Germany is a popular destination for Armenians not only for its rich history, sightseeing, and high quality of life but also for its healthcare system. After receiving distressing news from doctors, a dilemma arises: should one start the treatment in Armenia or trust the foreign doctors in Germany? Either way, Armenians, who live from paycheck to paycheck, have an additional worry - how to finance the treatment. Across Armenian Facebook, there are numerous posts asking for donations and seeking to save lives. 

Lilith Kocharyan is one of the proactive individuals aiding those in need of treatment. After completing her education in Armenia, Lilith pursued further studies in the United States. She continued her education at Humboldt University in Berlin, where she has resided for 19 years. Together with her full-time job, Lilith tries to support Armenians and Armenia.

The Bridge Between Germany and Armenia

Everything started on Livejournal, where a group of Armenians had their microblogs and were raising the current problems. Among those issues were the stories of those Armenians who were fighting life-threatening diseases and needed financial support to move to Germany and receive treatment. That is how Lilith and her “blogger” friends started the first fundraisers. “I was making inquiries, trying to find places in hospitals and deal with bureaucracy. Through this experience, I learned how to deal with these problems and to solve them,” Lilith remembers, noting that at first, they were collecting the money directly into the patients’ accounts - a solution that later proved to malfunction.

Unfortunately, this first group of “Good Samaritans” encountered people who exploited their trust. Lilith highlights a poignant case involving a child diagnosed with an untreatable form of cancer. The child’s parents disregarded the recommendations against seeking treatment in Germany and then diverted the donated funds for their personal needs, leaving Lilith with a 30.000 euro check. This incident disappointed the group and led to its dissolution. That is when Lilith came up with the idea of opening an organization and receiving donations on the accounts of the organization, thus controlling their purposeful use. And in 2014, Lilith established the “Kamurdsch-Brücke” (Bridge) association. 

Her drive to assist others stems from a personal tragedy intertwined with her encounter with cancer. “When I was 17 years old, I lost my first love to cancer. It was unexpected, shocking, and deeply traumatic. And now, when I look back, the majority of the patients that I helped were fighting cancer,” Lilith explains, saying that the majority of the individuals she aided were battling cancer. She believes that experiencing cancer firsthand can motivate people to support others fighting diseases. “Helping others becomes a way to heal my trauma. My motivation has always been my loss, which has impacted me heavily. It was preventable; he could have been treated. I couldn’t do that for him; instead, I’m helping others.” 

To establish an association in Germany, Lilith was required to find at least seven members. It took her ten months to find trustworthy individuals, mainly Armenians and Germans, who have some connections to Armenia. In the first years, they were helping Armenians seeking treatment in Germany. However, over time, realization dawned upon them. “We were raising, on average, 50.000 euros per patient. It struck us that if we invested that amount into the Armenian healthcare system, the impact could be more significant,” Lilith says. This realization made them shift their approach. They decided to bring patients to Germany only when there was an urgent need. “In Armenia, the expenses are ten times lower,” Lilith notes, highlighting the potential for the funds and expertise to remain in Armenia. 

The last person they assisted to move to Germany for treatment was a soldier wounded during the 44-Day War in Nagorno-Karabakh. Lilith recalls that there was no hope for him in Armenia, so they helped him come to Germany. "We assist only the patients in critical situations to come to Germany. And others can receive medical care in Armenia,” Lilith says, underscoring that cancer treatment in Armenia is advanced. And when required, they can always send medications to Armenia. 

They needed a reliable partner in Armenia to make the system fully functional. For that reason, Lilith traveled to Armenia and established the eponymous “Kamurj” foundation, streamlining and enhancing cooperation. Ordinarily, people reach out to Lilith and other team members online, sharing their stories. The team evaluates new cases based on their capacity. That is how the process starts. “I have always had a full-time job. I am also a single mother. I can manage a maximum of 2-3 patients,” Lilith mentions. Each case involves consulting doctors, comprehending the issues, and initiating fundraising efforts. “We gather the necessary funds through donations of 5-100 euros, which is a lengthy process,” Lilith explains. 

Bringing Christmas to Displaced Children

In November 2022, just before the blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, Lilith initiated another project with the purpose of nurturing connections  between Armenian children in Germany and their peers in Nagorno-Karabakh through Christmas gifts. The first year, they decided to send gifts to the students of one of the schools in Hadrut, acknowledging their displacement resulting from the 44-Day War. Additionally, they chose the patients of the Caroline Cox Rehabilitation Center, which provided treatment to people with limited abilities in Nagorno-Karabakh. 

“People in Artsakh [Nagorno-Karabakh] were isolated. They were not letting even diasporans enter Artsakh, as officially Russians [Russian peacekeepers] were not allowing them to enter; in reality, they were contacting Azerbaijanis, and they were making decisions. It was getting harder to enter Artsakh. At that time, we couldn’t even imagine that a blockade could happen,” Lilith recalls. 

The gifts had been gathered and were ready to be sent to Nagorno-Karabakh, but the blockade started on December 12th, 2022. Lilith decided to wait until the situation was clarified. “The gifts remained in Yerevan, awaiting delivery to the children for months,” Lilith recounts. During the siege, the primary focus was on providing mental support to the affected. “Regrettably, during the siege, we couldn’t deliver the gifts,” Lilith mentions, adding that it was only after September 19th, the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh, when people were displaced to Armenia, that they could distribute some gifts.

Amid the difficulties, Lilith is planning to continue the gift-sending experience and a New Year’s celebration for all the patients of the Caroline Cox Rehabilitation Center this year. 

“I’m considering inviting everyone to Vanadzor or Yerevan to create a festive atmosphere. It might deviate slightly from our focus, but I believe it will help these children to distract from their problems and embrace the holiday spirit,” Lilith shares, emphasizing the importance of ensuring the displaced feel supported and not alone. 

While this year doesn’t involve many Armenian children in Germany in this particular initiative, Lilith envisions it evolving into a lasting tradition. She encouraged her son to participate by sending gifts to Armenian children. “Despite having Asperger’s, he prepared gifts for seven children. One of the gifts has reached the recipient, and the child’s mother responded, sharing a video of her child unwrapping the present, expressing how emotionally supportive it was for her child,” Lilith shares. 

Activism Amidst Trauma

Lilith’s involvement extends beyond assisting people in fighting their life-threatening diseases; she is also engaged in politics and organizing demonstrations in Germany’s capital. Armenia’s current circumstances propelled her deeper into activism. “Even though for the last 19 years I have been living in Berlin, I have continued living in the Armenian bubble, as if I partly live in Armenia. While I may not be well-versed in Berlin’s politics, I’m well-informed in Armenian politics,” Lilith says. Before 2020, her activism primarily centered around participating in demonstrations advocating for the recognition of the Armenian Genocide. “But when the war started in 2020, we just turned into  staff; we worked 24/7. We engaged with the media, were involved in lobbying, and were active on social media,” she remembers.

Lilith recalls that during the war in Nagorno-Karabakh, the Armenian community in Germany was united; everyone was willing to help and support Armenia. However, when the war ended, those teams ceased to exist. “Everyone was disappointed; they felt that everything was in vain. That was a trauma for everyone,” Lilith points out. She was involved in a group of fact-checkers who scrutinized social media content potentially containing evidence of war crimes. The process involved watching, identifying, geolocating, and fact-checking material to verify its authenticity. They compiled and categorized the war crimes, creating an archive. Lilith describes the process as a detached routine, almost robotic, devoid of emotions. “I mainly felt nothing as I was working automatically,” she recalls. Lilith continued fact-checking the war crimes for several months after the ceasefire on November 9th. 

The geopolitical situation was developing quickly. The critical topics were changing very fast. Lilith organized demonstrations for different issues: freeing Armenian POWs, attacking the territories of Armenia, and blocking Nagorno-Karabakh. However, many groups didn’t last; only a few attended pro-Armenian demonstrations in Berlin. 

At one point, Lilith noticed that mainly foreigners were attending the events, while some Armenians in Germany criticized her efforts. “They questioned the purpose of demonstrations, saying they held no significance,” Lilith says. Lilith was initially angry with their responses, but she later understood that their skepticism was a result of their traumas. “Their traumas make them inert. Their response to trauma is to freeze. They want to be left alone, as the fight is useless,” Lilith explains. This experience led Lilith to the realization that individuals can only protect the independence of Armenia when they overcome their traumas. “At first, I was upset with them, but after September 19 [the fall of Nagorno-Karabakh], I recognized that when I responded similarly to a trauma.”

After the the 44-Day War, Lilith started cooperating with different groups. She found an ally in a leftist group supporting Ukraine. Joining their events, Lilith used the opportunity to shed light on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh. In return, this group supported her causes and attended her demonstrations. At one point, Lilith realized there was no support from the Armenian side, and mainly foreigners were joining her rallies. 

Lilith recognized the same response to trauma among the Armenians, both in the diaspora and in Armenia itself. She perceives it as a manifestation of collective trauma. Her recent focus revolves around fostering awareness and helping Armenians recognize their mental health challenges. “The events in Artsakh deeply affected not just those directly involved but also individuals like Turkish Armenians, who, despite being disconnected from Armenia, experienced intense emotional pain,” Lilith says, emphasizing that they associate these events with the Armenian Genocide, seeing it as a recurrence of the traumatic events. 

Understanding the significance of addressing mental health issues, members of “Kamurdsch-Brücke” decided to redirect their efforts towards trauma management and raising awareness to help individuals comprehend and navigate their emotional responses. To implement this idea, fundraising is insufficient, as the project targets all Armenians worldwide. The members of “Kamurdsch-Brücke” are developing a new project proposal and seeking additional funding through grants. As the Armenian communities are various and different, they aim for an individualized approach tailored to diverse groups within the global Armenian community.

Even though her demonstrations don’t have an immediate impact, Lilith is not disappointed and believes that through the demonstrations, Armenians can voice their situation and problems. For her, activism is not about immediate results but about persistently voicing the struggles and concerns of Armenians. She believes that in activism, perseverance and patience are key; expecting an instant change is not realistic. “Consistency is vital in our fight,” she asserts, adding that she realizes they have a small team; otherwise, the impact could have been more significant. “I couldn’t just follow the events and do nothing. Now I at least know that I have done my best.” 

Contributed by Ami Chichakyan, Germany.