Several villages in the Tavush region of Armenia are bordering Azerbaijan. Residents in these border villages live and work under a constant risk of sniper fire and renewed armed conflict each day. The economy of the villages and the livelihood of many of its residents have suffered due to these difficult and dangerous times. It is of strategic importance to support these villagers in their daily lives so that they may remain inhabitants of these villages, mere footsteps from Azerbaijan. Economic development and opportunities for work are essential to continue improving the conditions in these border villages. To date we have successfully implemented several agribusiness projects in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur (NKA). This village with a population of 1,380 residents is located in the Bert area of Armenia’s Tavush Region. This community, whose territory connects with Azerbaijan, lives and works under a constant risk of sniper fire and renewed armed conflict each day. Our goal is to implement 10 additional agribusiness projects in this village. Sponsorship of this project will help provide needy villagers with the opportunity to care for their families and to help improve the village’s economy. Families will be screened and chosen to receive farm animals for which to care for and benefit from, and also renovation materials to renew their barns and/or chicken coops. Also, as a part of this effort, families will be provided training and/or business tips for the ensured success of their agribusiness. Frequent visits will be made to the family to track their progress and determine the success of their new venture.

Currently home to 286 households and 955 people, the village of Baghanis was established in the fifth century and is situated in the Tavush region of Armenia. The village is adjacent to the Republic of Azerbaijan, sharing a 2 km-long border. Today, the residents make a living by farming and tending to their livestock. Now, economic development and opportunities for work are essential to continue improving the conditions in this border village. Sponsorship of this project will help provide needy villagers with the opportunity to care for their families and to help improve the village’s economy.

Nver H. and his family have been identified as one of the families who are in need of additional support in order to help their agribusiness grow. Their family consists of five members including three children. They live in a dangerous area as their home is exposed to Azeri sniper fire. Nver works as a contract soldier stationed on the border. They currently have a barn, and have requested cows for their agribusiness. As a part of this effort Nver H. and his family will be provided training and/or business tips for the ensured success of their agribusiness. Frequent visits will be made to the family to track their progress and determine the success of their new venture.

Currently home to 286 households and 955 people, the village of Baghanis was established in the fifth century and is situated in the Tavush region of Armenia. The village is adjacent to the Republic of Azerbaijan, sharing a 2 km-long border. Today, the residents make a living by farming and tending to their livestock. Now, economic development and opportunities for work are essential to continue improving the conditions in this border village. Sponsorship of this project will help provide needy villagers with the opportunity to care for their families and to help improve the village’s economy.

Alik A. and his family have been identified as one of the families who are in need of additional support in order to help their agribusiness grow. Their family consists of seven members including three children and Alik’s parents. Alik works as a contract soldier defending the border in their village. They live in a dangerous area as their home is exposed to Azeri sniper fire. Alik works as a contract soldier stationed on the border. They currently have a barn and are in need of financial assistance to obtain materials needed for barn renovations. Alik will complete the construction work by his own means once we have provided the materials. He has also requested a cow, and a few pigs. As a part of this effort Alik A. and his family will be provided training and/or business tips for the ensured success of their agribusiness. Frequent visits will be made to the family to track their progress and determine the success of their new venture.

Currently home to 286 households and 955 people, the village of Baghanis was established in the fifth century and is situated in the Tavush region of Armenia. The village is adjacent to the Republic of Azerbaijan, sharing a 2 km-long border. Today, the residents make a living by farming and tending to their livestock. Now, economic development and opportunities for work are essential to continue improving the conditions in this border village. Sponsorship of this project will help provide needy villagers with the opportunity to care for their families and to help improve the village’s economy.

Razmik A. and his family have been identified as one of the families who are in need of additional support in order to help their agribusiness grow. Their family consists of five members including three children. They live in a dangerous area as their home is exposed to Azeri sniper fire. They currently have a barn, and have requested three cows for their agribusiness. As a part of this effort Razmik A. and his family will be provided training and/or business tips for the ensured success of their agribusiness. Frequent visits will be made to the family to track their progress and determine the success of their new venture.

The Kharpert Home for Special Children is an orphanage located in the village of Nor Kharpert serving more than 250 children with varying degrees of developmental disabilities. The orphanage is a state run facility that receives governmental support to provide these vulnerable children with their basic care and education.

Excursions for these children to amusement parks and/or other appropriate venues provide these children with both valuable community experience and needed recreation. Children with disabilities in Armenia are generally kept sheltered from society. These children do not attend school, but rather attend classes at the orphanage. It is important for both these children and society for these children to experience community life.

For each donation of $250, approximately 20 children and an appropriate number of care provides will be able to go on an excursion to Yerevan at Victory Park, or another appropriate venue for a morning or afternoon of activities including transportation, admission and snacks. Please consider supporting multiple excursions for these children.

More than 1,200 children live in Armenia’s 15 orphanages. These facilities provide for the children’s basic needs, but their limited budgets do not allow these children to participate in visits to popular historical sites, an amusement park or concert, or attend a cultural event.

Armenia’s orphan children should have the opportunity to experience popular cultural events, exhibits, and excursions in Armenia, or simply have a fun afternoon or activity that they normally would not be able to experience. Many different activities and excursions can be organized for these children. The extent of the activity or trip is directly related to the sponsorship amount. For sponsorships amounts between $250 -$750 approximately 20 children and an appropriate number of chaperons will be able participate in a memorable activity. Please consider supporting multiple excursions for these children.

The Paros Foundation staff and volunteers will organize and oversee the excursion/activity. Opportunities to sponsor excursions for orphanages serving both disabled and non-disabled children exist. Whenever possible, our staff will work with the destination for the excursion to secure group pricing and/or discounts.

Nor Luyce works mentees, ages 14-17, from two local orphanages and/or poverty stricken families from Gyumri, Armenia. Under the direction of their Executive Director, Shoghik Mikayelyan, the program provides their mentees with positive roles models and emotional support. The reduction of isolation is provided by mentors and by field trips, which expose the children to various work and educational settings. In addition, Nor Luyce’s program emphasizes the development of educational and career plans. They are now at the stage of beginning to implement each older child’s plan for higher education. Each child has also either completed or is in the process of completing a career plan, which includes the most appropriate type and place of higher education.

Nor Luyce is trying to provide Arpine, a young girl who lives at the Fritjof Nansen Boarding School in Gyumri and attends the Gyumri Olympic College. Her fathered passed away in 2003 and she is estranged from her mother. Since childhood Arpine has had a great interest in sports. Her main passion currently, is weightlifting. She had participated and won medals at several competitions. According to the nurses at her boarding school, she is very calm, even-tempered, and responsible. The requested scholarship funds will cover the costs of her tuition, books, stationaries, winter clothing and her transportation fee for one year.

Several villages in the Tavush region of Armenia are bordering Azerbaijan. Residents in these border villages live and work under a constant risk of sniper fire and renewed armed conflict each day. The economy of the villages and the livelihood of many of its residents have suffered due to these difficult and dangerous times. It is of strategic importance to support these villagers in their daily lives so that they may remain inhabitants of these villages, mere footsteps from Azerbaijan. Currently home to 286 households and 955 people, the village of Baghanis was established in the fifth century.  This village shares a 2 km-long border with Republic of Azerbaijan. Today, the residents make a living by farming and tending to their livestock. The village is actively working to improve the quality of life for its residents. To help reduce harvesting costs, the village is in need of farming equipment.

The harvesting of hay and feed for animals is time sensitive. If the feed and grass is cut and gets wet, livestock will not eat it. Additionally, farmers currently struggle to pay the market rate to have hay baled for the winter. A tractor and baler maintained by the village would be able to provide baling and other agriculture services to the village farmers at a below market rate, thus helping improve economic conditions for all farmers. Sponsorship of this project will help the village obtain this equipment necessary to provide needy villagers with the opportunity to care for their families and to help improve the village’s economy.

The Kharpert Home for Special Children is an orphanage located in the village of Nor Kharpert serving more than 250 children with varying degrees of developmental disabilities. The orphanage is a state run facility that receives governmental support to provide these vulnerable children with their basic care and education.

Excursions for these children to amusement parks and/or other appropriate venues provide these children with both valuable community experience and needed recreation. Children with disabilities in Armenia are generally kept sheltered from society. These children do not attend school, but rather attend classes at the orphanage. It is important for both these children and society for these children to experience community life.

For each donation of $250, approximately 20 children and an appropriate number of care provides will be able to go on an excursion to Yerevan at Victory Park, or another appropriate venue for a morning or afternoon of activities including transportation, admission and snacks. Please consider supporting multiple excursions for these children.

The Heros Humanitarian Foundation (HHF), a Los Angeles based non-profit organization, supports children in need and their educational advancement. The organization was founded in 2008 by six Armenian Americans with the belief that no child should be deprived of the essential necessities needed for their education regardless of their socioeconomic status. Their mission is to provide backpacks and school supplies to children living in poverty and from low socioeconomic households around the world. Through their Packs on Backs initiative, HHF hopes to motivate children, help them stay and excel in school, and have successful futures.

The Heros Humanitarian Foundation has partnered with The Paros Foundation to bring their Packs on Backs initiative to Armenia. After the successful distribution of 380 backpacks and school supplies to children in Gyumri and Vanadzor in the summer of 2015, and 225 backpacks to the children at the Kharpert Children’s Home in the summer of 2016, we have decided to continue to work together and impact more children in Armenia.

Our next distribution will be for the kids attending the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri. Socially vulnerable children attend the center after their school and receive both humanitarian and educational support through a holistic approach. The Paros Foundation established the Debi Arach Children’s Center on April 15, 2015 and has since provided children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support they need to succeed. Gyumri’s devastating history has left more than 100,000 residents homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty. These families often struggle to provide their children with life’s basic necessities; therefore making backpacks and school supplies a distant priority. Children at the center were recipients of backpacks and school supplies during our first distribution in 2015. This distribution will meet the ongoing needs of both current and new children. Our goal is to provide 150 backpacks and school supplies for the children attending the center. A donation of $30 will help obtain a backpack filled with supplies for one child. School supplies will be grade appropriate and include a combination of pencils, pens, pencil cases, notebooks, folders, erasers, sharpeners, glue, scissors, rulers, highlighters, and crayons. In-kind donations of the items listed are also welcomed.