Armenia's
GENERATIONS IN TRANSITION
WORDS: B.TOLIVER / VISUALS: A.COMPTON
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FINCA INTERNATIONAL
Across Armenia’s sweeping landscapes, rural life has long been rooted in agriculture. For generations, families have relied on the land, but many parents now envision a different future for their children—one beyond farming's uncertainties, in fields like medicine, engineering, or technology. This aspiration for stability and opportunity is reshaping rural communities.
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As Armenia strives to overcome persistent poverty, it balances modern ambitions with its agrarian past. As education takes priority, a question emerges: who will sustain the land when its legacy is left behind?
ABOVE: HAYK, FOLLOWING IN HIS FATHER'S FOOTSTEPS GUIDES CATTLE ACROSS ARMENIA'S HIGHLANDS
ABOVE: GRETA, MOTHER OF KAYK, TAKES A BREAK AFTER FEEDING A LAME CALF.
As rural Armenian families shift their priorities, microfinance is playing a crucial role in helping them invest in their children’s future. While these loans were once used to support agricultural businesses, more families are now using them to fund university education—especially for daughters, an investment that once seemed out of reach. Despite seasonal incomes and unpredictable crop yields, microloans help cover tuition fees, books, and other expenses. This shift in investment reflects a broader change in rural communities, offering young people, especially women, the opportunity to build careers beyond farming and reshape their futures.
ABOVE: GRETA'S GRANDAUGHTER CHECKING THE SCHEDULE OF CLASSES AT YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY.
For families like the Argas, who run a cherry farm, education is not seen as a means of escaping the land but as a tool for offering their children more possibilities. They provide their daughters with the freedom to decide their own paths—whether that involves staying on the farm or exploring other careers. Armine, one of the daughters, explains,
"I am proud to work on the farm, to be part of something my family has built with their hands and hearts. But I also feel a privilege in being able to choose a different path if I want to. To have the opportunity to explore beyond the farm, to create something of my own—this is what my grandparents could not dream of. It feels like I carry both their history and my own future in my hands."
ABOVE: CONTINUING THE CHERRY FARMING LEGACY WAS THE ONLY CHOICE AVAILABLE TO ARGAS.
Rural Armenia faces significant challenges from both climate change and regional conflict, threatening the future of agriculture. Many families still rely on farming for income, but shifting weather patterns—droughts, erratic rainfall, and extreme temperatures—are making traditional practices increasingly unpredictable. This exacerbates economic hardship, disrupts food security, and raises the financial burden on farmers. Vagan, a 74-year-old farmer, reflects on these changes: "The winters are warmer, and the rains come at the wrong times," he says. "We used to know when to plant, but now, the land doesn’t always listen." Vagan’s words capture the lived reality of climate change for rural Armenians.
Armenia’s ongoing tensions with Azerbaijan add another layer of uncertainty, particularly for farmers in border areas. The threat of conflict disrupts both security and local economies, undermining livelihoods and future prospects. Combined with climate change, these pressures highlight the fragility of rural communities. While education offers a path to a better future, these external factors remain significant obstacles.
"I’m preparing for my son to leave for the army," says Liana, a mother of two. "He’s a good student, but he’s still going. That’s how it is here—every young man has to serve."
ABOVE: AGHASI AND HIS SISTER SRBUHI ON THE EDGE OF THEIR FAMILY FARM, ONE MONTH BEFORE HE JOINS THE MILITARY.
Despite the challenges of climate change and conflict, Armenia’s rural families are finding ways to adapt, holding onto their agricultural roots while embracing new opportunities for their children. This resilience is redefining what it means to thrive in these communities, where education is seen not as a departure from tradition but as a way to strengthen it. In the face of uncertainty, the future holds promise: a generation empowered to honor their heritage while building a path forward.
BELOW: A NEW GENERATION INHERITS THE LEGACY AND CHALLENGES OF MODERN ARMENIA.
