UPDATE: Call to Action: Karabakh Needs Us

In response to the April attack by Azerbaijan, The Armenian International Women’s Association, San Francisco Affiliate (AIWA-SF) launched a call to action to help support the families of the soldiers that were killed. As a result of the effort, AIWA-SF was able to collect $4,000.  This fall, in partnership with The Paros Foundation, AIWA-SF donated the collected funds, to some of the most needy young mothers with children of soldier’s that were killed in Artsakh and/or those who seem to be in the most needy situation. “Most of these families are struggling to make ends meet, especially the widows of soldiers and their children”  said Peter Abajian, Executive of The Paros Foundation.  “Working together, we were successful in providing these young women and their children a little extra support to get them through the winter.”  A total of $500 was delivered to each of five widows of soldiers in Artsakh, and a sixth widow in Vanadzor.  The final $1,000 was used to establish a small agribusiness for a family in a Gugark village near Vanadzor that was also killed in Artsakh.  Each of these seven families had already received $1,000 from The Paros Foundation’s Support our Heroes’ project. “The loss associated with death because of war is unbearable and winter months are particularly difficult. We wanted to be a spark light in the darkness. Helping mother’s and families who are most in need was important to us,” said Christine Soussa, AIWA-SF President.  AIWA-SF will continue to keep its emergency fund dedicated to such crisis active.

To learn more about AIWA, please visit www.aiwainternational.org.  To get involved with the AIWA SF affiliate, please visit www.aiwasanfrancisco.com or send an email to aiwasanfrancisco@gmail.com.