The Shirak Center, a civic organization focusing on social issues, has been studying the socio-economic situation in and around Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city.

The Center has been focusing on the plight of families, mostly single parent, on the threshold of poverty.

This story deals with one such family they came across living in the neighbourhood of Ani. Gayaneh Gevorgyan, along with her two small children and parents, survive on 16,000 AMD ($40) of social assistance every three months. Gayaneh’s mother works and gets a meager salary as well.

Two years ago the gas company turned off the gas because the family owed 30,000 AMD. The utility even went so far as to remove the gas meter.

Shirak Center staffers say they were struck by the small stature of the kids. They say the likely culprit is malnourishment.

Gayaneh told them that her children are always sick due to a lack of food and that her six year-old boy has contracted some type of spinal illness. The family doesn’t have the funds needed for a medical check-up.