More people than ever are currently on the run. The reasons for this are many and varied – ranging from loss of livelihood, political and religious persecution, and social marginalisation to gender-based or ethnic discrimination. According to the latest estimates from the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), over 122 million people had been forcibly displaced by the end of April 2025: In 2024, according to the recently published UNHCR Global Trends Report, the record number of 123 million refugees was even reached.
A particularly high proportion of those affected are internally displaced persons (IDPs) – individuals forced to flee within their own country. They now account for 60 per cent of the global displaced population, making them the majority among all those forced to leave their homes.
Adult education centres worldwide are working diligently to support those affected. To mark World Refugee Day on 20 June, Anush Aleqsanyan, who fled from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia, shares her story – and how access to education has helped her to build a new life.
Anush is a young mother and widow from Artsakh, also known as Nagorno-Karabakh, a disputed territory between Armenia and Azerbaijan following the collapse of the USSR. From the 1990s until 2020, it was under Armenian control and had declared independence as the Republic of Artsakh, though this was not recognised by the international community. Following military action in 2020 and 2023, Azerbaijan reclaimed the territory, forcing over 100,000 ethnic Armenians – its entire population – to flee to Armenia.
Anush is a beneficiary of the Martuni Women’s Community Council, which runs the Adult Learning and Education Centre “Educational Palette” with the support of DVV International in Armenia.
The interview was recorded by Hasmik Petrossyan, the centre's coordinator.
Why did you have to leave your home?
Actually, I had to leave my home not once, but twice ․․․ In September 2020 when Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, I had to leave my home because of the military action. My husband took me and my two underage children to Armenia, to the town of Martuni. He himself went back to fight for our homeland and was killed on 4 November 2020 while defending the town of Shushi. Back then, I lost my husband, but not my hope of returning home, to Artsakh. In 2022, my family was given an apartment in Artsakh (as the widow of a soldier killed in action). I felt happy that my children could live on the land that had been secured at the cost of their father’s life, so I decided to take them back. However, in 2023, I lost everything. Not only did I lose Artsakh, but also all my hopes for the future. Like everyone else, I was also forced to leave. I left Artsakh for Armenia.
You arrived in Martuni again in September 2023. How has your life developed here?
On 28 September 2023, I moved to Martuni for good and decided to live here permanently. I was feeling really miserable, everything was so gloomy – the loss of my husband, our homeland, our second home in Artsakh, our jobs – everything. We changed our habitat and were far from our friends and keen. Both my children and I found it hard to adapt to the new place. I had no job, I did not know how I was going to survive, where to look for support and help. It was then that I received initial socio-psychological support at the centre here. They later suggested that I attend their courses.
How did the adult education centre Educational Palette and its offers help you settle in your new environment?
In 2021, I started taking nail art classes at the centre. This was very helpful as I was learning a new profession, meeting with new people, also getting to know the new environment better and finally feeling some rays of hope. Thanks to those classes, I am currently working as a nail artist and I am able to provide for my children. In 2024, I enrolled in make-up courses and learnt that new skill too. The centre has played an important role in our integration into this new community. They have different programmes that help us feel more welcome here, help us become full members of the community, avoid any conflicts between the locals and us, and also exchange our cultures. One such event was Artsakh Fest, where we shared our cuisine, our customs and songs with the locals. The centre also takes us to different historic and cultural sites around Armenia. In short, they do everything to make us feel at home here.
What are your hopes for the future?
My only hope is for peace. Here, they support us in every way. All we need is peace so that we can work and take care of our children.