Struggle for survival: large family gets by on $185 a month
Artashes Boshyan and his wife Aida are trying to raise their five young children in the village of Shnogh in Lori marz (province).
Neither parent works. The family makes due on the monthly 50,000 AMD assistance allowance given by the state and the 23,000 pension that Artashes' mother receives.
One of their children, 5 year-old Gor, doesn't speak. The family hasn't been financially able to take him for a medical exam.
Recently, Artashes got in trouble with the police over an incident involving a neighbor's cow in his care. Artashes had taken his neighbor's herd out to graze and noticed that a heifer was sick. He told the neighbour who refused to believe him. Later they found the cow dead under a tree.
The neighbour demanded a new cow or 110,000 AMD and went to the police.
Artashes' mother Marous went to the village mayor for help in the matter. Marous claims that he told her not to worry.
Nevertheless, Artashes says he feared what the cops might do and sold his only cow to pay off his neighbour. Marous immediately went back to see the mayor. This time, she says he told here, "Well, that's the only way the matter could have been resolved."
For more details, read here
