“I had a whole collection of COAF camp T-shirts,” Anush Mkrtchyan’s Story

Anush Mkrtchyan, from the village of Shenik in Armenia’s Armavir region, engages herself in countless initiatives—but many still know her as Anush of “Tnashen.”

But let’s go back to the beginning.

In the early 2000s, Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) arrived in Shenik, renovating the village school and launching a range of educational, social, agricultural, and healthcare programs.

“My mom would always send me to school in white socks, and by the time I got home, they’d be completely black. The floors were just dirt, and in winter we heated the classrooms with wood stoves. While COAF was renovating the school, classes were held in the kindergarten building,” Anush recalls, adding that the opening of the renovated school felt like a true celebration for the entire village.

Anush is part of a generation that grew up with COAF. Her journey began with theater and handicrafts clubs, and continued through the student council, career orientation programs, and the English Access program, alongside yearly summer camps.

“I used to have a whole collection of COAF camp T-shirts,” she recalls with a smile.

Later, together with other children in the village, they decided it would be good to create a space of their own—somewhere they could watch films, hold discussions, and gather for fun and learning. That’s how “Tnashen” was born and Anush’s association with it as cofounder.

After graduating from school, Anush became a COAF scholarship recipient, and later a participant in the organization’s incubator program.

Her degree in International Relations in Armenia was just the beginning of her academic journey. Her interest in civil society eventually took her to Poland, where she spent a year at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, conducting research in civic education. Her work included a comparative analysis of civic education programs in Armenia and Poland, incorporating her experience with COAF as well.

In addition to continuing her education, Anush works at the Feminno NGO as a Women and Girls’ Education Program Coordinator, as she places great importance on increasing women’s participation across different sectors of society.

Although she doesn’t get to visit Shenik as often as before, Anush continues to maintain her connection with communities through the European Union’s Young European Ambassadors program, where she serves as a mentor coordinator.

“I help young people get involved in the Young European Ambassadors network and support them in implementing different community initiatives,” she explains—having also found her own way of giving back to her community and to COAF.

“After each program, I try to find opportunities to share my experience and knowledge with current COAF students and young people from different communities. COAF has played a big role in my life—from shaping important personal values to helping me find my professional path. I’m most grateful for how it expanded my worldview and made things that once felt out of reach seem possible.”