Orphan Life

NER grew from an emergency relief organization into a massive educational system. Its orphanages not only sheltered the children of the Genocide, but also provided them a comprehensive elementary education.

The 132,000 children who grew up with Near East Relief received medical care. Many children suffered from malnutrition, exposure or frostbite. They suffered from at least one contagious disease, such as typhus or tuberculosis. NER also created nurse training schools to meet the demand for medical care.

Feeding NER’s 130,000 orphans was a global feat: freighters brought flour, beans and cans of milk, then rail, truck and even camel hauled them to kitchens that could stretch just $1.95 to feed a child for a month—three hot meals, every single day. At the peak, NER provided 330,000 hot meals daily.

Music was woven into daily life at NER orphanages. Children sang in choirs, played donated instruments, and formed orchestras—including ensembles for blind students. Music brought rhythm, discipline, and joy—and helped restore a sense of normalcy and connection.

Daily “play hours” rang with music and sport: duduks, ouds and donated brass filled orphan-run bands, blind boys’ orchestras played for wards, girls danced Armenian circles, and football or track meets let growing bodies race, jump, and cheer.

NER's vocational training courses reflected local demand and opportunity, offering more than 40 trades. Boys trained as carpenters, cobblers, farmers, mechanics, potters, and silversmiths. Girls learned homemaking skills that could also be used to earn a living, such as dressmaking, weaving, and cooking. NER workshops also helped to make the orphanages largely self-sufficient.