A message from the Melkonians

Melkonian Children’s Fund - News Letter December 2011

Registered in England and Wales / Charity No. 1134006 Email: info@melkonian-foundation.org.uk

www.melkonian-foundation.org.uk

Part of the

Melkonian Foundation

Dear Friends,

Again, it’s that time of the year when orphan children think about their parents they never knew. Through windows of houses, through glowing shop windows… they see sparkling lights heralding the coming of the festive season, the approaching New Year.

(Left, a photo by Vartan Melkonian, Lebanon, November 2011: a 12 year old boy sitting alone on a mountain road selling oranges)

I’m sure you would agree with me that one of the saddest moments must be when we witness an orphan child weeping silently in some corner of an alleyway for a reason he or she cannot understand.

My father, Vartan Melkonian, was brought up at the Bird’s Nest Orphanage, and as most of you know, he is now a conductor of classical music. Recently he was appointed the Patron of Consortium for Street Children of UK (the other Patron is Sir John Major, the former British Prime Minister) and its Ambassador to the United Nations. On 2^ndNovember 2011, he addressed the UN in Geneva, speaking about the global issues surrounding Street Children.

“I want to tell you something about the sunset,” he said when he was telling his story to the assembly at the UN. “Normal people take moments of pleasure from looking at the sun setting in the sea, whereas for me – and street children – one of the cruellest, cruellest times of the day is the time of sunset. When I finished my survival day on the streets of the city… we had no home to go to. We had no soft pillows to rest our little heads upon.” [See the report on UN’s website by clicking this link:

http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/Forchildrenonthestreetsarenosoftpillows.aspx]

(A video clip of his speech will be posted on UN’s website in January 2012.)

I felt I should share this news with you on behalf of the Melkonian Children’s Fund. I am happy about my father being given these honours which enables him to continue “…to speak up for children who cannot speak for themselves” – as he quoted at the end of his speech.

Now the time to celebrate the passing of the old year and the coming of the new is fast approaching, and on this season of good will, I wish you good health, peace, love and joy, and thank you again for your continued support on behalf of all of us.

Should you wish to contribute a donation, you can either donate on line by clicking this link:

http://www.melkonian-foundation.org.uk/SecureOnlineDonationSystem.htm

or sign up for a standing order by clicking this link:

http://www.melkonian-foundation.org.uk/standing%20order.pdf

With best wishes,

Richard Melkonian