fruits and vegetables. I add beads to the earrings and polish them so that they will stay strong and not break,” she said, happy about the idea that she will be able to help people.
She is currently on vacation and she is working on her orders. She said that her house seems to be like a small factory. There are dried fruits, vegetables, and herbs everywhere, including grapefruits, oranges, lemons, apples, bananas, tomatoes, cucumbers, cinnamon, and strawberries. “I will be taking presents to children on New Year’s Eve. I am looking for friends who have the opportunity to help these families. At the moment, there are three families.”
Lilit Harutyunyan added that she is also trying to make the gift wrapping interesting. She hopes that she will be able to turn HayaMADE into a serious business someday.
Gohar Hakobyan
