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.

The Paros Foundation will directly oversee the renovation of the school bathroom including addressing such elements as windows, doors, flooring, lighting, paint, sinks, faucet and toilet. Whenever possible, the school staff, students and their parents will be incorporated into the classroom remodel project to help build a sense of community and personal investment.

This project builds on the Sevan Youth Club’s current involvement with Homeland Handicrafts and addresses the need to recruit more artisans and offer them better education and information.

The Sevan Youth Club will hold three types of seminars: Recruiting, product themes and business seminars.

Recruiting seminars: Three times a year, the Sevan Youth Club will hold recruitment and training seminars for new
artisans. These artisans will be taught the Homeland Handicrafts product-creation methodology and basic business model.

Product theme seminars: Seminars discussing product designs and themes will be held 6 weeks before each Homeland Handicrafts holiday bazaar to coordinate products and establish a strategy used by Sevan Youth Club artisans. Approximately five holiday bazaars will be held in the year.

Business seminars: Sevan Youth Club artisans will be invited to attend 3-4 seminars each year, teaching basic
business, marketing and accounting techniques. The timing of these seminars will be determined by timing of other seminars and artisan availability. Seminar topics will be determined by the immediate needs of the artisans.

This project will address two important issues in the Sevan community:

Alleviating unemployment:
Artisan recruitment targets those who are most in need of changing their financial situation. The recruitment seminars will be held in Sevan, specifically for Sevan-area artisans, giving them opportunities for employment.

Improving wages:
Empowering local artisans through education and trainings gives artisans the knowledge and avenues to be self-sufficient entrepreneurs, helping them to escape the shackles of low-wage labor markets and exploitation.

Health care for residents living in Armenia’s remote and/or poverty stricken areas is very hard to find and difficult to afford. Residents in these communities have a high rate of health issues that could otherwise be prevented or cured if they had access to simple medical care. In order to help remedy this unfortunate situation, The Paros Foundation has launched Med Aid Armenia.

Med Aid Armenia is made up of medical professionals (practicing or in school) from the United States who are volunteering their time and skills in order to provide residents in these communities with basic medical care. The group of volunteer medical professionals will be working with Armenian’s Health Ministry as well as several doctors from Armenia. As a first step our target population will receive basic check-ups and screenings. Med Aid Armenia will provide basic medical care to children and their families living in poverty stricken communities. Basic care will include eye exams, general physicals, blood pressure exams, and blood glucose and cholesterol screenings. Following screenings, patients will either be provided with direct care or referrals for continuing care. Medication will be provided by a licensed medical professional whenever appropriate. Any surplus of medical supplies and medicine will be transferred to nearby medical clinics, and managed by our local medical partners to patients needing follow up care and medication.

Sponsorship of this project will help raise the necessary funds needed to obtain basic medical equipment, supplies and medicine. In-kind donations of any of these items are also welcomed. Furthermore, we specifically need physicians, nurses, pharmacists and more to help our volunteers conduct physical exams and provide basic medical care.

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 this summer, we have decided to continue to work together and impact more children in Armenia. Together we have decided our next distribution will be for the kids living at the Kharpert Home for Special Children.

The Kharpert Home is an orphanage located in the village of Nor Kharpert currently serving 225 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. The Paros Foundation has worked with the Kharpert Home several times in the past implementing excursions for the children to amusement parks and/or other appropriate venues in order to provide these children with both valuable community experience and needed recreation. Of the 225 kids living at the center 55 attend local specialized schools, while the remaining 170 attend classes at the orphanage.

Sponsorship of this project will help give 55 children at the Kharpert Home regular backpacks and school supplies in addition to 225 drawstring backpacks filled with custom supplies for their specific needs. Some of the these items will include: arts & crafts supplies -beads, coloring books, crayons, puzzles, yarn, sewing kits and some minor hygienic needs- deodorant, toothpastes and toothbrushes. A donation of $30 will help obtain either 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.

Syrian Armenian Families who left Syria as a result of war, and have come to Armenia looking to resettle, need assistance. Unfortunately, the Armenian and Artsakh Governments do not have the funds to support this effort. However, the Artsakh government stands ready to help settle rural Syrian Armenian families in Artsakh’s Kashatagh Region. Once resettled, these rural families can engage in agriculture and agribusiness to care for their families as they did prior to the upheaval in Syria.

Through a government homestead program, The Paros Foundation will identify a suitable piece of property and home for a refugee family. Necessary renovations and/or reconstruction of the home will be completed using local labor and materials whenever possible. The refugee family will be identified and once the home is completed, it will be given to the family free of charge. A gifting agreement will be signed indicating that the house belongs to the family outright provided they agree to the housing program conditions.

During and following the project implementation, photos, video and information will be provided to all donors and supporters of this project. 100% of funds donated towards this project will go directly to the project and its management and implementation with no funds being used for foundation administrative purposes.

The Paros Foundation is a 501 (c) 3 organization. Donations to this project are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. Our tax identification number is 20-5094630.

Links

• EurasiaNet: Syrian refugees resettling in Nagorno-Karabakh
• Garo and Mher: These Qamishli Armenians Plan to Stay in Kovsakan

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.

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 with young girls, ages 14-17, from two local orphanages and/or from 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 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 Arevik, a young girl from Gyumri, with a scholarship that would reduce her out of pocket costs towards her education. Arevik lives at home with her parents, two sisters and brother. Her father is unable to work due to heart issues while her mother’s income, as a nurse, is not enough to support their whole family. Arevik has chosen to follow her mother’s footsteps in the medical field and is currently attending the Gyumri Medical College studying Pharmacy. She hopes to have her own pharmacy one day. Arevik is also very interested in archeology, law and reading books and has in the past taken dance and drawing classes. Her ultimate dream is to one day travel to Venice. The requested scholarship funds will help Arevik continue her studies and cover the costs of her tuition, uniform, books, stationaries, winter clothing and her transportation fee for one year.

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.