COMPLETED SPECIAL-INTEREST PROJECTS

1. Restoration of Somatic Division of Yerevan Children’s Hospital, 2004
2. Restoration of Heating System of Yerevan Children’s Home Orphanage, 2005
3. Water Rehabilitation Project in Nor Yedessia, 2005
4. Nor Getashen Water Project, 2005

RESTORATION OF SOMATIC DIVISION OF YEREVAN CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL, 2004

Project Sponsor: Mr. Agop Giritliyan

The restoration of the Somatic Division of Yerevan Children’s Hospital was implemented in 2004, and was a step toward rectifying part of a problem that still plagues many in Armenia today – inadequate healthcare. The restoration was made possible through the generous donation of $130,000 by Mr. Agop Giritliyan, a philanthropist from Istanbul where he is well-know for assistance to over 5,000 Armenia students. The Hospital which provides care for children from ages two to eighteen is also considered to be the primary emergency care provider for the region. Built in 1982, the Hospital stood as an example of an abandoned infrastructure. The restoration works included repair and furnishing of the third floor of the Children’s Hospital in Yerevan. The first two floors of the Hospital were moderately renovated though funding from the World Bank.

The renovation of the third floor, now remodeled, equipped and fully furnished, set a standard for hospitals in the country, and was an important step toward providing care to children who are in desperate need.

Every child and adult in Armenia, Karabakh or elsewhere deserves the right to proper healthcare, and initiatives like this are bold steps in breathing sustainability into a critical area of concern.

Back to top

RESTORATION OF HEATING SYSTEM OF YEREVAN CHILDREN’S HOME ORPHANAGE, 2005

Project Sponsor: Mr. Agop Giritliyan

Implementation of a much needed heating system restoration project in “Children’s Home” orphanage, Yerevan, Armenia had started in November of 2005 and was brought to its successful completion in January of 2006 through the contributions of Mr. Agop Giritliyan, a generous supporter of Armenia Fund USA.

Constructed in 1937 and currently located in Yerevan’s district of Nork, “Children’s Home” orphanage in Yerevan has been intended for children, ages 6 years and under. Today, it gives shelter to about 80 children, with an average of 150 children annually passing through its portals. Once children reach the age of 6, they are relocated to other orphanages throughout Yerevan, Gavar, and other towns. When necessary, the orphanages in Gyumri, which specializes in the care of children with various neurological illnesses and disabilities, are accessed for those children with special needs. Their hands tied by the socio-economic realities of a recovering Armenia, many orphanages struggle daily with such hardships as overcrowding, poor plumbing/sanitation, and lack of heat. The restoration of the heating system addressed the serious need of providing a reliable heating system. Challenged to sufficiently heat the Children’s home, the management of the orphanage had previously been forced to rely on electricity – which then presented severe budget constraints. But now a brand new system utilizes natural gas – a more economical and reliable resource for heat.

Back to top

WATER REHABILITATION PROJECT IN NOR YEDESSIA, 2005

Project Sponsor: Mr. Vasken Kassabian

Lack of access to clean water is a major cause of death in the third world killing about 5 million people annually and causing 3.3 billion illnesses. While taken for granted by many of us, this basic guarantee for human existence remained a luxury for the residents of Nor Yedessia, a small village west of Yerevan, Armenia, that struggled daily with such challenges.

With the successful completion of the Water Rehabilitation Project there, Nor Yedessia residents now have clean drinking water and none of the illnesses previously caused by contaminated water. The entire project was funded by Mr. Vasken Kassabian, a retired businessman who learned of the great hardships families faced in Nor Yedessia because of lack of clean drinking water. To help those in need, Mr. Kassabian and his wife Anahid came to the aid of Nor Yedessia people by providing them with upgraded water system. Armenia Fund USA, charged with the task, patched a reservoir to collect drinking water. The pipelines transporting water to homes were repaired, a guard station –restored. Construction was completed in May 2005. The access to clean drinking water raised the standard of living of an entire community giving hope that every single step toward solving a bigger problem makes the difference.

Back to top

NOR GETASHEN WATER PROJECT, 2005

Project Sponsor: Norman Miller

Armenia Fund USA embraces 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 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. Nor-Getashen water project was completed in July 2006. It is important to note the overall economic impact that small changes and improvements have on families’ lives. In this small village that has suffered greatly from the 1991 war between disputing countries Armenia and Azerbaijan, today one can see hopeful faces that are filled with optimism for the future. Nor-Getashen families worked with the Fund to strengthen their confidence and the 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.

Back to top