YEREVAN. – 13-year-old Maryam Melikyan wakes up early in the morning to help her elder sisters. She would better go to school instead.

“We were impatiently waiting for September 1, but the day before we learned we will not go to school. They showed people on TV, they were buying clothes. We asked dad whether we will buy clothes too, but he said we did not have money,” Maryam told the Armenian News-NEWS.am correspondent.

Maryam was not the only one to feel sad in this family of 13 children living in Aygevan. Anna, one of six school-age children of the Melkonyans, was sad not to go to school because it was her first school year.

The parents managed to get only 60,000 drams (around $123), but it was not enough for six children, their mother Anzhela said.

The only hope is their son who is serving in the army. The family is looking forward to his return as he would be able to help the father. Unfortunately, he would not be able to continue his education.

“He was dreaming about becoming a school teacher, but now he says he has to work to help the family,” Anzhela added.

Martik, a father of 13, has a third-degree of disability and is engaged in agriculture. The family lives thanks to the benefits and help of kind people. However, Martik is confident that having a big family is not only about problems. It is his wealth and he feels it when they all gather near the table.

Photo by Arsen Sargsyan/NEWS.am