For Immediate Release
February 01, 2010

ARMENIA FUND IMPLEMENTS DRINKING-WATER PROJECT IN MARTUNI REGION’S SOS VILLAGE

NEW YORK, New York — Armenia Fund continues to make headway in the construction of a drinking-water network in Sos, a village in Artsakh’s Martuni Region, as well as the refurbishment of the community’s broken water reservoir. The project, launched in October 2009, is co-sponsored by the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s French affiliate and the government of Artsakh.

“The well being of the Artsakh population is at the center of our humanitarian action, with special emphasis on children-related and water supply projects,” comments Pierre Terzian, Chairman of Armenia Fund, France.

The construction of the 7.6-kilometer internal water-distribution network has already been completed. The next and final phase of the project, slated to start in February 2010, is the renovation of the main water reservoir and construction of the smaller distribution reservoirs.

“Unfortunately numerous rural communities throughout Artsakh and Armenia still lack reliable access to water,” said Ara Vardanyan, Executive Director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. “We are extremely gratified that, with the project in Sos, yet another community will have resolved its water crisis.”

Igor Ghahramyan, the Mayor of Sos, said that the residents of the ancient village obtain much of their water supply from a single local well, which is in grave disrepair and contains contaminated water. “Water is the most vital element connecting villagers to the land, and only after solving the water problem can they begin to address other issues facing the community,” Ghahramyan added.

Armenia Fund continues to carry out a number of vital development projects in the Martuni Region. In 2009 it completed water-network projects in the villages of Berdashen and Spitakashen. Currently the fund is implementing school-building initiatives in the communities of Gishi and Chartar, and in the summer of 2009 it completed the construction of a new school in Spitakashen.

ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: founded in 1992, was one of 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. 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.