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The Paros Foundation underwrites all administrative and overhead costs allowing 100% of all donor contributions to go directly towards projects and supported organizations.

Donations to The Paros Foundation Projects for Prosperity are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. To sponsor a project through The Paros Foundation, a 501 (c) 3 organization (Tax ID 20-5094630), or learn more about specific projects in need of funding, please contact us using the information below.

Contacts

2217 5th Street

Berkeley CA 94710

info@parosfoundation.org

(310) 400 9061

Empowering Young Girls in Gyumri

Description

Nor Luyce aims to provide girls the means to become self-sufficient, healthy, globally aware young women, who have set personal and career goals and who have created an action plan of how to achieve them. Our program was developed to improve self-esteem, self-reliance, and a sense of community and then build on these skills and potential. We believe in empowering teenage girls from orphanages and low-income families to build a community of strong, thoughtful, creative young women who are the future of Armenia.

In order to improve the future and career opportunities for girls from socially disadvantage families and foster cares, we prove a 3-phase, 3-year mentoring program that impacts approximately 60 girls a year. Currently, we are seeking funding for our first phase, which will provide a mentoring to 20 new Nor Luyce beneficiaries, aged 13-14 raising the number from 60 to 80.

Our Mentoring Phase program covers 11 months, during which 20 girls, aged 13-14, from socially vulnerable families and foster care receive mentoring. Each mentor-mentee pair meet approximately 40 times for individual meetings as well as partake in 20 group meetings. During our mentoring phase, we also focus on empowering participants to become active community members through service activities, cultural events, and building leadership through various responsibilities such as presenting information to their peers and other organization members. We also offer tutoring services for any participant who is struggling academically.

In order to decrease the likelihood that girls will be trafficked or married off at a young age, we strive to provide teenagers (13-14 year old) with a positive role model and a strong connection with other girls and prominent community leaders. We focus on career aspirations and how to create the best version of themselves, using the traits, skills, and strengths the participants already have. We also believe, that in order to empower young girls, we need to have a comprehensive approach to their development, as such following the first phase we then focus on skill-building trainings, career development, and offer scholarships for higher education. As of now, we have seventeen girls currently involved in higher education institutions, two more girls have already graduated from colleges and universities and now they work with their profession. On top of these, we have one mentee who graduated from a college which she had to admit because of the inforce of her parents, however, she could find the inner strength to change her profession and pursue the degree that was close to her heart.

Region

Shirak

City / Village

Gyumri

Start Date

September 2019

End Date

August 2020

Thank you to all our donors, we have met our fundraising goal.

The Need
According to a 2010 UNICEF report, Armenia has 50 institutions that provide “residential care services” to children in the nation. Of the 4,902 children in the system, 3,823 live in residential care. These institutions lack the personnel responsible for emotional, personal, and professional development. At institutions specifically designated as “orphanages” the ration is an abysmal 1:20. Under these circumstances, the socio-economic outcomes for adults who grow up in the orphanage system are grim. Children living in orphanages generally experience different behavioral problems, are fearful, feel despair, insecurity, and high anxiety level. The children lack a number of life skills to engage effectively in the social and academic world. Because of lack of adult care, our youth have difficulty in regulating with their behavior and emotions. Situations for the young women are more challenging; they face gender-based discrimination in a male dominated and conservative society.
Short Term Impact

All goals will be met in an ongoing fashion, throughout the ten-month program.

• 20 mentees will partake in at least 30 one-on-one meetings with their mentors

• 20 mentees will take part
in at least 10 group meetings focusing on various life skills such as moving from dreams to reality, conflict resolution, stress management, etc.

• All 20 mentor-mentee pairs will complete at least one community service activity

• All the Mentoring Phase mentees (20 girls) will take part in at least 10 overall group meetings focused on creating a global perspective on issues such as different cultures, human rights, government, etc.

• All mentees (80 mentees) will take part in at least one international event such as International Women’s Day, International Human Rights Day, etc.

• 20 Mentors will take part in prementoring and on-going mentoring trainings to provide better services to the mentees.

• 30 mentees will meet a number of well-known and successful people in Armenia who will share the key to their success. As a result of the meetings mentees will experience:
    – Increase in academic performance by the end of program year

    – Increase time management skills

    – Creation of a career plan with short and long term goals of each mentee

    – All 20 mentees will create a presentation and lead a group discussion

Long Term Impact
In the long-term participants will continue onto Nor Luyce’s other two phases and become a more well-rounded, active, and confident individual.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsor will be recognized on both the Nor Luyce and The Paros Foundation websites, social media sites and in all appropriate press related to this project. Donors will also be mentioned in the Nor Luyce e-newsletter and be given regular progress reports on the girl’s progress as well as thank you e-mails.
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Mr. & Mrs. Arthur & Kathleen Koncagul

Troy, MI
December 8, 2021
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Mr. & Mrs. Richard & Sharon Chackerian

San Francisco, CA November 12, 2021
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Mr. & Mrs. Jack & Zarig Youredjian

Los Angeles, CA May 1, 2021
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Mr. & Mrs. Richard & Sharon Chackerian

San Francisco, CA December 21, 2020
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Mr. & Mrs. Ara & Michelle Chackerian

Berkeley, CA July 17, 2020
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Mr. & Mrs. Mark & Gretchen Albarian

Hermosa Beach, CA May 7, 2020
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Ms. Gay Hagopian

NJ, United States November 29, 2019
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Ms. Jeanette Derhagopian

Warminister, PA November 29, 2019
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{OMIT}

Boston, MA November 29, 2019
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3 M's St. Mary Armenian Church

N. Caldwell, NJ November 15, 2019
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Boston, MA November 6, 2019

Updates: Images & Information

July 1, 2020

2019-2020 program year was both challenging and exciting. In spite of the pandemic, these 10 months were full of both in-person and online meetings. As a result, 638 individual mentoring meetings, 13 pre-mentoring, and 6 on-going mentoring trainings for the mentors took place conducted by not only Gyumri professionals, but also trainers from Yerevan, San Francisco, Columbia State University, and more. There has also been 10 mentoring group meetings, 27 career planning meetings and 11 program-wide group meetings. Moreover, the mentees had a chance to meet with 10 guest speakers from Gyumri, Yerevan, New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Beirut. All the mentees of the Skill-Building Phase could finalize the career plans that will guide them throughout their high school years. This year is also highlighted by our Alumni group taking initiative and organizing a series of group meetings to discuss women who motivate them.