On the way to Artsakh I stopped in my grandmother’s village of Karashen to meet the Armenian Eyecare Project who was implementing my “sponsor a village” sponsorship of Karashen and Khndzoresk, two villages where my grandparents are from. The AECP was performing eye exams and screenings for three days in those villages and at that point screened about 200 people. I met the organization staff and villagers in a run down municipality building and was introduced to a group of elderly waiting in line to be screened. They asked me who were my grandparents and I happened to have my great grandparents’ photo in my phone. Shockingly the women in the waiting room recognized them immediately and said “they moved to Baku.” It floored me that they remembered from 70-80 years ago and probably played with or knew my grandmother. I couldn’t help but be teary eyed and feel so much more connected to the region.
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