For Immediate Release
April 9, 2003

ARMENIA FUND USA ANNOUNCES OROROTZ - CRADLE PROJECT

National initiative to assist 5000 of Armenia's neediest families with theirnewborns.

New York, NY– Armenia Fund USA has launched Ororotz (Cradle), a new initiative aimed at providing Armenia’s neediest families with pediatric care, medical and nutritional supplies, as well as an awareness program to assist newborns in their critical first year of life.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of Social Security, Ministry of Health, and various Armenia-based NGOs, there are currently an estimated 5000 families with children under the age of one, living in conditions of extreme poverty, with little or no access to proper medical care or basics such as proper clothing and supplies.

All babies are entitled to life. But in Armenia’s remote villages and towns, places left behind in the push to renew the Armenian nation, over 5000 of the littlest ones fall behind every year, in the most critical stage of their development. Ororotz is designed to address this: It will help bring infant care in Armenia up to modern standard, encourage proper first-year development, prevent malnutrition, and help keep families together and babies out of orphanages.

Ororotz is essentially an accelerated program focused on promoting healthy childhood development throughout Armenia. It will ensure that Armenia’s most needy babies survive their first year of life and gain a solid foundation. The program includes proper prenatal care for mothers along with child care education in local clinics, hospitals, and community institutions. Families enrolled in the program will receive free inoculations for their babies, four pediatric visits per year, and quarterly deliveries of Ororotz “Survival Kits”. These four Survival Kits are designed for the four maturation stages of the first year. The kits will include essentials from baby powder, vitamins, bed linens and bottles to hygiene products, blankets and baby clothing.

Funding a full year of an infant’s essential needs through 4 quarterly Survival Kits costs $150. $1200 will fund Survival Kits for 8 infants, for one year. The total cost of the Ororotz Project is $860,000 per year and is projected to go on for 5 years.

By giving Armenia’s neediest newborns a strong start in life, the Ororotz project is investing in their potential to teach, build, invent, inspire, heal, transform and lead their nation into a better future.

ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: ARMENIA FUND USA, founded in 1992, was the first of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 19 international affiliates and serves constituents in all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit, non-governmental, nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all Armenian constituents.

Armenia Fund USA is the largest contributor among the 19 international affiliates – supporting strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh, and having helped build 138 miles of roads, 100 miles of waterways, 36 schools, 3 electric transmission networks, 210 residential buildings and 15 healthcare institutions.

Armenia Fund USA’s Mission is the development of strategic socio-economic infrastructure in Armenia and Karabakh, focusing on major projects such as major highways, schools, drinking water to communities and humanitarian programs in education, training and medical facilities. The Fund has adopted a policy to go “Beyond Bricks and Mortar” to provide sustainability for projects it sponsors.

To learn more about Armenia Fund USA, please visit our website at
www.ArmeniaFundUSA.org or call us at 212-689-5307.

Armenia Fund USA
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 301
New York, NY 10038