Eleven of the 13 homeless families in Gymri will have apartment, pledges have been made to buy the remaining two. The fund-raising campaign still continues and will be wrapped up on March 20 with a charity auction at Northern Avenue in Yerevan, acompanied by a gala concert, member of the SOS Gyumri initiative Maxim Sargsyan told reporters today.
Among the interesting items are a jersey signed by Real Mardid players, a Barcelona flag signed by Lionel Messi and 10 other Barca stars, the jerseys of Henrikk Mkhitaryan and Yura Movsisyan, outfits of Arsen and Levon Julfalakyan, a ball signed by players of legendary Ararat-73, and others.
The issue of housing for vulnerable Gymri families united scores of people both in Armenia and abroad. Photographer Hayk Barseghyan created a photo story three years ago to draw attention to the issue. Photos were featured in the National Geographic. The photo story marked the launch of a new initiative, which caught the attention of world media. Al Jazeera prepared a 40-minute film, while the BBC crew is expected to arrive in Armenia in April.
