The Story and Generations of the Child-Friendly Spaces in Armenia

The 44-day war of 2020 brought pain and uncertainty in Armenia. Goris, located closest to Nagorno-Karabakh, received large numbers of displaced people. Along with the local community we are working to support the children and parents affected by war.

Throughout our work, we witnessed the consequences of the war and other challenges: recreational centres closed due to the pandemic; host families stretched with accommodating larger household; and the anxiety and trauma experienced by adults and its impact on children. Often parents were unable to regulate their emotions or devote time to their children who had been deprived of opportunities to play, learn, and simply feel like children.

Thanks to cooperation with the Goris Municipality, we established Child-Friendly Spaces in the very first days of the war in 2020; these spaces supported both displaced and local children. They promote cognitive, emotional, and social development by providing a safe and caring environment. This work is crucial in communities where opportunities for non-formal education, recreation, and psychosocial support are scarce or sometimes entirely absent, particularly in small towns, rural, or border areas.

Over the years, we have set up such spaces in Goris and Martuni. Our Child-Friendly Spaces have been funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the European Union, UNICEF, Start Network, and our Club of Friends, in cooperation with local communities.

Most of these spaces have hosted local and displaced children for nearly five years. The atmosphere is always warm and inspiring; thus, the centres have become a second home for many of the children. Together with the CFS facilitators, we have developed various tools and educational materials to make sessions more effective and help shape a resilient generation.

Sixteen-year-old Inga was displaced from Kashatagh in 2020 and relocated to Goris. She has attended the centre regularly for nearly five years and has already decided to pursue her education in international relations.

“When I started coming here in 2020, the centre helped me adapt to the new environment and make friends,” says Inga. Her 12-year-old sister, Milena, is also a visitor to the CFS.

Eighteen-year-old twin sisters, Mane and Nare, were also among the first children to attend. Their younger sisters, 16-year-old Rita and 9-year-old Zina, continue to attend today. Although it was the twins’ preference to come to the Child-Friendly Space, they chose different fields of study: Mane is now studying preschool education at Goris State College, while Nare is pursuing fine arts at Goris State University. Despite their busy schedules, they continue to visit the centre regularly—for reading, learning, and helping the younger children.

During the displacement period in 2023, they and other CFS children volunteered at the Goris registration centre, supporting the displaced families and engaging the little ones in our child-friendly corner. Today, these older participants often help the centre’s coordinators, motivate other children, and guide them in the centre’s daily activities.

Child-Friendly Spaces

Date: May 29, 2025   Place: Syunik, Armenia   Author: PIN   

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Since 2020, around 800 children have attended our Child-Friendly Spaces. As of October 2023, the spaces have been co-funded by the European Union and UNICEF; from September 2024 onwards, they will be funded solely by UNICEF. Currently, we operate two CFSs in Goris and one in Verishen, Khndzoresk, and Shurnukh, and an additional centre operates in Martuni, is supported by the Martuni Women’s Community Council.

These centres continue to be a vital lifeline for both displaced and local children, providing educational, social, and emotional support to ensure a more stable and safe childhood in emergencies—and helping to shape a new resilient generation.