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.
The Ghoghanj Children’s Center located in the Kentron of Yerevan provides afterschool and summer school programs for approximately 85 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 2014 in the Nor Nork neighborhood of Yerevan to provide support to 85 additional children annually. The new center has provided students the same core classes daily (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.
Amount will include rent, utilities, teacher salaries, maintenance and additional improvements, and supplies.
Region
Yerevan / Երևան
City / Village
Nor Nork / Նոր Նորք
Start Date
September 2024
End Date
August 2025
The Need
Children living in the community of Nor Nork in Yerevan are in need of additional guidance through social, psychological and academic support. A second center for these kids has been opened and needs financial support in order to cover operational costs for the following school year 2023-2024.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, sponsorship of this project will help continue to employ teachers, and provide 85 children in the Nor Nork neighborhood of Yerevan with their needed tutoring and guidance.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, this project has the potential of impacting the lives of 85-100 at-risk students by helping them gain the guidance and support they need in order to create greater future opportunities, and become successful individuals and good citizens.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to fund the operational costs for the 2024-2025 school year for Ghoghanj-Nor Nork will be recognized with a plaque at the Center and on the Center’s website and in their printed materials. Your name will also be listed as a sponsor on The Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project. The Paros Foundation will happily arrange a visit to the center when you are in Armenia.
The Paros Foundation launched the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri, Armenia on April 15, 2015 with the help of generous donors. The center, which provides 185 children each week the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support, has since been a source of positivity in this city. The residents of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city have endured very devastating realities since the tragic 1988 Spitak Earthquake. More than 100,000 residents were left homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty for years to come. In turn, the fate of children in Gyumri has also been affected. Dealing with the difficulty of finding means to feed and care for their families, many parents are unable to provide their children with the proper guidance, supervision, educational aid and the financial resources for them to excel in school and have successful futures. The Debi Arach Children’s Center, which in Armenian means “moving forward,” helps these socially vulnerable children through a holistic approach providing them with both humanitarian and educational support. The center provides counseling and group therapy with a psychologist on staff, homework help and tutoring for almost every subject the children learn in school including English, Math, Art/Design, and Computer classes. Additionally, they are served a nutritious meal everyday, helping them receive the calories and/or nutrients they would otherwise not have. Furthermore, the Center addresses a very important hygienic need by providing the children in attendance with supervised bathing facilities. The goal is to help hundreds of children develop a vision for a successful future, and to give them the skills they need to reach these goals. This project is impacting the lives of hundreds of socially vulnerable children by helping them gain the guidance and support they need in order to create greater future opportunities, and become successful individuals and good citizens.
To date, the center has already had several important successes. At least nine children have been taken out of boarding schools, attend our center and now live back at home with their families. Many of the children who were receiving poor grades in school are now achieving top scores. The children have become socially well adjusted and much more healthier than before with the continued consumption of multi-vitamins and a daily well-balanced meal. Staff trainings take place with an academic counsel of professionals from the United States and Armenia to ensure that the children are receiving the best care, treatment and methods for their development.
The center is working on funding year nine and raising additional funds in order to develop and add to the programs and classes offered with the ability to hire more educators, and get more supplies, and equipment. Funds will also be used to supplement daily activities, hold forums for guest speakers and provide educational and career planning opportunities. $92,000 is needed to cover operating costs for the Center. In January of 2017, Debi Arach successfully launched its first program within its Vocational Training Center, teaching children computer programming, 3d printing and robotics curriculum. The goal of this newest component is to provide these children with marketable job skills in order to help them work themselves out of poverty. In 2019, with the long term commitment by Dr. & Mrs. Gary and Linda Assarian (MI) the vocational training program was renamed the Assarian Vocational Training Program
https://youtu.be/idA8y2UEDp8
Region
Shirak / Շիրակ
City / Village
Gyumri / Գյումրի
Start Date
April 2024
End Date
March 2025
The Need
Thousands of children in Gyumri are living in extreme poverty, with no hope for a decent future. These socially vulnerable children are in need of a safe and enriching environment where they can receive additional guidance through social, psychological and academic support giving them a chance to break their cycle of poverty. The children’s center will continue to provide these children with the opportunity to attend afterschool and summer school programs providing them with the additional skills necessary for a successful future. Additionally, these children suffer from malnutrition and related illnesses due to a lack of well-balanced meals. The center will continue to provide each child with a nutritious meal everyday, helping them receive the calories and/or nutrients they need. Furthermore, many families were forced to take refuge in overseas shipping containers (domiks), or in condemned buildings after the devastating 1988 Spitak Earthquake or due to their poor socioeconomic status. An entire generation of children has grown up in deplorable conditions, often times with no running water and little or no heat to take showers. The Center will address this very important hygienic need by continuing to provide the children in attendance with supervised new bathing facilities.
Short Term Impact
The short-term 185 children will receive immediate support and guidance to help them succeed for the second year. The Center will continue offer nutritious meals, bathing facilities, counseling opportunities, homework aid and tutoring and core classes including English, Computer, Art/Design, and Math.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, with the success of the Center’s current offerings, additional classes and programs will be added and attendance will rise. The number of children growing up in poverty in the future will decrease as the number of children successfully graduating from our program and continuing onto college or successful vocations increases. The number of “social orphans” and children temporarily residing in boarding schools in Gyumri will be reduced as parents become increasingly able to keep their children at home given the humanitarian support they receive at the center. Through ongoing employment opportunities created, several families will continue to receive a fair wage, hence improving Gyumri’s economy.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to sponsor the operating cost for 2024 of the Debi Arach Children’s Center in Gyumri will be recognized with a plaque at the Center and on the Center’s website and in their printed materials. Your name will also be listed as a sponsor on The Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project. The Paros Foundation will proudly arrange a visit to the new Center when you are in Armenia.
On the 109th Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day, Peter Abajian and The Paros Team visited the Debi Arach Children’s Center. With our staff , the children commemorated April 24th through a presentation on Armenian Genocide history.
June 26, 2024
Med-Aid Armenia 2024 visited the Debi Arach Children’s Center providing important health check-ups for the children.
August 5, 2024
The Dadourian and Barmakian Families visited the Debi Arach Children’s Center, which they have been main supporters of since day one in 2015. During their visit, they made gata, handed out backpacks to the children, and distributed groceries to families living in domiks. We were also thrilled to show the family the site of our Paros Housing, After-School & Vocational Center, which will house our second Debi Arach location and provide apartments for 27 families.
November 12, 2024
The families of Debi Arach Children’s Center gathered for an informative night to learn more about the direction and future of the center. It was a great night with collaborative feedback from the families.
In light of the recent influx of displaced individuals from Artsakh, we have launched free-of-charge recurring activities for displaced boys and girls in several cities throughout Armenia. Children often carry the heavy burden of trauma, much like a backpack filled with their past experiences and struggles. Our mission is to provide them with safe, nurturing spaces where they can temporarily set aside these burdens and step onto the playing field. Here, they have the opportunity to play, prioritize their health, and acquire essential coping mechanisms and life skills to address their trauma.
Join us today, and support our efforts of ensuring our kids have a safe place to disconnect from the ugly reality that is forced upon them.
We are working with a number of sports schools and facilities across Armenia. They are ready to provide after-school programming for children from Artsakh free of charge. Most of them lack the sports gear necessary to do so. With your donations and support we will be providing them with basketballs, footballs, and other sport essentials to be able to conduct these activities.
Your contributions directly aid in securing sports gear and orchestrating events for children who have found themselves relocated to rural Armenian communities due to displacement.
“Games For Good” serves a critical need by providing a sense of normalcy and well-being to children displaced from Artsakh. These young individuals have faced the upheaval of conflict and are in need of stability and integration into their new surroundings. Sports and purposeful play offer a unique avenue for achieving this. Not only do these activities promote physical well-being, but they also provide a sense of routine and belonging. The project recognizes the importance of creating a safe and inclusive space where displaced children can engage in sports, learn life skills, and forge new friendships. In this context, sports play a vital role in supporting their emotional and psychological well-being, enabling these children to recover from the traumas of displacement and integrate more smoothly into their new communities.
Short Term Impact
GOALS will provide free-of-charge recurring activities for displaced boys and girls in several cities throughout Armenia.
Long Term Impact
Research shows that sports can help mitigate the effects of forced displacement on children. Participating in team sports yields psychological, physical, emotional, social, educational, and long-term benefits. These include improved concentration and physical fitness, social integration, conflict resolution skills, reduction in anxiety and depression, and increased motivation to attend school.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors will be listed on The Paros Foundation website, on the GOALS website, and in all relevant press of this important project.[vp_give_donor_wall
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Karine S. and her two young sons live in the border village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. Last year, Karine’s husband was killed in a tragic auto accident. Prior to this accident, Karine and her husband had purchased a home of their own in the village with plans to renovate the space, work the properties orchard and build a future for their children.
Karine and her boys currently live in a rented home in the village. The home they purchased needs to be rebuilt completely and partially expanded. Once rebuilt, the home will have two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room and bathroom.
Karine and her boys would be grateful to receive the support needed to help them renovate their home and give them a fresh start for their future.
Improving conditions for people to live in communities along the border with Azerbaijan is important. Helping villagers with home improvements is vital to help create a vibrant border community. Karine, a widow, cannot afford to renovate the home she purchased with her husband prior to his death.
Short Term Impact
A local construction team will be hired to do the reconstruction and renovation work on Karine’s home. In addition, windows and other materials will be purchased locally, which help support the local economy.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, rebuilding Karine’s home will create a lasting bond for her boys within this border community. In addition, making significant improvements to her home will improve her and her children’s attitudes and moral, which is equally as important as their living conditions.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Vardan S. and his wife Anush have three children. The family of five live together in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. The family purchased their home a few years ago and spent their savings on expanding the home to its current size of 1, 100 square feet.
The expanded portion of the home was never finished due to lack of funds. The home’s entire roof is in need of being replaced. The roof replacement and completion of the interior of the addition will dramatically improve the living conditions for this family.
Vardan works as a contract soldier with the Armenian Army. He is at his post two weeks of every month. Vardan and his family would be grateful if we could replace the leaking roof on his home along with completing the construction of their addition. This would help seal his home from the cold winter weather and rain and allow his children to live in a safer, more comfortable environment.
Improving conditions for people to live in communities along the border with Azerbaijan is important. Many of these residents work as border guards, protecting our borders. Helping villagers with home improvements is vital to help create a vibrant border community.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, a local window company will be contracted with to manufacture the windows in the addition. Roofing materials will also be purchased locally, thus positively impacting the local economy. Local construction teams will be hired to do the reconstruction and renovation work.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, homes in these communities will be improved beyond their previous condition. In addition, making significant improvements to villager’s homes will improve villager’s attitudes and moral, which is equally as important as their living conditions.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Samvel and his wife live with their married son, Ivan and his wife and children all live together in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. Six people spanning three generations live together in the family’s home. The home is approximately 1,100 square foot and is mostly renovated. They need one additional room renovated so the children have a place to sleep and a bathroom constructed in the home.
Samvel works at the school as the guard and facilities person. Karine, his wife, works as one of the school’s cooks. Ivan, his son, works for the Ministry of Emergency Services. The work that Samvel is requesting will cost approximately $6,200 to renovate one bedroom and build the bathroom. This work would offer the children a safe and comfortable enviroment in which to sleep and would offer the family the benefits of indoor plumbing.
Improving conditions for people to live in communities along the border with Azerbaijan is important. Many of these residents work as border guards, protecting our borders. Helping villagers with home improvements is vital to help create a vibrant border community.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, a local construction team will be hired to do the reconstruction and renovation work on the bedroom and bathroom. Materials will be purchased locally to help impact the local economy. The family will soon benefit from their new bedroom and bathroom.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, homes in these communities will be improved beyond their previous condition. In addition, making significant improvements to villager’s homes will improve villager’s attitudes and moral, which is equally as important as their living conditions.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Lyova. and his mother, his two sons and one of his son’s family all live together in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. Nine people spanning four generations live together in the family’s home. The home has been renovated and maintained over the years, however Lyova has asked for some interior doors to be replaced and one room to be fully remodeled including new windows. The home is two story with each floor containing about 2,000 sq feet of space. The family lives both upstairs and a portion of the downstairs as living space. Lyova is retired and had worked as a contract soldier. His sons, Gnel and Vrezh both work for the Emergency Services and as a guard for the Security services respectively. The work they are requesting will cost approximately $5,800. This work will improve the conditions within Lyova’s home for his large family.
Improving conditions for people to live in communities along the border with Azerbaijan is important. Many of these residents work as border guards, protecting our borders. Helping villagers with home improvements is vital to help create a vibrant border community.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, a local window company will be contracted with to replace the remaining windows in the home. All materials will also be purchased locally, thus positively impacting the local economy. Local construction teams will be hired to do the reconstruction and renovation work.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, homes in these communities will be improved beyond their previous condition. In addition, making significant improvements to villager’s homes will improve villager’s attitudes and moral, which is equally as important as their living conditions.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Gevorg is an amazing young man who is a champion weightlifter who has competed throughout the world. He is proud of the gym he has built in Gavar both for the quality of the training that takes place there, as well as the fact that he provides free access to for training and rehabilitation for people with disabilities and war veterans. Gevorg uniquely understands that difficulties faced by people with disabilities and those injured during the war as Gevorg, himself, has cerebral palsy.
Gevorg wishes to build a second gym in the Tavush village of Verin Karmiraghbyur. More than 1,500 residents call this community home and they do not have nearby facilities for training or rehabilitation. The local community has given Gevorg’s NGO a space in one of the community buildings that will serve as the gym once it is renovated.
Gevorg and his NGO partners and friends are willing to do supply labor to complete the renovation work themselves. They need funding for the materials. Once completed, their intent, as is currently operating at the Gavar gym, is to charge a modest fee for the gym’s use and for classes to help off set the expenses related to providing free access to people with disabilities and injured veterans.
In the village of Verin Karmiraghbyur, there are no gym facilities for the community. This absence effects the ability for people with injuries from the war, those with disabilities and the community at large from gaining the benefits of exercise and training.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, Gevork and his friends and supporters will join together to renovate the space in the building. This effort should last four months. Materials will be purchased locally thus positively impacting the local economy.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, once the gym is completed, residents will enjoy the benefits of this new addition to their community. People with disabilities and war veterans injured will be able to have a space to exercise, train and conduct rehabilitation activities free of charge.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Renovation on the gym has started. Our construction crew started by adding new windows and doors.
April 17, 2024
After several months of hard work by Gevorg, his friends and family and materials from The Paros Foundation, the new community gym “Sport Zone” was opened in the community of Verin Karmiraghbyur. The gym will offer free access to injured veterans and those with disabilities. A special thank you to Patrick and Mary Goshtigian who contributed generously to this important project.
Vachik M. and his wife, their son and his family all live together in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. Seven people spanning three generations live together in the family’s home. The home has a leaky roof and is need of having it replaced. In addition, the family’s home has old, broken windows that he would like replaced. The home is two story with each floor containing about 1300 sq feet of space. The family uses the upstairs mainly and some of the downstairs space for a summer kitchen and storage. Vachik works in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur turning on and off various pumps in the village to supply various parts of the village with water. Several year’s ago he was shot in the leg and walks with a strong limp. He was shot while working his field. His son, Karen, works as a guard at the Berd police station. Vachig and his family would be very happy if we could replace the leaking roof on his home along with all the windows (several windows are broken) and doors. This would help seal his home from the cold winter weather and rain and allow his grandchildren to live in a safer, more comfortable environment.
Improving conditions for people to live in communities along the border with Azerbaijan is important. Many of these residents work as border guards, protecting our borders. Helping villagers with home improvements is vital to help create a vibrant border community.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, a local window company will be contracted with to replace the windows in the home. Roofing materials will also be purchased locally, thus positively impacting the local economy. Local construction teams will be hired to do the reconstruction and renovation work.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, homes in these communities will be improved beyond their previous condition. In addition, making significant improvements to villager’s homes will improve villager’s attitudes and moral, which is equally as important as their living conditions.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors of this important project will be listed on The Paros Foundation’s website and in all press related to this project. Visits to these communities can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
