The Pomegranate Tree
Join us in making a difference today for the children at the Bird' Nest Orphanage
Our Mission
The Pomegranate Tree supports Birds' Nest Orphanage in Byblos, Lebanon.
This fundraising initiative is organized by Khloé Kalachian, an Armenian-Lebanese student in Toronto, Canada.
Motivated by her Armenian-Lebanese heritage and firsthand awareness of ongoing humanitarian challenges, Khloé launched this initiative to honour the orphanage that her great-grandfather had inhabited during the Armenian Genocide.
Visit the About Us page to learn more about Khloé and her family's story.
We raise funds for the orphans currently residing in this orphanage and bring awareness to the purpose of this orphanage along with it's importance in the Armenian community.
Our Initiatives
Fundraising
Please donate to our GoFundMe account to help us raise funds for the orphans currently residing in Byblos !
Raising Awareness
This fundraising initiative's mission is to raise awareness to this orphanage which was crucial to the survival of Armenian children during WWI.
Noubar's Story
Noubar's Legacy
Noubar Kelechian was the great-grandfather of Khloé Kalachian. As a young child, he survived the Armenian Genocide (1915–1917), during which the Ottoman Empire systematically deported and killed approximately 1.5 million Armenians.
Noubar lost his family during this tragedy and was left orphaned at a very young age. He was taken in by the Birds' Nest Orphanage in Lebanon, an institution founded to care for Armenian children who had survived the genocide. The orphanage played a crucial role in preserving Armenian identity, language, and Christian faith among displaced youth. Raised within this supportive yet disciplined environment, Noubar received both an education and strong religious guidance, which profoundly shaped his future path. After spending many years in the orphanage, he was reunited with family members.
As a young man, Noubar later joined the Free French Forces in 1942 under the leadership of Charles de Gaulle during World War II. The Free French Forces were composed of soldiers who continued fighting against Nazi Germany after France’s surrender in 1940. After the war, Noubar chose a spiritual path. He moved to Jerusalem and devoted his life to the Church, eventually becoming a priest. In Jerusalem, he dedicated himself to religious service and the Armenian Christian community, continuing a life marked by resilience, faith, and service to others.
Noubar Kelechian’s story is one of survival, faith, and perseverance, spanning the horrors of genocide, the struggle of World War II, and a lifelong commitment to spiritual leadership.