Armenia Fund’s 13^th International Telethon Is Here!

On Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 2010, the Telethon will air on all major Armenian-American communities in the U.S. and across the globe.

Water is life…

… and the lack of access to drinking and irrigation water has long been a bane for the rural communities throughout Armenia and Artsakh. On average, each family spends 40% of their daily lives carrying water from a source 2-5 miles away. That water is not always clean - 88% of all diseases are related to tainted drinking water.

Water projects are not new to Armenia Fund: over the past 18 years, the organization has constructed more than 140 miles of water pipelines in more than 80 settlements. Our pilot projects in the Tavush region of Armenia have proven that every $1 invested in improved water access yields an average of $12 in economic returns.

Each and every project we have undertaken has ultimately depended on access to water: imagine trying to build a new school or hospital, expand the agricultural sector, or embark on any long-term reconstruction effort without factoring clean, safe water into the equation. Water infrastructure is vital to effectively address socioeconomic need.

That is why Telethon 2010 has but one purpose: Solve the water supply challenges which continue to plague many rural Armenian communities—once and for all.

We are taking serious steps to fundamentally address this issue with multiple water projects being performed throughout Artsakh in Hadrut, Mardakert, Berdzor, Martuni, and Askeran, the largest of which will be in Togh, Aknaghbyur, Ukhtadzor, and Hartashen.  Between these four communities alone, over 1,550 villagers in 430 households will benefit.

The cumulative effort of this ambitious undertaking in Artsakh will cost $8-9 million to finance. Overall 70,000 people from 200 villages are going to benefit from this initiative.

Problems range from an almost universal lack of purification systems to sub-par conditions of reservoirs and internal distribution network pipelines.  Many of these networks also lack valves to regulate water flow, which means villagers living closer to the source get more water. Village-wide access is often limited to one to two hours per day in which all cooking, washing, and bathing must be performed. Villages located at a higher altitude grapple with freezing pipes while even villages not in mountainous regions are in jeopardy: their pipes are without anti-rusting insulation.

Today, we must spare no effort to bring clean drinking water to Armenia and Karabakh, to revive rural communities and renew local economies.

By supporting Armenia Fund’s Telethon efforts, each and everyone gives a vote of confidence in our collective strength and the future of our nation.

With our long track record of successfully completed large-scare infrastructure initiatives, Armenia Fund brings exceptional enthusiasm and vigor to the pursuit of our shared objective – achieving an economically independent and prosperous Armenia and Artsakh.

Tune into the Telethon to bring water to the thirsty communities
in Karabakh!

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