A year in Armenia: Nora's story of volunteering and experiencing the country as it is

It is common for German school graduates to take a year off for volunteering before continuing with higher education, unlike the usual rush in Armenia. Some graduates decide to travel abroad for a completely new and fulfilling adult life experience during their gap year, and there are various NGOs worldwide assisting them in that journey.

I met 19-year-old Nora Kaufmann from Germany in the English Park of Yerevan. She found time for our conversation during her brief gap between volunteering at a kindergarten and attending a class on Armenian national dances. The latter was pleasantly surprising, but before we dive into that, let us get to know her.

Nora Kaufmann is from Potsdam, but until she was three years old, she lived in Georgia. For her voluntary year, she wanted to travel to the Caucasus. Since she was already familiar with Georgia, Armenia seemed like a good choice for new explorations.

Nora chose the youth exchange program suggested by the European Solidarity Corps and headed to Armenia in August 2023.

“I did not know much about Armenia, so I came with no expectations. This helped me to get to know the country as it is - without judging,” Nora recalls.

Over the past year, she has volunteered in three different places, gaining diverse experiences.

“For the first month, I worked in a child support center and then continued my volunteering at Yerevan’s Botanical Garden for three months. Since January, I've been working in the kindergarten, so I've had quite a lot of different experiences,” says Nora.

The most challenging period for her was the beginning, as she did not know the language. However, she managed to learn the Armenian alphabet and worked on her spoken language over the months.

“At the kindergarten, I work from 10 am to 5 pm, so it is really exhausting. I have many different tasks while working with little children. I also give them English lessons, and on the other hand, they teach me some Armenian,” says Nora.

Nora lives in a large international dormitory, where many other young volunteers from around the world gather. Her first impression of Armenia is still fresh and bright in her mind.

“Driving through the city from Zvartnots Airport at night was incredibly beautiful. We went by the Cascade, Republic Square, all the important places of the city, and even though I was tired, I was super amazed,” Nora recalls.

One of the things she liked about Armenia was how open and friendly the people are.

“I don't know what you've heard about Germany, but people there are more closed, not as open as here. In Armenia, I really liked how, for example, on the bus, people just talk to each other, take the bags of others, or even take someone else’s child to sit on their knees. It really feels like a community, and that was really beautiful for me,” says Nora.

During her year in Armenia, she managed to travel to different cities, including Dilijan, Gyumri, Goris, and even Meghri. If asked in the future what kind of country Armenia is, Nora would definitely talk about the beautiful landscapes she enjoyed during hiking, local cuisine, and national dances.

“I already have a plan: when I come home, I will start giving Armenian dance classes, dance with my friends, and cook Armenian dishes to show them the culture,” says Nora, which makes me wonder about her interest in Armenian dances and local cuisine.

“Once, I saw open dance classes at the Cascade, joined the circle of dancers and after started to attend.” She refers to the Armenian national dance classes organized by the local “Karin” folk dance and song group, held on the last Friday of every month and open to everyone.

“The dances are one of my favorite things here. I loved them so much. I think this also shows the sense of togetherness and being part of such a big community,” says Nora. Now she attends regular dance classes where she dances with her Armenian friends.

As for Armenian cuisine, after trying some local food, Nora started to cook them herself.

“I have tried making “Zhingyalov hats”, “Pasuts tolma”, and more. We have an old Armenian neighbor who tried the “Pasuc tolma” I made and said it tasted like his grandma’s,” Nora notes about her dish receiving the highest possible compliment from a local.

Nora believes that experiences abroad help people go outside of their bubble. From this scope, Armenia also did a great job not only by being beautiful but simply being different.

“In Germany, we don't really have this culture of national dances, even though we do have folk dances. But those dances are often connected to right-wing thinking, being very patriotic or even nationalist. So I see that in a more negative way. There is often a fine line between living culture, being proud of culture, being proud of one's country, and putting one's country above others. After spending almost a year here, I understand much differently how a deep trauma can shape a society for generations, how the constant threat keeps the trauma coming back.” says Nora.

Sometimes locals address Nora as just a tourist, but they usually get her reply in Armenian that she actually lives here.

“After my reply, people would usually ask me to come to their house and have dinner with them. This culture was not surprising to me because, as I have already said, I was familiar with Caucasian hospitality through Georgia. However, this is still something I really want to preserve and take with me to Germany. In Germany, we can be super warm with people we know, but we are usually careful with strangers. I really want to bring it to Germany just by inviting people and saying: ‘Hey, come and have dinner with us or at least drink a coffee,’” says Nora.

Of course, not everything is perfect in Armenia. Nora observed discrimination against women and experienced it herself in various ways.

Nora’s gap year is ending soon, and she will go back to Germany after a week. However, she has not yet decided what kind of future she will choose for herself, so she might take one more year for an internship and traveling. But it is certain that Armenia played its humble role in shaping her outlook.

“This year in Armenia helped me to become more open, approach people more easily, and be more receptive to new experiences,” says Nora.

A lot of Armenians were thanking Nora after learning that she is a volunteer. But Nora thinks she has so much more to be thankful for.

“That is the biggest feeling I go home with - just being grateful for all the experiences I could have. Thank you, Armenia,” Nora concludes.

Gaiane Yenokian

Photos by Agape Grigoryan