Rebuilding a Vision

Hrant Guzelian had a vision in 1962 to gather and educate orphaned Armenian children who, forcibly separated from their cultural roots and Christian heritage, were being assimilated into foreign culture and faith. Today, the Armenian Missionary Association of America strives to revitalize this vision by helping to restore and rebuild Camp ARMEN, located in the Tuzla district outside Istanbul. In this way we will honor Hrant’s legacy and continue the impact he had on raising resilient generations of Armenian children and youth.

“What can I do? What contribution can I make to be of help to the remnant of my nation?”

Hrant Guzelian

Our goal is to raise $2.5 million to make the new Camp ARMEN the first and only Camp in Turkey to function as a state-of-the-art center serving the Armenian Evangelical, Catholic and Apostolic communities throughout the year, providing critical social, cultural, and religious development activities for Armenian youth, led by staff and trained volunteers.

Birth of Camp ARMEN

Guzelian, a fearless hero who searched for and rescued hundreds of Armenian children left without family, identity, church or schools in the decades following the Armenian Genocide in 1915, first opened The Youth Home of Istanbul to provide them with shelter and love, and to teach them how to honor and maintain their Christian faith and Armenian heritage.

In 1957 when the Youth Home had five boys and the following year ten, “One of the trustees yelled angrily: “Ten; you’re not going to make it eleven!” When the occasion arose to admit more children, Guzelian’s troubles were answered in a letter from AMAA Executive Secretary Rev. Puzant Kalfayan, “Hrant, dear, don’t listen to others; raise the number of boys to thirty this year, we are thinking of one hundred, I have secured everything.”

Guzelian’s work left a lasting impression on the youth he took under his wing.

Rebuilding for the Future

The benefits of a Christian camp for children and youth are well known. In addition to forming lifelong friendships, utilizing teamwork concepts, developing new interests and talents, the encouragement of spiritual development is key in affording these children the opportunity to connect with their faith and culture and also learn how to put their faith into action. The Camp will serve all school-age Armenian youth and support their development in “social, cultural and academic” fields by taking an active role in different activities through close contact with Armenian Schools in Istanbul.

The AMAA encourages everyone who believes in the vision of Hrant Guzelian to participate and become a part of this unique time of rebuilding Camp ARMEN.

Rebuilding the Dream

Rebuilding will include:

• Children’s dormitory accommodating 100 children
• Teachers’ dormitories
• Music, art and handicraft workshop studios
• Exhibition venues
• 200-person auditorium
• Multi-purpose rooms
• Computer-aided project development workshop studios
• Administrative units

Keeping the Torch Burning

Camp ARMEN will be rebuilt to once again embrace Armenian children living in Turkey and connect them to their heritage, faith and inspire them to make a difference in the world around them.

Since its founding, The Youth Home/Camp ARMEN and Guzelian’s work has been generously supported by the AMAA.

Please partner with the AMAA to help create a welcoming Home for Armenian children living in Turkey to perpetuate their cultural and spiritual identity and keep the torch burning.

“Under the leadership of Hrant Guzelian, Camp ARMEN was indeed a blessing to a multitude of Armenian youngsters from the plains of Anatolia, including Hrant Dink and his wife Rakel. We hope and pray that the reborn Camp will continue to be a blessing to a new wave of Armenian youth from all corners, not excluding Anatolia.” Zaven Khanjian, AMAA Executive Director/CEO

WHAT WILL IT TAKE?
$2.5 MILLION GOAL

Please consider a gift to help rebuild Camp ARMEN!

Together we can revive the spirit and joy of giving thousands of youth a path forward to a truly changed life.