The partner team

Julia Möckli
Coordinator of the Armenia partnership of Cevi Zürich

In Summer 2007 I made my first contact with Armenia and Armenians during my visit to this fascinating country for almost 4 weeks. I did not only have the chance to be part of the YMCA Spitak's summer camp, but was also able to go sightseeing. During my whole trip, I experienced the kind hospitality of the Armenians.

From 2009 to 2012 I was responsible for the coordination of the Armenia partnership with Cevi Zürich. During that time I welcomed many Armenian friends in Switzerland and also traveled to Armenia for a few times, i.a. as the head of education- and encounter trips.

After three years of voluntary work in the Armenia partner team, I found my way back to Cevi Zürich in 2015. Next to my work as the management assistant, I am also responsible for the coordination of the Armenia partner team. 

Adrian Künsch-Wälchli

Present Co-Executive Director of Cevi Zurich, is the initiator of the partnership between YMCA Spitak and Cevi Zurich. As a young YMCA leader of Zurich Altstetten, Adrian went as a representative of Cevi Zürich to Armenia for the first time in 2001 and since then is, strongly connected to it.

In the years of 2008 to 2010 he realized as the project manager the construction of the "Home for Future" in Spitak. 

Alis Balyan

Although I am Armenian, I got in touch with the YMCA Spitak, at all with Armenia, not until my education- and encounter trips to Armenia in 2007 and 2010, which were organized by Cevi Zürich. After these trips, I wanted more! I spent the whole April 2011 in Spitak. Shortly after, I received an invitation to the next Armenia-partner team meeting. There, I was able to tell about my wonderful experience in Spitak. At this meeting it happened, I decided to join the team. I'm very happy to be part of this team and to have the oppurtunity to be stronger connected to my Armenian roots.

Silja Müller

Together with my YMCA scouts group, I always liked participating in the sponsoring events for YMCA Spitak, such as «Run the Hope» or «Kick for Spitak». However, not until two young leaders from Spitak took part in our summer camp 2011, I only knew little about the partnership between YMCA Spitak and Cevi Zurich. One year later, in summer 2012, I travelled with some other people from my scouts group to Armenia, in order to join a day camp organized by YMCA Spitak.

I wanted to stay in touch with the people I met there and speak up for this project – more often than once a year at the sponsoring football game. So in summer 2014 I gratuaded from my "Gymnasium" and spent Decembre 2014 until January 2015 in Spitak, volunteering in YMCA Spitak.

Alena Ochsner

My name is Alena and I am a member of the Armenia partner team since summer 2015. I grew up in a YMCA and have been part in international projects the last several years. I also had the chance to be part of many European and worldwide YMCA General Assemblies. In summer 2007, I met three Armenians at a ESG (European Scounting and Jungschar Group) seminar in Switzerland. One year later, we organised a ESG leadership training & seminar in Armenia. It was a very interesting, spontanoues and hospitable time with young Armenians from all across the country. After the camp, we traveled around Armenia, visited Spitak, met new friends, ate delicious food and got  to see a lot of old churches and monasteries. I was very impressed by the Armenian's kindness and hospitality.

I am very happy to give something back and be a part of the Armenia partner team. I hope to get the oppurtunity to go back to this wonderful country in the near future.

Katrin Pilling

I am connected to Cevi Zürich since 2006. Shortly after I came from Germany via Russia to Switzerland due to my ethnology studies, I started working as a teacher at the Cevi tuition. Several years later I worked as the coordinator of this tuition program for about 1 ½ years.
Already during my studies, I was particularly interested in the post-Soviet countries, with special emphasis on Russia and Kyrgyzstan, where I have lived for a few months several times before. From 2013 until March 2015 I worked in Cevi Zürich as the coordinator of the Armenian partnership. Since then I am still part of the partner team as a volunteer.

I am working in the public relations of the NGO Surprise in Basel, where I also live.

Amber-Louise Renold

About me: My name is Amber-Louise Renold, I’m 19 years old and a member of the Armenian partnership team since fall 2016. A few might remember my sister Eugénie, who was part of the partner team for a long time.I haven't had much to do with Cevi Zürich before, because on one hand I’m living in the Canton Aargau and on the other hand haven’t I been much interested in scouting when I was a child.

However, I do have a strong connection to Armenia because I’m half Armenian on my mother’s side and I always had a strong bond towards my Armenian roots and identity.
When I visited my home country for the first time on the Armenian education-and encounter trip in June 2016 under the direction of Adrian Künsch-Wälchli, I had a strong feeling  to learn more about this country and to get active in some way. Of course I also wanted to keep in touch with all the wonderful people I met on the trip.
I hope that I can soon go back to Armenia and I’m exited for all the things I will have to deal with in the partnership team.

Tabea Ulrich

My name is Tabea v/o Sores, I am 18 years old and since summer 2014 a  member of the Armenia partner team. I’ve been an active member of Cevi Zürich10 for 12 years and now I am also the head of the department.The last few years, we hosted guests from Armenia in three summer camps, where deep friendships came alive. I went on a two-week trip to Armenia in summer 2014 and came back in big excitement. I joined the Armenian partner team to get more involved in the collaboration with YMCA Spitak and also to be able to maintain my friendships in Spitak. 

Former members 

Christoph Müller

The beginning of my interests in Armenia might have been a single scouting program in Zurich, 2007. Grisha, main leader of scouting-activities of Spitak YMCA, was staying some weeks in our city and joined one day our program. While we were building up a bridge out of ropes, he told us about his country and Spitak YMCA.
This was the reason why I visited, together with nine other members of Cevi Züri 10, his homeland with its friendly people and nice nature in 2008.
Since 2008 I visited Armenia and Spitak YMCA some other times and I’m organizing in Cevi Zürich’s Partnerteam sponsoring events, visit exchanges and other useful activities. Besides my participation in the partnerteam I'm working as a transport planner - and I'm joining the active group of former scout leaders from YMCA Zurich 10.

Daphni Papaschalis

The first time I heard about Armenia was in the year 2011, when two Armenian friends visited us in our Summercamp. They woke my interest for that country and so I travelled to Armenia in the following summer with leaders from our Cevi. There we made a Daycamp and got to know Spitak and the country better. Also after returning home, all my thoughts still were in Armenia. I got so many new experiences and even more friendships, which I wanted to keep. Because of the Armenian-Swiss-Partnership it is possible that I can stay connected with the guys there and also can be committed with the team. Since summer 2012 I am now member of the Partnerteam.
I am a groupleader in the Cevi Züri 10 and I visit the Freievangelische FMS in Zurich which I will finish in 2015.

Eugénie Renold

I, Eugénie Renold, have been member of the partnership of  the Cevi Zürich-YMCA Spitak for a year now. To give you a little impression of myself I write you, dear reader, a few phrases about myself.
I am 23 years old and study publicism at the University of Zürich. In my leisure time I like being creative, as I do paintings, poetry or music. I also like being out with friends. As I have Armenian roots from my mother’s side I enjoy being in the partnership very much. 

Anja Renz

Thomas Rodemeyer

I’ve been related with Cevi Zürich and Spitak YMCA since 2009. In November I did my civilian service in Glockenhof, just after finishing my studies in Sociology. During this time, I got involved in organizing the first container-transport from Zürich to Spitak. Actually, after that, I wanted to find a job and this Armenia shouldnt have played any bigger role in my life anymore. But god’s ways sometimes are different. In April I’ve started a four-month-traineeship in Spitak YMCA. I supported the team to implement new activities wherever I could. My time in Spitak was in every part very enriching. I made lots of relationships,
I could pass some ideas and I’ve learned a lot in this time. Since I’ve come back, I am in the partner-team for it’s a desire to me to support the ingenious work which is done in Spitak as much as possible.