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August 12, 2010

WHO WE ARE

Our organization is named “Nor Luyce”,  an Armenian phrase which translates literally as “new light”  but has connotations of   a new beginning  an appropriate name, we think, for an organization that is dedicated to improving the future of children. Nor Luyce was established by an retired professor and his businessman son who are, respectively, the son and grandson of 1920 immigrants from Turkey to the United States. READ MORE >>>


OUR PURPOSE

Our purpose is to help orphaned children in Gyumri, Armenia, by providing them mentoring relationships with professional adults. These mutually satisfying and developmental relationships mean many things which are discussed below, but at its’ core, it is as simple as spending a few hours every month sharing feelings, thoughts and ideas.

Many studies show that children who have role models are more likely to improve in school and in their relationships. These benefits translate into a more confident child who is better prepared to transition into to independent adulthood.

WHAT WE DO

We recruit and train adults and match them with orphaned children living in orphanages.  We cooperate  with  orphanages that  see mentoring as especially important for their children’s’ development into responsible and self-sufficient adults.  The adults who volunteer to spend time with children are called mentors.  The word “mentor” comes from the epic  poem “The Odyssey.”  ”Mentor” was the name of a family friend of Odysseus, to whom he entrusted the care of his young son when he left to fight in the Trojan War.

Children must cope with many personal and social pressures even in the protected environment of the orphanage.  This isolation limits them in developing the social and practical skills necessary to prosper after they leave the orphanage. A close relationship with an adult mentor helps to guide them  away from negative behavors to those which will give them life experiences outside the orphanage which are necessary for the development of their self-sufficiency.   Emotional support  from a mentor  is the first fundamental step in providing the children with the positive experiences  and skills which will help them to become self-sufficient adults.

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