Nor Luyce’s program aims at stabilizing emotions, forming values, self-esteem and self-confidence of all our mentees, arming them with knowledge and skills, which will provide them with an opportunity to take steps toward a sustainable future, while breaking the stereotype that getting married as the fastest way of getting out of the orphanage. Nor Luyce is trying to empower teenagers with their own voice by providing mentoring relationships and applicable skills.

In order to improve the future and career opportunities for girls from socially disadvantage families and orphanages, we created a 3-phase, 3-year mentoring program that impacts approximately 40 girls a year. Currently, we are seeking funding for our first phase, which will provide a mentoring to 15 new Nor Luyce beneficiaries, aged 14.

Our Mentoring Phase program covers 11 months, during which 15 girls, aged 14, from socially vulnerable families and orphanages 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 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 possess. 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 twelve girls in a higher education institution.

Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children have grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units.

As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled.

This project will identify suitable needy families who can be moved into a new apartment and can demonstrate that they can afford their monthly expenses. Agreements will be signed passing ownership of the apartment to the chosen family, with the stipulation that until their youngest child reaches 18 years of age, the family cannot sell, rent or move. This is a sustainable model in that families that have been moved into permanent housing in the past have had a high degree of success maintaining their families and their new homes.

Once the move is complete, the make shift housing unit will be destroyed to prevent its future occupancy.

Hakop Hakopian grew up in a domik following his family losing their home in the 1988 Spitak Earthquake.  When he got married, he worked and saved up $700 to purchase his own “domik.”  Hakop’s domik sits beneath a power transformer and he has been told by the electric company that he must move.

Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units.

As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled.

Anna Elbakyan and her son, Armen have lived in domik for more than 20 years.  The Paros Foundation staff first met Anna this summer while distributing food packs with The Shirak Center to needy families.  Armen attends the Debi Arach Children’s Center and benefits from their programs.  Anna plays piano and has worked as a piano teacher.  She dreams of the day she might own a piano of her own.  Anna’s husband left for Russia to work while she was pregnant with Armen and never returned.  This small but terrific family would greatly benefit from a new apartment.

Once the move is complete, the make shift housing unit will be destroyed to prevent its future occupancy.

Nor Luyce works with young girls, ages 14-17, from two local orphanages and/or from poverty stricken families from Gyurmi, 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 either beginning or continuing to help 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 Naira, a young girl from Gyumri, with a scholarship that would reduce her out of pocket costs towards her education. Naira lives at home with her parents, four sisters and two brothers, one of which is suffers from epilepsy. Her parents do not work and their family barely survives on a poverty pension. Fencing has always been Naira’s passion, but unfortunately due a leg injury can no longer pursue it as a career. Instead, Naira has chosen to continue her education at the University and pursue studies in journalism, physical training or kinesiology. She enjoys listening to music, reading books, and playing table tennis. Naira is hopeful that one day she can continue her sports career in fencing and make her parents and her country proud. The requested scholarship funds will help Naira continue her studies and cover the costs of her tuition, uniform, books, stationaries, winter clothing and her transportation fee for one year.

Following the 1988 Spitak Earthquake, tens of thousands of people were left homeless in the City of Gyumri. Many of these families took refuge in the overseas shipping containers (domiks) that were shipped into Armenia loaded with humanitarian relief supplies, or in condemned buildings. An entire generation of children have grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat. The Armenian government has provided most of the families that lost their homes in the Earthquake with new housing units.

As people moved out of those makeshift housing units, others moved in. The 2,500 or so families that remain are Gyumri’s desolate families, who are not in line to receive a government provided apartment. Many of these families are comprised of single mothers, multiple children and/or the disabled.

This project will identify suitable needy families who can be moved into a new apartment and can demonstrate that they can afford their monthly expenses. Agreements will be signed passing ownership of the apartment to the chosen family, with the stipulation that until their youngest child reaches 18 years of age, the family cannot sell, rent or move. This is a sustainable model in that families that have been moved into permanent housing in the past have had a high degree of success maintaining their families and their new homes.

Once the move is complete, the make shift housing unit will be destroyed to prevent its future occupancy.

When Kym Aghayan was a young man, he and his family lived in Baku.  During the 1988 pograms, his family fled to Armenia and settled in Gyumri.  They were provided an apartment in Gyumri by the state, but it was destroyed later that year in the earthquake.  The family later moved into a domik for shelter.  When he was married, Kym purchased a domik to start his own family.

After the devastating 1988 Shirak Earthquake almost all of the kindergartens were damaged and some of them were completely destroyed. Although 27 years have passed there is still several kindergartens still functioning in temporary shipping containers in substandard conditions. The municipality of Gyumri tries to assists all of these kindergartens, but is unable to keep up with their many problems. The “Local Democracy Agency” (LDA) foundation, established in Gyumri in 2012, has been working to aid these kindergartens.

Currently, LDA is working closely with the Zangak Kindergarten, which has been operating since 1992. It was constructed by the Russians as a present to the children of Gyumri after the earthquake. Zangak Kindergarten operates out of a modular building with a big hall, sleep rooms, play rooms and 90 children in attendance. One wing of the kindergarten needs new flooring as many of the floorboards have rotted away.

In the past two years the Gyumri Municipality has restored the playground for the children. Sponsorship of this project will help restore the floors in one wing including the hallways, sleep rooms, play rooms and classrooms. $5,050 is needed in order to complete the restoration and LDA has already pledged $550 towards the workers compensation. The municipality has also agreed to provide sand for the restoration. The main goal of this project is to improve the conditions of the kindergarten and promote the children’s’ health and a safe environment.

The Ghoghanj Children’s Center located in the Kentron of Yerevan provides afterschool and summer school programs for approximately 75 children every month. Children who attend the Center are loosely defined as “at risk.” These children typically come from very poor households, often times with a single head of household, who cannot pay for such assistance. The goal of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center is to provide the necessary academic, psychological and social support to ensure that the children attending mature to well adjusted, successful, young adults.

In order to further impact more “at-risk” children, the Center has identified a need for this model to be replicated and offered to other communities in Armenia. Through the generous support of the Dadourian Foundation, a second center for “at-risk” children was opened in the Nor Nork neighborhood of Yerevan to provide support to 75 additional children annually. The new center provides students the same core classes (English, Russian, Computer, Design, Painting, Theater and Dance) as the Ghoghanj Children’s Center – Kentron. The goal of this project is to broaden the services offered to socially vulnerable children and families in other communities and provide them with the proper support and guidance needed to excel in school and become self-confident and respectful young adults.

Currently, The Paros Foundation is looking for donors who will help keep this important Center running in the 2015-2016 school year. Amount will include rent, utilities, teacher salaries, maintenance and additional improvements, and supplies.

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.

Lamara H. and her 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 eight members including five 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 Lamara H. and her 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.

Representatives of The Paros Foundation have visited more than 100 schools throughout Armenia. While some schools have either been renovated thanks to the Armenian government or as a result of the generosity of international donors, many remain in deplorable conditions and have little hope of being renovated in the near future. These conditions affect both the ability for students to learn, as well as the health of students and teachers. How is a student supposed to learn if there are not proper desks, chairs or windows in the classroom?

One of the schools recently identified in need of a complete renovation is located in the large village of Ljashen in the Gegharkunik region at Lake Sevan. Ljashen Village has a population of 5,000 and one local school. About 300 students attend this run down school.

The Paros Foundation will directly oversee the renovation of a classroom at this school including doors, flooring, lighting, paint, electrical, and furniture as needed. The heating system was replaced 10 years ago by Developmental Services for Armenia, a California based humanitarian organization, and is still fully functioning. Whenever possible, the school, students and their parents will be incorporated into the classroom remodel project to help build a sense of community and personal investment.

The villages of Vahagnadzor and Vahagni are approximately three miles away from one another in the Lori Region (north of the city of Vanadzor.) Neither village had an operating kindergarten for its children, until the mayor of Vahagnadzor and a team of dedicated staff and villagers reopened the village kindergarten. These villages are located along the north – south railway line. Immediately to the south of Vahagnadzor is a rail switching station. Several people from the village of Vahagni work at the station and pass through Vahagnadzor daily solving any potential transportation issues. It is estimated that approximately 10 of the potential students will come from the village of Vahagni if the school can continue operations.

A kindergarten building owned by the village of Vahagnadzor exists and is in good condition. Partial funding is needed to continue operating the kindergarten for a minimum of two years. The Kindergarten operates year-round. The annual budget of $10,000 includes one full time and four part time salaries, food and materials for the children and utilities for the building. The village budget supports the kindergarten’s operation and local villagers and other donors have pledged annually to support the kindergarten. Additional fees in support of this important project are collected as tuition fees from approximately 50% of the students that will be attending the kindergarten and whose families can afford to pay a modest monthly fee of approximately $8. It is also possible that once operational, additional funding for this kindergarten will be allocated from the Vahagni village budget. The amount needed to fund this kindergarten’s shortfall budget is $4,000 total ($2,000 for year one and $2,000 for year two).

All donors will be recognized in all press materials related to this kindergarten project and on the Paros Foundation Website. Visits to the kindergarten will be arranged for donors visiting Armenia.