In one of Gyumri’s
playgrounds the garbage took the unhappy smiley face till the children removed it,
and with planting flowers transformed it into a happy smiley face.

This was the plot of an
environmental commercial, created by children from15 to17 years old, who take photography
classes at the Center for Development “Moush” NGO. The commercial draws
attention to the recycling problem in Gyumri. The environmental commercial was
first presented in Yerevan on July 13^th at a photo exhibition, which
was arranged within the frames of the project “Grassroots Voice for Human
Rights Mobilization”.

The photography group operates
with the support of the area development program of Gyumri of the international
benevolent organization “World Vision Armenia”. As the head of “Grassroots
Voice for Human Rights Mobilization” project Tamara Barbakadze told www.hra.am, the children always
arrange photo exhibitions in Gyumri, but this one was different, as it was
organized in Yerevan, and then the children introduced their first
environmental commercial.

“The yard which was
shot in the commercial is one of the few in our city that has a playground, and
where not all the children can enjoy their rest and games. We shot the video on
this very subject to urge everybody to protect what they have,” says 17-year-old
Rima Nazarethyan, one of the authors of the commercial.

One of the co-authors,
17-year-old Gohar Hakobyan added that everybody should be able to make the
world around them better, as it is said at the end of the commercial “Our yard
is our face”.

Mainly the children
were suggesting the local self-governing authorities and the Government of Armenia
to be involved in environment preservation programs.

An exhibition was also
organized with the headlines of ; “The Army of Armenia”, “The World From Our
Point of View”, “Our Churches and Our religious Holidays”, “Let’s Celebrate the
Independence Day Together”, “Paying Respect to The Victims of Genocide”.

The head of the
photography courses Artashes Hakobyan thinks that during 7 years the group has
developed. Children learn to shoot and gain theoretical and computer
experience, which is necessary for future photographers.

17-year-old Tatyana
Hakobyan mentions that taking photography courses was very useful: every move
in the air now is a perfect shot for her. Though, she wants to become a
psychologist, she knows for certain that she’ll continue photographing.

”Grassroots Voice for Human Rights Mobilization”
project is being implemented by World Vision Armenia organization in
cooperation with Civil Society Institute and Armenia’s Helsinki Committee NGOs.