After its establishment last year, the Platfrom for One-Day Armenian Schools in the Netherlands organized an event dedicated to Mother Language Day at the Van School in Naimekhen on February 26. The event was organized for the second time. The platform includes the schools functioning under the Armenian organizations in the Dutch cities of Hertogebos, Mastricht, Assen and Naimekhen. The event was as multifaceted and interesting in content as the sounds of the Mother Language and the particularities of the Armenian language. Each school had put in efforts to help the students sing, dance and recite. As “Hayern Aysor” reports, the opening speech was followed by a speech by Priest of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Almelo, Father Mashtots and a prayer. The performance of the Armenian national anthem was followed by a speech by Advisor to the RA Minister of Diaspora in Holland, President of the Union Coordinating Armenian Organizations Smbat Martirosyan, who also handed diplomas to several educators for their longstanding and patriotic activities and great contributions to the preservation of the Mother Language. President of the “Komitas” Armenian community in Hertogenbos, school principal, Doctor, Professor Matun Elbakyan gave a meaningful lecture on the history of the mother language. The event was attended by Dutch composer Rolf Strafer, who recently visited Armenia, fell in love with the country and the people and decided to learn the Armenian language. He already pronounces many words in Armenian, knows some letters of the Armenian alphabet and continues to enhance his knowledge of the language. The event organized by the Platform ended with a consultation held by teachers and the school’s principals. There were so many issues and things to do that it was decided to convoke another special consultation by the proposal of initiator and president of the Platform, President of the United Armenians in Holland in Naimekhen, Principal of Van School Sveta Abrahamyan. During the consultation, the childrne, parents andguests got acquainted and established new contacts. The event filled the children and students with energy as they wrote their wishes, most significant words and word combinations in Armenian on papers, posted them on the balloons in three colors of the Armenian flag and let them go in the air with the hope that they would reach Armenia and their wishes would come true.

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