For Immediate Release
June 9, 2006

NAGORNO-KARABAKH’S NOR-GETASHEN VILLAGE

A successful example of Armenia Fund USA’s mission

NEW YORK, New York – From its beginning, Armenia Fund USA (the Fund) embraced within its mission the goal to go “beyond bricks and mortar”. An example of that is the continuing community development of the village of Nor-Getashen since Armenia Fund USA’s donor Mr. Norman Miller, 92, of Pennsylvania brought clean drinking water (2005) to a tiny, war-ravaged community of Nagorno-Karabakh. Accompanied by his son, Mr. Miller traveled to Nor-Getashen to personally see the changes made through the water project. He was touched to meet the families of Nor-Getashen who now had clean running water in their homes. Moved by the impact clean drinking water had made on the daily lives of the people of Nor-Getashen, Mr. Miller pledged to support the expansion of the project to include two other communities of the village.

A little boy playing with water in Nor-Getashen

More than this, living through his visit to Nor-Getashen, Mr. Miller decided to share the spirit of Christmas (2005) with them by sending gifts to the village’s school children. A TV and a DVD player were delivered to Nor-Getashen school. Also, “Superbook” DVDs and toys were kindly donated by Christian Broadcasting Network, a Virginia based non-profit organization and one of the largest television ministries in the world. The tapes, which have been widely televised on Armenian TV, and are quite popular among children, have now been made available in this tiny remote village in mountainous Karabakh.

In May 2006, while completing their visit to Hayastan Himnadram’s affiliates meeting in Yerevan, Kevork Toroyan, Chairman, and Irina Lazarian, Executive Director, also traveled to Nor-Getashen to review the progress of the water project that is due to be completed by the end of June, 2006. They were able to see the overall economic impact that small changes and improvements had on families’ lives. What impressed them most, however, was the well-maintained, clean and neat classrooms of the village’s only school which has no more than 72 school children. In this small village that has suffered greatly from the 1991 war between disputing countries Armenia and Azerbaijan, representatives of Armenia Fund USA could see hopeful faces that are now filled with optimism for the future. “We saw lively faces of children, energy, willingness and vigor of villagers to tackle daily problems, and most importantly, how a small socio-economic improvement in this tiny community can be an incentive to move forward.” says Ms. Lazarian, Executive Director of the Fund. Nor-Getashen families once again thanked the Fund for giving them “the confidence and feeling” that they are not alone in their social struggle to make life better in Nagorno-Karabakh. The project in Nor-Getashen shows how small scale development projects can successfully mobilize communities.

Schoolchildren in Nor-Getashen village

Apart from undertaking large-scale development projects defined in its mission, the Fund has also helped facilitate smaller much-needed projects that some of its donors have envisioned. In their continuing commitment to effect social change, several have, over years, adopted specific projects building on the continuity and sustainability desired by the Fund in every step of the way. Armenia Fund USA’s restoration of the heating system in Nork through the generosity of Mr. Agop Giritliyan (2005) and the water-project of Mr. Vasken Kassabian (2004) are examples of such initiatives.

Armenia Fund USA works closely with like minded organizations to deliver the necessary technical intervention to Armenia and Karabakh. Through the generous support of its donors, it continues touching lives of thousands of people giving them hope that change and improvement can, in fact, reach them. The emphasis on the maintenance of projects the Fund sponsors, the multifaceted support to ensure the long-term sustainability of initiatives, as well as thorough follow-up on the work completed, clearly confirm Armenia Fund USA’s pledge to go “beyond bricks and mortar”.

ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: ARMENIA FUND USA, founded in 1992, was the first of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 18 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 18 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.