Ariadna is one of the displaced children from Nagorno-Karabakh with speaking challenges, who now also deals with trauma caused by changing the living environment and the long, stressful journey to Armenia.

Like her, many children have found themselves displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh and in need of psychological support. Around 1,000 children have already received vital psychosocial assistance from ASB and its partners. One of these partner organizations is Step Forward, that specializes in supporting children with disabilities. Their center is a hub of activity, at noon, it is filled with children and their parents. Music therapy classes allow children to explore and develop new skills through musical instruments, while other rooms are occupied to reading classes and individualized therapy sessions. Frequent visitor of this center is Ariadna, who is a three-year-old girl with autism, whose mother mentioned that she loves photography and taking photos. 

"I have three children, two of them are on the autism spectrum and have communication difficulties. Ariadna doesn't speak, while Gagik ,8, has developmental delays. We used to take Ariadna to therapy in Artsakh for years, but she never contacted us and didn’t respond to speech. I really don't know what you have done over the past few months, but Ariadna has started communicating, which is a huge achievement, and it's all thanks to you. I am immensely grateful to ASB for this," said Hasmik, a 33-year-old woman from Nagorno-Karabakh.

The project is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).