Not a great photo, but here we are in Gyumri with our friend and partner, Vahan Tumasyan from the Shirak Center NGO.

The Paros team just got back from Gyumri yesterday, where we selected three more families to be moved from “domiks” into apartments.  This makes six families we have selected and will move this month thanks to the generous support of the Jack Youredjian Family Foundation, and 17 families in total to date.  24 people including two people with disabilities, three seniors, two single moms, one soldier and 10 young children (five of which will now be kept out of boarding schools!) are moving to new apartments in the coming couple of weeks.  The process by which this program operates, and how family selections are made is something I am often asked about, and something our team often discusses, argues about and loses sleep over.  Here’s the deal–I don’t promise that this post will be fun and exciting, but I am going to try and make it informational at the least:

The Domik Problem:

Gayane Matevosyan (age 7) was awoken by a rat attack in her bed.

There is a ton of information in our Purchase a Home projects on our site about the domiks.  Essentially, 30 years ago, following the Spitak Earthquake (about 35,000 people dead and more than 100,000 homeless), moving into empty overseas shipping containers was a good idea.  Fast forward to 2019, these temporary shelters have turned into literally a house of horrors.  Rats, wild dogs, lice add to the grief these people face.  I would estimate that 99% of these domiks do not have a normal bathroom nor bathing facilities.  Some don’t have running water.  All of them are freezing in the winter and scorching in the summer.  Gayane, who is seven years old, woke up last week in her bed from a rat attack.  She is one of the children who we are moving into a new apartment with her family.  As I said, these domiks are literally a house of horrors.

The Matevosyan domik has no running water and a fair amount of smoke from the wood burning heater.

How can there still be a couple of thousand families living in these conditions, when the government says they have now provided all the families that lost homes in the earthquake an apartment?  The answer to this question is a bit complicated and best discussed over drinks.  First, the government developed a list of every family that was living in government provided housing.  These are the families that ultimately were provided new housing.  If they were living in Gyumri and paying rent, or living in a single family home, or not registered to a specific apartment, they didn’t qualify.  Secondly, through the decades, these families have grown.  It may have been the case 30 years ago that a newly married family with two small children lost their apartment.  30 years later, those children have grown up, perhaps have gotten married, and now have families of their own.  Even if that family received a two bedroom apartment because that is what they lost 30 years ago, how could three families of 10 or 12 people be expected to live in that new apartment.  In this situation, typically one or two of those families would stay in domiks and one would take the apartment.  Finally, back in the day under old leadership, there was a healthy portion of corruption when it came to rebuilding apartments, distributing new apartment and distributing apartment certificates (basically cash certificates to allow one to purchase an apartment on the free market.)  This too left many families with no housing options.

The Apartment:

When we have donor funding in place, our team hits the ground running in Gyumri and works with list.am, Gyumri real estate brokers, and searches through apartment complexes in the Mush II neighborhood for apartments for sale.  The apartments we help secure need to be free of debt and encumbrances and be eligible for resale on the free market.  We also avoid buying apartments from people who do not have a plan on where they are going to live (i.e. we don’t want to contribute to the domik problem in Gyumri.) If the apartments need to be remodeled or if the family needs some basic furniture or appliances, we try and outfit the apartment to the extent our budget permits.  In the past, we have purchased studio, one, two and three bedroom apartments for families depending on the family’s needs.

The Purchase Process:

At the time of contract signing, we bring the entire family to the State Notary Service to have them sign the Purchase Contract with the Seller (nope, no escrow service in Armenia yet!)  We provide the stack of cash to the purchasing family, and they then slide it across the table to the sellers.  The Notary verifies the transaction and the beneficiary family is now legal owner of the new apartment.  At the same sitting, the beneficiary family signs a gift agreement with The Paros Foundation that indicates they are obliged to live in their new apartment until their youngest child turns 18 or for 10 years (whichever is longer.)  They cannot rent, sell or live elsewhere without our permission, or we can take the apartment away from them.  Our goal with this is to ensure a new start for this family.  Secondly, the family agrees to give us their old domik so our friends at the Shirak Center can tear it down and make certain no onewill ever live in those unbearable conditions again.  Then, we help submit the signed purchase contract to the State Cadastre so the family can pick up their new deed in a few days.  Once this is completed, our Shirak Center friends help move the family into their new apartment and the domik tear down begins.

The Family Selection Process:

Family selection is the tough part of this process.  We are not playing God, but sometimes it feels like we are.  How can you look at someone living in a trash heap with rats and pass that family over for another?  It is tough and I think some of my white hair is because of this project.  O.K.  Here is the process we follow.  First, we depend on advice and guidance from Vahan Tumasyan at the Shirak Center NGO.  He is the expert in Gyumri on these families.  Together, with Vahan and our Paros colleagues, we have probably been in 200+ domiks in Gyumri over the last five years. Some of these visits have been to help distribute firewood or food through our other humanitarian projects in Gyumri. Second, we sometimes depend on direction from a donor.  Sometimes we are asked to find a family with lots of children to move; and sometimes, the decision is left to us.  Vahan typically helps us line up several families to visit so we can vet and shorten the list.

The Boghosian Family outside of their domik following the news they would be receiving an apartment in the coming days.

Here are a couple of guidelines we follow:  First, the family has to be willing to surrender their domik to us so we can tear it down.  If they won’t, then we pass them over.  It is hard to believe, but it has happened.  Second, the family has to be trying at some level to work or care for themselves, rather than sitting around waiting for handouts.  I know this sounds harsh, but if you have two families with three kids each, which are you going to support?  The family who’s mother picks potatoes seasonally and the dad that collects recyclables to buy his family bread? Or the family with the mom and dad that sit at home and say there is no work to be found?  Third, while visiting families, we look for signs that they can be successful in their new apartments.  If their domik is as clean as the conditions permit, this is an indication that they would care for their apartment in a similar fashion.  If things in their domik are organized, this again is a potential indicator of future success.  The same indicators exist and stand out with the relationship between the parent or parents and their children.  If there is any indication that there is a strong tie to education for their children, this too helps in our vetting process.  Finally, the family has to have some income to be able to pay the bills in their new apartment.  This income can be pensions, salary, support from family outside of Armenia, etc.  The realities of what these people go through on a daily basis have distorted their family situations to an extreme.  Our goal again, is to provide a beneficiary family with a home so that their family would be successful in living what one might call a more normal life.

In closing, I think it is important to state as part of this last trip to Gyumri, we visited several of the families that have previously benefited from our Purchase A Home project and they were all doing great!  It was absolutely wonderful seeing families and children that looked well, apartments that were clean and so many smiles.  A great big thanks to everyone that has supported this life changing project in the past.

Meet Joe Chelebian!  Joe is 16 and lives in the Los Angeles area.  To help his fellow Armenians, Joe decided to launch a charity drive to raise funds and dental hygiene products from his community at St. James Armenian Church in Los Angeles.  This effort will be benefiting the Mobile Dental Clinic and the Apelian Dental Clinic at the Prkutyun Center in Armenia, both projects of The Paros Foundation.

Joe’s effort successfully raised $3,974.  Beyond these funds, which will be used to support dental screenings for almost 625 children, 2,500 toothbrushes were donated, 1,200 tubes of toothpaste were collected and almost one mile of dental floss!

Thank you Joe and the St. James Armenian Church family for your support of this important effort!

Ghoghanj Team is interviewed by reporters regarding their 3-D model design and end project.

Ghoghanj Team participants present their 3-D model and final print.

Yerevan, Armenia—The Paros Foundation is excited to announce that students from the Ghoghanj Children’s Center Arm-math Robotics program took first place in the Armenia’s nationwideUnion of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE) 3-D Modeling contest.  Seventy teams from throughout Armenia and Artsakh entered the contest.  Of these teams, 38 were selected to advance to the finals, including teams from the Debi Arach Children’s Center and the Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur School.  The Paros Foundation is the primary sponsor of both the Ghoghanj and Debi Arach Children Centers.  Paros has also renovated the Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur School including their computer and robotics classrooms. The team from Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur received honorable mention in the Historical Monuments category for their 3-D model of the church in Berd.

“I am very proud of my student’s accomplishments.  Since we began teaching our Arm-math curriculum at Ghoghanj three years ago, I have witnessed the manner in which our students have engaged and understand engineering technology,” said Diana Grigoryan, Executive Director of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center.

“It is very exciting to see three of the organizations we support achieving such high accolades in this impressive competition,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “We congratulate the students and teachers for this outstanding accomplishment, and the donors to these organizations for their vision and on-going support.”

The Ghoghanj Children’s Center operates two locations in Yerevan’s downtown and Nork communities. The center’s students are defined as at-risk, with most of the children coming from economically challenged families. The Debi Arach Children’s Center operates in Gyumri and works primarily with children from impoverished families living in domiks and inadequate housing.  The village of Nerkin Karmir Aghpyur is located in the isolated and often dangerous Berd community of Armenia’s Tavush Region.

For more information about these organizations or The Paros Foundation, please visit www.parosfoundation.org or call (310) 400-9061.

Kessabstis, family and friends gather for the Massara ceremony and prayer.

Thousand Oaks, CA—On Saturday, November 3, more than 150 Kessabsti’s and friends of Kessab gathered at the home of Dr. George Apelian to celebrate the traditional preparation of Massara.

This annual tradition—preparation of the massara or grape molasses—takes place soon after the grape harvest begins. It is meant to be a time of celebration and merriment. Dr. Apelian and his family hosted the annual event. Guests each left with a jar of the rich and delicious molasses as a memento of the evening.

“It is important to me to keep this Kessabsti tradition alive.” Said George Apelian “I am so appreciative of my friends and family who support this tradition each year.”

Proceeds from donations benefited the Apelian Dental Clinic in Yerevan, Armenia. The Apelian Clinic provides free of charge dental services for children with disabilities and their families at the Prykutun Center. Dr. Apelian established the clinic 12 years ago bearing the name of his son.

Dr. George Apelian, Host of the Massara celebration, Peter Abajian-Paros Foundation, Esther Tognozzi-Kessab Educational Association and Narine Panosian-Paros Foundation at the Massara celebration.

To learn more about the Apelian Clinic and to donate towards its important mission, please visit www.parosfoundation.org.

Sarah Derderian enjoying the afternoon with one of her four legged friends.

Almost three years ago I made the move from Philadelphia, PA to Gyumri, Armenia to work at the Debi Arach Children’s Center. What I expected to be a one-year assignment has evolved into a longer-term, life changing adventure. Since the day I arrived, I have been asked the same question repeatedly from everybody I meet (whether they are from Armenia or elsewhere.) “Why Armenia? Why Gyumri?”. The “Why Armenia?” question is very simple to answer.  I am one of many repatriates who were born outside of our motherland, but decided to move back. “Why Gyumri?” is the question that I struggle putting its answer into words.

Today, Gyumri is commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Spitak earthquake; the earthquake that took the lives, homes, jobs, and futures of so many people. Now, 30 years later, many locals say that not much has changed. Sure, there are new buildings, new businesses, new places to go, but an uneasyness arises any time the topic of the earthquake is mentioned. A city that was once the cultural capital of Armenia, which prospered under the Soviet Union, the home of some of Armenia’s most famous comedians, playwrights, and artists,  is now a place  where many people struggle daily to survive. Three generations of people continue to live in what seems to be a never-ending cycle of poverty.

 Why Gyumri? I chose Gyumri because there islife outside of Yerevan and I wanted to move to a community where I felt I could contribute to a greater cause. I chose Gyumri because I believe in the power of education and the importance of nurturing the next generation. I chose Gyumri to instill hope among students who may not believe in a future.

 Gyumri is not an easy place to live. On the contrary, it’s very difficult to live in a community riddled in poverty and in many aspects stuck in a Soviet mentality. But, what gets me through is my work at Debi Arach and the hope that the investment we make in this next generation will be a solid step in moving Gyumri forward. I currently work with an amazing group of children who are the next generation of Armenia’s doctors, politicians, programmers, and leaders. 

 I guess I’m here to say that there is hope in Gyumri, and that’s “Why Gyumri.”

Sarah Derderian works as development officer and special projects director at the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri.  Sarah has also founded the D.O.G.-Dogs of Gyumri project, which works to spray and neuter street dogs and arrange for adoptions of puppies.  Be sure to visit Sarah, Debi Arach and D.O.G when you are in Armenia.

Its only Tuesday and I have already been asked twice this week about our “100%” promise, so I thought I would take a moment and explain this significant part of our Paros philanthropic model.

Thanks to the on-going commitment and generosity of the Strauch-Kulhanjian Family and our Founder and Chairman, Roger Strauch, 100% of donor contributions (a.k.a. funds that we raise from the community) are applied directly and entirely to fund projects in Armenia.  These are either projects that we have identified and are implementing, or projects that donors have identified and partnered with us on their funding and implementation.  Roger and his family annually underwrite 100% of The Paros Foundation’s administrative costs.  Salaries (two full-time in the U.S. and three in Armenia,) our travel to and from and within Armenia, office supplies, postage, marketing materials, etc. all add up, and we are fortunate to continue to have Roger’s and his family’s support to underwrite these necessities. This significant commitment has helped build trust between our Foundation and the community and allows us to be fully transparent.

If you are thinking about Thanksgiving and “Giving Tuesday,” please keep Paros and our 100% promise in mind!

SERVICE Armenia 2018 participants spent four days working on the art school in the village of Kanakeravan.

The Paros Foundation’s SERVICE Armenia 2018 group wrapped up another great summer of service, touring, and fun bringing the number of program alum to over 100. The nine participants and coordinator from around the United States joined us in Armenia to work on impactful service projects. During the one month program, participants also visited historic sites and developed lifelong friendships. Service Armenia was established in 2013 and provides Diaspora youth ages 17-22 years the opportunity to work on meaningful service projects and to have fun in Armenia. Next year’s program will run from June 23 to July 23, 2019. Applications are now available at www.parosfoundation.org.

This summer’s service work included renovations at the Zorakan Village School in the Tavush region. SERVICE participants painted six classrooms as part of the second floor remodel. The remainder of the second floor was completed prior to the start of classes, however, $75,000 is still needed for the renovation of the first floor of the school. The Zorakan Village School services 135 secondary school students. At the Kanakeravan Art School in the Kotayk region, participants poured the subfloor and installed new flooring in three rooms. This combined with the complete renovation of these classrooms has created a beautiful environment for the art school students.

SERVICE Armenia 2018 participants visited the Armenian Genocide Museum and Memorial.

One of the highlights of SERVICE Armenia is always visiting the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri. This year minor renovations were done at the Center and a “Packs on Backs” distribution was carried out, providing 185 children with the necessary school supplies and backpacks. SERVICE youth had a chance to get to know students at Debi Arach through a fun day of dancing, playing sports, and socializing. While in Gyumri, Dustin Hochmuth, a repeat participant of SERVICE Armenia, also spearheaded the “Groceries for Gyumri” distribution for 100 families. His efforts included raising the necessary funding, obtaining and assembling food packets with his SERVICE Armenia peers, and coordinating the delivery of basic grocery staples, fresh fruits and vegetables, and personal hygiene products to families in need.

Other 2018 highlights included four exciting excursions with the Yerevan Children’s Home, the Vanadzor Orphanage, the Kharpert Home for Special Children and the Ghoghanj Children’s Center. The SERVICE Armenia group also toured many monuments and important historic locations throughout the country, along with overnight stays in the Lori Region and Artsakh. In addition to the well known religious and cultural sites, the group was able to experience hikes at the Hunot Gorge and the Kobayr Monastery, a tour of the Areni Caves and the Historic Noy Cognac Factory, and to visit the World UNESCO Heritage sites, Sanahin and Haghpat Monasteries. From Artsakh to Zorakan, SERVICE Armenia 2018 was definitely a summer to remember.

“This program was executed perfectly for the age and the interests of our group,” said Ani Shahinian. “In the three times I’ve been to Armenia, this was my favorite experience. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip!”

A visit to and lunch at the Geghard Monastary was among one of the many historic and religious sites visited throughout the month long program.

Applications for SERVICE Armenia 2019 are available on our website www.parosfoundation.org. The program includes tours to historic, religious and cultural sites in Armenia and Artsakh, English speaking staff and guides, safe and well located accommodations and transportation combined with interesting cultural and educational activities that will ensure all will have an engaging and memorable experience. The program is open to both Armenian and American young people wishing to participate in this once in a lifetime opportunity. Knowledge of the Armenian language is not required. Join us and create a lifetime of great memories and friends. The deadline to submit the completed application is April 1, 2019.

For more information, please contact Peter Abajian (310) 400-9061 or via E-mail peter@parosfoundation.org

Children at the Kindergarten in Nor Keghi performing at the opening celebration!

On July 6, 2018 The Paros Foundation’s staff and SERVICE Armenia 2018 participants joined the mayor, staff, parents and children of Nor Keghi in Kotayk province to celebrate the opening of the newly renovated kindergarten auditorium.

The Arakelyan Kindergarten facilitates the early education of more than 85 children.  The renovation of the multipurpose room, stage, ready room, adjacent hallway and stairwell was made possible by the generosity of the Detroit based Nor Keghi Association which sponsored the project.   The Paros Foundation had previously renovated two bathrooms at the kindergarten as part of its 100 for 100 Projects for Prosperity initiative in 2015 with the support of the Nigoghosianfamily.

“We were able to help Nor Keghi’skindergarten solve another important issue with the help of the Nor Keghi Association and its fundraising efforts,” said Peter Abajian, Executive Director of The Paros Foundation. “The village population is increasing, and the kindergarten principal has requested we help them expand by renovating additional rooms.”

Nor Keghi Mayor, Kindergarten staff, parents, and friends gathered with The Paros Foundation’s staff and SERVICE Armenia 2018 group to celebrate the successful completion of the remodel.

For the auditorium project, The Paros Foundation team installed new doors and windows, resurfaced the existing wood parquet floors, installed laminate flooring in the ready room and stage area, added new electrical and lighting throughout and repaired and painted the walls and ceiling.  The team also worked with the mayor to bring proper heating to the facility.  Following the renovation, 80 high quality stackable chairs were delivered to outfit the multipurpose room. A plaque will be installed in the auditorium acknowledging sponsorship of the project by the descendants of Keghi through the Nor Keghi Association in association with The Paros Foundation.

“It is so heartwarming to see pictures of the renovated multipurpose room of the Arakelyan Kindergarten,” said Nor Keghi Association President, Richard Norsigian. “When my son, Shant and I entered the room in person last September, we were

Children at the Kindergarten in Nor Keghi express their appreciation during a performance in the newly renovated multipurpose room.

devastated – it looked like a tornado had hit it!  It was unusable.  We were deeply saddened to think our little Armenian kindergartners did not have an indoor facility for activities.  The pictures of the now completely renovated multipurpose room brought tears of joy to my eyes.  To our generous Keghetzis and friends who made the renovation possible, I say vartzkernees gadarand God willing, we have only just begun!”