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.
Musical Armenia was founded in 2017, to support youth music education in Armenia. They believe that every child in Armenia should have access to music education, regardless of financial means. Musical Armenia has partnered with The Paros Foundation to help provide tuition scholarships and instruments for underprivileged children. Musical Armenia is solely supported by individual donors.
This project aims to provide full, ongoing music scholarships to children from socially vulnerable families in Vanadzor who attend the Orran Center andchildren in need from Nork Marash who attend the Andreasyan School of Music. The budget includes funds allocated for securing instruments, transportation costs and other related expenses whenever needed.
Your contribution of $20 per month ($240 per year) will sponsor one child for the duration of one year. Sponsorship in any amount is welcomed.
Children who attend the Orran Center in Vanadzor and the Andreasyan School of Music in Nork Marash have been identified who would like to study music, but are unable to pay for tuition due to their family’s economic condition.
Short Term Impact
Children will study music in a warm and nurturing environment. This includes learning an instrument, studying music theory, and having the opportunity to sing in the school choir (optional). In addition, the project increases teacher salaries, since teachers are paid per student and the project increases the number of students.
Long Term Impact
Musical education teaches discipline, helps develop good work ethic, increases self-esteem and empowers children. This project will sponsor children for the duration of their studies (maximum 8 years), making a lasting investment in the child’s development. The goal is to inspire and allow the children to explore their talents and reach their full potential. Furthermore, this project has the potential to promote Armenia’s rich culture.
Sponsors Benefits
All sponsors will be recognized on The Paros Foundation and Musical Armenia websites. In addition, donors will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project.
With consistent funding, the children are continuing their music education. At the Orran Center, the children are improving on their dhol and guitar skills. The children attending classes at the Andreasyan School of Music are continuing to learning new skills in their private lessons.
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. $82,000 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 2023
End Date
March 2024
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 2023 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.
Educators around the globe are aggressively promoting STEM education (science, technology, engineering and math) for children in schools. These important subjects help secure student’s futures in a world filled with high tech advances in nearly every aspect of live.
This project aims to augment existing high tech classes including robotics, computer programming and 3-d printing at schools and children centers across Armenia with additional hardware and educational materials aimed at familiarizing students with drone and photography technology. Support this effort and help arm our future generations with the skills they need to succeed in our ever changing world.
Students need to be armed with STEM education to compete in an every increasing high tech society. Current STEM classes offered in most of Armenia’s schools do not include drone and photography education. This project will help familiarize students with this technology.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, schools and children centers will receive both hardware and appropriate instruction on drone usage, repairs and maintenance.
Long Term Impact
In the long run, as these students are exposed to and master drone usage, they will be more confident in their abilities to utilize drones. In addition, having this technology and classes available in schools will encourage them to pursue related tech careers and higher education.
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 programs can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
Our Paros team visited the Armat Odum Lab at a school in Vardenis where students take STEM courses. With appropriate funds raised, we hope to give them a drone to increase their STEM knowledge.
March 2, 2023
About a month later the Armat Odum Lab at a school in Vardenis was given a drone. With the help of our donors, we are excited to donate many more drones to schools in Armenia.
March 23, 2023
As part of the High-Tech Education program a guest speaker and a drone operator visited the Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur School to show the children more about the abilities and usage of drones.
October 15, 2024
So happy to support the educational programing at the newly opened Kajaran Training program. More than 200 young people will have access to the latest in high tech education!
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.
Region
Ararat
City / Village
Nor Kharpert
Start Date
October 28, 2022
End Date
The Need
Approximately 1,200 children live in Armenia’s 15 orphanages. While these facilities provide basic care for these children, their limited funding does not permit these children regular visits and participate in various social and cultural activities. A child with a disability has very few opportunities to visit the city and experience life outside of the grounds of the Kharpert orphanage.
Short Term Impact
The short-term impact of this project will be the employment of a bus driver, money being spent in Armenia’s local economy and most important the education and social benefits for 20 children with developmental disabilities.
Long Term Impact
This project has considerable long-term benefits for both the children and for society. Society’s attitudes towards people with disabilities will slowly begin to change as witness these children regularly and realize that society can indeed accommodate them as part of their community.
Sponsors Benefits
Your donation to the Kharpert Home for Special Children will be recognized at the Center and your name listed as a sponsor on the Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project. The Paros Foundation stands ready to help you arrange a visit to the Kharpert Home for Special Children when you are in Armenia.
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Updates: Images & Information
June 25, 2024
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June 25, 2024
SERVICE Armenia 2024 participants accompanied 20 residents from the Kharpert Home for Special Children to a fun day at Victory Park in Yerevan.
The village of Paruyr Sevak was founded in 1978 and named after the famous poet Paruyr Sevak. The village is located in the Ararat Region and is near the border of Nakhchivan and occasionally receives cross border sniper fire. Almost 600 people live in the village of Paruyr Sevak. There is no gas infrastructure in the area, so families burn wood or use electricity to heat their homes and public buildings. Improvements were recently made to the drinking water infrastructure for homes in Paruyr Sevak. Irrigation water continues to be a problem for the village and dramatically effects their ability to farm.
The village’s school, is in overall poor condition. The campus was originally designed in the 80s to encompass three large buildings, but only one of them was actually completed. The 80+ students that attend this school, do so in substandard conditions. The school does not have heating so it is cold in the winter. Students do not have any appropriate inside or outside space for gym class, or physical activities. There is a shortage of space within the existing building for extra curricular activities such as dance classes, choir practices and community gatherings.
Improvements to the school will be made in phases as funding permits with the most important first step being the installation of a heating system into the school. This will cost approximately $40,000. In addition, an outside sports court will be built allowing children an appropriate space to play basketball, soccer and volleyball. This will cost approximately $9,000. Finally, one large multipurpose room will be renovated with bathrooms and locker rooms to allow children to have dance class and other enrichment activities for the school. This will cost approximately $36,000.
Work will commence as funding is raised for this project.
The school in the village of Paruyr Sevak does not have a functioning heating system for the cold winter months. In addition, the school overall is in poor condition and does not have appropriate space for assemblies, dance classes and/or other gatherings including gym class.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, as work begins on the school, several temporary employment positions will be created and a modest economic benefit will be realized as all materials and will be purchased locally.
Long Term Impact
In the long run, children and staff will dramatically benefit from these improvements to the school including proper heating and appropriate physical activity space, both which will keep them healthier and contribute to an overall more positive environment at the school and in the village.
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 Paruyr Sevak can be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
A heating system has been installed at the school to keep the students warm in the winters.
April 2, 2023
A brand new sports court has been built for the Paruyr Sevak School. This space will serve as a safe and fun environment that students can play in for years to come. Thank you to Hoops4Hayastan for making this project a reality.
April 25, 2024
The renovations on a bathroom at the Paruyr Sevak School are now complete!
The 1988 Spitak Earthquake caused the death of more than 35,000 people and left more than 100,000 people homeless. Armenia’s second largest city, Gyumri, was most affected by the earthquake. In the years that followed, Armenia’s Independence, the Artsakh War and corrupt regional and local officials all contributed to a massive housing shortage, the inability to emerge from this housing shortage, and generational poverty in Gyumri. Today, almost 2,000 domiks are still “home” to people in Gyumri. While the development in Gyumri has considerably advanced in recent years, this housing shortage continues to exist.
To date, The Paros Foundation has purchased 26 homes for domik families, and demolished 26 domiks, ensuring no one will ever live in one again. In early 2022, the new Mayor of Gyumri proposed to The Paros Foundation that the city provides The Foundation with one of Gyumri’s many half-constructed buildings, with the purpose of Paros completing the building’s construction and housing domik families. The building that was selected and given to Paros is suitable for 16 residential apartments and has an additional 6,000 square feet that Paros will use to open a second branch of its Debi Arach Children’s Center, additional vocational training programs and/or a second social enterprise.
The Paros Foundation has the experience and track record to successfully implement this project. Its benefits will be multi-fold including:
27 domik families will receive a new home.
27 domiks will be demolished and land returned to the city.
One unfinished building will be completed, eliminating another eye sore for the city.
During the construction phase, more than $500,000 will be invested in Gyumri’s economy through material purchases and labor.
Once completed, Debi Arach will create an additional 15 full time employment positions.
More than 2,000 people remain homeless in Gyumri living in “domiks”. This project will help create permanent housing for 16 families and eliminate 16 domiks.
Short Term Impact
The construction of 16 apartments and a second branch office of Debi Arach Children’s Center will create approximately 20 construction jobs for almost one year. There will be a local bump in the economy as labor and materials will be purchased locally whenever possible.
Long Term Impact
16 families will receive new apartments. 16 domiks will be demolished and the land returned to the city for public use. 100 children will receive the benefits proven through the programing at Debi Arach and 8 to 10 full time employment positions will be created at the new location.
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.
Thank you to the Assarian and Atesian families for sponsoring a successful event that raised more than $75,000 in support for this important project.
August 22, 2023
We have hired both our project architect and seismic engineering firm for our building. They will help us design and develop plans for the addition of a fourth floor on the building that will house four to eight additional families in new apartments.
August 11, 2025
Thanks to a very generous anonymous donation, funding has been raised to complete the entire construction of this building. Additional donations will go towards the furniture and equipment needed for the housing units and children’s center.
October 4, 2025
Construction work on the building has officially begun.
February 23, 2026
Work is moving quickly. Seismic reinforcements for the entire building are underway.
May 12, 2026
Work on the interior room configurations are moving along.
September 11, 2026
The stone work on the exterior of the building is complete. Work on the inside of the building is still going well.
The ARM HOF (Armenian Hall of Fame) Organization has partnered with The Paros Foundation to implement several wrestling programs at schools in Armenia’s Tavush Region.
Wrestling programs will include installing proper wrestling mats along with other training equipment, providing coaching salary for one year, and organizing wrestling tournaments among participating schools.
During this initial phase, we hope to raise the necessary funds to launch wrestling programs at 10 schools. To successfully launch a wrestling team at a school, the school needs some minimum equipment including mats, a climbing rope, free weights, pull up bar, practice mannequins and uniforms. This equipment can cost up to $5,000 depending on whether or not the school already has any of these items. In addition, salaries of coaching staffs can cost up to a maximum of $1,500 per year. In addition to these per school costs, to successfully sponsor a quarterly tournament, transportation for all the schools must be arranged, along with other expenses. This can cost up to a total of $500 per tournament.
Students at school throughout Armenia take a keen interest in physical fitness and wrestling in particular, but due to a lack of funding for both equipment and coaches students often cannot participate. This effort aims at building interest and the necessary support to help students accelerate in this sport an early age, just preparing them for success at future Olympic games and another international Competitions!
To promote friendly competition between neighboring schools, fitness, and the sport of wrestling, Schools must be equipped with proper equipment and coaching staff salaries. Schools in the isolated Tavush Region do not have the resources to promote wrestling at their schools and competition amongst their schools.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, wrestling materials and equipment will be purchased and installed at schools. Coaches will also be identified at each school. Students will be registered who wish to participate on these teams.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, from the competitions between neighboring schools will lead to a sense of pride in one school, better overall fitness, and add an interesting dimension to village Life. As these programs grow top athletes will be recognized across the country.
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.
The first Induction event of athletes to the Armenian Hall of Fame took place today in Glendale, California. Proceeds from this event helped benefit the first of the wrestling projects. An amazing group of athletes attended and supported the event.
October 30, 2023
In the Tavush region, 110 kids from 7 different villages and towns, including participants from Artsakh, competed in a wrestling competition that was held for the first time in five years. This is the culmination of months of intramural wrestling support funded through the generosity of the Armenian Sports Hall of Fame via the Paros Foundation including coaches, equipment and training.
April 20, 2026
The second Armenian Sports Hall of Fame interschool wrestling competition was a hue success! This year, 116 children from across the Tavush region, traveling from as far as Ijevan, came together in Berd to compete, nearly doubling participation from our first event. It’s inspiring to see the program grow, bringing more young athletes together through sport, discipline, and community. Thank you to the Armenian sports Hall of Fame for providing this life changing experience for children all over Armenia.
Following the 2020 war, a large number of young people ended up in the Vayots Dzor Region of Armenia, including Young people who were injured during the war. To help provide specialty training including vocational to help these young people work and earn a living, this special fund has been created. Work will be done to support the activities and specialized training via a variety of non-governmental organizations in the Vayots Dzor Region.
Region
Vayots Dzor
City / Village
Syunik and neighboring villages
Start Date
Immediately
End Date
Six months after start
The Need
Displaced young people and returning soldiers with disabilities need specialized training and education to hold the skills they need to work and earn a living. Currently very few opportunities for these young people exist in this area.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, local NGOs will be engaged to establish vocational another specialty training programs in the region. This will immediately benefit both instructors as well as students.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, the economic conditions throughout the region will improve as these young people master their skills and work.
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.
The village of Nerkin Tsaghkavan is located in Armenia’s Tavush Region on the road to Noyemberyan and is home to more than 500 people. Both the village of Nerkin Tsaghkavan and the neighboring village of Kirants do not have a kindergarten for its children. The village has allocated a building centrally located in the village to house a future kindergarten. In addition, the consolidated community has funding available for the kindergarten’s operational expenses once it is built. The Paros team has visited this kindergarten and designed construction to include its future expansion to house two groups of up to 60 children. Initial construction will allow for the kindergarten to begin operation with one group (30 children). Construction will include a new roof, windows, heating and a playroom, sleep room, kitchen/dining hall, bathroom and small office.
In addition, the project will include the furnishing of the kindergarten with all furniture necessary to launch operations including tables, chairs, beds, lockers, kitchen cabinets, desks, and appliances.
The village of Verin Tsaghkavan does not have a kindergarten for its children. More than 30 children of kindergarten age live in the village. The government has funding to operate a kindergarten, but not for construction, however they have allocated a suitable building for this purpose.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, a modest economic boost will be realized as local construction materials and labor will be used whenever possible. Once open, at least four new employment positions will be created at the kindergarten.
Long Term Impact
In the long term, families and the children will benefit from having a functional kindergarten in their community. Children will benefit from the proven value of early education.
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.
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June 4, 2022With funds successfully raised by our donors, kindergarten construction has officially started. We anticipate that within a few months the project will be finished and provide foundational education to the Verin Tsaghkavan village.
January 31, 2023
After months of meaningful work, the Verin Tsaghkavan kindergarten is complete and held its grand opening! Local community leaders and contributors gathered to celebrate this great accomplishment after years without a kindergarten in the village. With the help of our donors, we were able to provide a necessary kindergarten for young children to learn crucial foundational skills.
June 12, 2023
A year after the start of construction, these kindergartners are enjoying their new school learning crucial skills, playing with friends, and making lasting memories. Thank you to our donors for making this need in a small village possible.
Facing the challenges of limited water, limited access to land and the challenges of weather, an aquaponic growing system for food is a perfect solution for border communities. An Aquaponics has clear benefits over soil-based gardening including lessened, adverse environmental impacts, reduced consumption of resources, faster plant growth, and higher yields. The Paros Foundation working through its Aygepar Incubator, has won a $53,000 grant from the Austrian Development Agency to install a 1,760 sq. ft. greenhouse along with a control building to house an aquaponic growing system in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur. Our contribution towards this important project is an additional $15,000. The system will be housed in a 160 square meter controlled environment greenhouse. This fully recirculating system will be used as both a training center and as a plant production business. The system will introduce rabbit waste into a small waste processing station before being pumped into a fully aqueous media environment which converts the waste to usable nitrates. The resulting nitrate fertilizer will be circulated through the bioreactor, into Deep Water Culture beds and Nutrient Film Technique gutters prior to their return to a waste processing station. Once completed, this system will serve as a model for the entire region. Its training component will serve to instruct the next generation on how to benefit from and properly care for an aquaponics farming system.
Because of a shortage of land and lack of water in the community of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, it is difficult to farm. The introduction of an aquaponic system and training will greatly benefit this community.
Short Term Impact
In the short term, the preparation and construction of the aquaponic system in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur will bring a mild economic benefit to the community as local labor and materials will be used whenever possible.
Long Term Impact
In the longer term, the community will benefit economically as any proceeds from the sales of the aquaponic farm will be reinvested directly in the community. In addition, the villagers will benefit from the training they receive in this new cutting edge technology.
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.
Construction on the Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur aquaponics greenhouse begins.
April 27, 2023
Greenhouse construction is finished, officially launching the aquaponics program. We look forward to planting the first batch of plants and presenting this asset to the community!
May 12, 2023
Two greenhouse employees will maintain the greenhouse and teach classes to locals and students. Today they plant strawberries and tomatoes.
June 23, 2023
The Ponics Greenhouse and Education Center is open! A ribbon cutting ceremony was held with donors Patrick & Mary Goshtigian present who generously supported the project. This resource will benefit the community for years to come because the lack of water and land make it difficult to farm in the border village of Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur.
September 10, 2024
Regular classes for students at the school began today.
January 20, 2024
Gas pipelines are added to the greenhouse so that it can fully operate in the winter months.
