Medical Center in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur

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Description

Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur is a village with 1,380 residents in the Bert area of Armenia’s Tavush Region. This community lives on the border with Azerbaijan under the risk of sniper fire and renewed armed conflict. The medical center in Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur also serves two neighboring villages of Tavush and Aygepar (also along the border.) The facility is housed in a building that was renovated last in 1999, which also houses the village administration.

The Medical Center consists of four rooms totaling approximately 1,188 square feet. The Center needs a new roof over its portion of the building, new windows and doors and a heating system. Currently they are using a wood-burning stove to heat patient rooms. They have a need for storage cabinets for both medication and patient records, chairs for the waiting room and a computer and desk for the physician’s use. Lab equipment such as an EKG machine, patient temperature device, and a Biochemical Analyzer and an ultrasound machine are also needed.

Any partial funds received for this project will be first used to replace the damaged roof. Then funds will be allocated to equipment purchases and the remainder of the renovation of the space. The Paros Foundation team will work with the village administration to ensure that they support the project in as many ways as possible including donated materials, free labor and/or support services.

It is anticipated that the repairs to the medical center will take approximately 3 months depending on weather conditions.

Region

Tavush

City / Village

Bert Region, Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur

Start Date

January 2013

End Date

June 2013

Gallery Images

The second floor medical center in the village of Nerkin Karmir Aghpyur.



The entry door is in poor condition and barely closes.



The roof at the medical center leaks terribly.



The medical center is currently heated with wood.

The Need

Quality medical care is difficult to provide in Armenia’s rural areas without proper facilities and equipment. Residents have no choice but to depend on these regional medical centers for their family’s health care needs. The roof, doors, windows and heating system are items that are fundamentally needed to allow this center to operate. The furniture and basic equipment needs that are requested will allow for health care professionals to better understand the ailments and treatment for their patients.

Short Term Impact

The renovation of the Medical Center will immediately better facilitate the health needs of the residents in these three villages. Materials will be purchased locally, thus providing a boost to the local economy. Three to four local workers will be hired during the renovation process and thus provide these residents short-term employment.

Long Term Impact

Citizens must have access to adequate, clean medical facilities especially for children. This renovation and equipment purchase will help meet the needs of approximately 3,300 rural patients annually.

Sponsors Benefits

All sponsors will be recognized with a plaque installed in the newly renovated areas. In addition, donors will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project and on the Paros 100 website. Visits to the Clinic will be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
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Video Update

April 15, 2013

It took the majority of the day and night to get the construction materials delivered to the Nerkin Karmir Aghpyur medical center. The materials left Yerevan late, and took almost six hours to arrive!

 May 2, 2013

Working under the constant threat of sniper fire, our local crew completed the installation of the new roof.

 May 20, 2013

Work is progressing nicely inside the Nerkin Karmir Aghpyur medical center.

 July 1, 2013

Today we held the official opening of the medical center! The project benefactors, Jean-Marie & Lori Atamian and their family joined Paros Foundation Chairman Roger Strauch, staff, and SERVICE Armenia 2013 volunteers for the ceremony. See the video below!

Ghoghanj – Math & Science Dream Lab

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Description

The mission of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center is to provide the proper support and guidance children need to excel in school and become self-confident and respectful young adults. Founded in 2003, the Ghoghanj Children’s Center works with vulnerable “at-risk” children and their families to help them overcome social, psychological and legal issues.
The Center’s programs are specifically designed to facilitate group discussion and are sensitive to the psychological challenges of an at-risk child and their families. The Center works to develop successful communication, self-expression and tolerance skills among the students. A fundamental focus on the arts, homework assistance and tutoring to ensure academic success is a key ingredient of the programs’ success.
In the last two year, the Ghoghanj Children’s center has successfully impacted and steered the lives of 13 children to higher education and new opportunities. To further the success of these children, the Center has identified a need for a programmatic shift emphasizing math and science. The creation of a Math & Science Lab at the Ghoghanj Children’s Center would provide 75 at-risk students access to Math, Biology, Chemistry and Physics instructors, lab equipment such as microscopes and workbooks, educational textbooks and Internet usage. The goal of this program is to broaden the educational experience of the students through interactive learning, projects and experiments.

Region

Yerevan

City / Village

Yerevan

Start Date

October 2016

End Date

October 2017

Gallery Images

The Math & Science Lab at the Kentron Ghoghanj Children’s Center will concentrate on Robotics courses and computer programming taught through training courses developed by the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE).

The Need

With the addition of the Math & Science Lab, the Ghoghanj Children’s Center will have the opportunity to continue to steer their at-risk students toward a larger spectrum of future opportunities and expose them to classes many of them lack in school. Furthermore, the Lab will equip students with additional skills necessary for a successful future such as working together and employing technology.

Short Term Impact

The short-term impact of this project will to supply the Ghoghanj Children’s Center with an efficient amount of educational materials and workbooks, lab equipment, and access to Internet. In addition, four subject instructors will be immediately employed to help instruct and oversee the students while in the lab.

Long Term Impact

In the long term, this project has the potential of impacting the lives of 75 at-risk students gain the Math and Science education that will open the doors for them to achieve greater future opportunities and provide for their families.

Sponsors Benefits

Your donation to sponsor the creation of a Math and Science Lab will be recognized on the Ghoghanj Children’s Center’s website and in their printed materials, and your name 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 Ghoghanj Children’s Center when you are in Armenia.
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June 6, 2016

The Math & Science Dream Lab with an emphasis on robotics, computer programming and 3D printing has been launched at the Ghoghanj Children’s Center in Yerevan (Kentron). The program was developed by the Union of Information Technology Enterprises (UITE).

Aknashen Speech School, Multipurpose Classrooms

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Description

The Aknashen School for Children with Speech Disabilities provides speech therapy to approximately 20 children ages 3 to 7 each year. With proper speech therapy, these children often avoid a life of difficulties if they can correct their speech disability prior to beginning their primary education. The Aknashen School is housed in a building donated to the School by the Village Municipality. The School is currently comprised of two small classrooms. The addition of two additional rooms with proper lighting and heating will dramatically improve the space for these children to engage in their therapy. In addition, the expanded classroom and multi-room space will also allow the School to expand its activities and bring in additional children.

Local villagers have a history of contributing to the well-being and renovation of the School. These same locals will be engaged with this project and stand ready to donate their time and talents to the successful implementation of this project.

Region

Armavir

City / Village

Aknashen Village

Start Date

May 2012

End Date

December 2012

Gallery Images

The teachers work with the children in Aknashen and the surrounding villages to help them overcome their speech impairments.



The classroom, once renovated, will provide additional program and play space for the children.



The lower level classroom needs complete remodeling.



Another view of the classroom in its original condition.

The Need

Children who do not develop proper speaking skills often face additional difficulties as adults and face ridicule by their peers. Most often, this problem is correctable with early intervention. The Aknashen School for Children with Speech Disabilities is the only school in the area-serving children for the surrounding villages.

Short Term Impact

Local villagers will be put to work for several months during the renovation project. In addition, the School will be able to provide services for a greater number of children. Building materials will be purchased locally in the Village when possible, helping the local economy.

Long Term Impact

A greater number of local children with speech disabilities will be served with an expanded area for classrooms. In addition, the multipurpose nature of the new classrooms will provide the opportunity to implement new methods of therapy for working with these children. In the winter months and inclement weather, the multipurpose classrooms will provide a safe play area for these children as well.

Sponsors Benefits

All sponsors will be recognized with a plaque installed at the School. In addition, donors will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project and on the Paros 100 website. Visits to the Aknashen School will be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.
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June 5, 2012

To help with the renovation, the village’s mayor helped deliver sand and crushed stone as part of their local contribution.

 December 27, 2012

The work on the hallway and classroom was completed in time for a New Year’s party for the children to take place in their new space! Be sure to view the video below!

Helping At-Risk Kids Get Help

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Description

The mission of the Ghoghanj Children’s Center is to provide the proper support and guidance children need to excel in school and become self-confident and respectful young adults. Founded in 2003, the Ghoghanj Children’s Center works with vulnerable “at-risk” children and their families to help them overcome social, psychological and legal issues.

The Center’s programs are specifically designed to facilitate group discussion and are sensitive to the psychological challenges of an at-risk child and their families. The Center works to develop successful communication, self-expression and tolerance skills among the students. A fundamental focus on homework assistance and tutoring to ensure academic success is a key ingredient of the programs’ success.

The Center is located in the center of Yerevan in a facility provided to them rent-free by the Strauch-Kulhanjian family and the Paros Foundation. Several children in the Kilikia neighborhood and the Yerort Mas neighborhoods of Yerevan are in need of the Center’s services, but cannot afford the daily transportation fees. Providing transportation scholarships for these children will facilitate their attendance.

Region

Yerevan

City / Village

Yerevan

Start Date

2011

End Date

2012

Gallery Images

Children at the Ghoghanj Children’s Center.

The Need

Children who do not receive proper support in their home life benefit tremendously from an afterschool program that focuses on homework assistance and offers other classes aimed at providing children an opportunity to develop into successful and productive adults. The Ghoghanj Children’s Center has a successful track record of turning children’s lives around. This project will provide transportation stipends to ten children to allow them to participate regularly in the Center’s program.

Short Term Impact

The short-term impact of this project will be the immediate allow ten children who currently cannot attend the Ghoghanj Children’s Center’s programs to begin attending through the transportation scholarships.

Long Term Impact

In the long term, this project has the potential of turning around the lives of ten students by helping them gain the support they need to stay in school and develop into successful young adults.

Sponsors Benefits

Sponsors will be listed on the websites of the Paros 100 Projects and the Ghoghanj Children’s Center, in addition to all press related to this project. Sponsors visiting Armenia can visit the Ghoghanj Children’s Center.

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Transportation arrangements have been made for 12 children to attend classes at the Ghoghanj Children’s Center for the 2012-13 school year!

Group Home For Orphans with Disabilities

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Description

Warm Hearth was started to provide an alternative to the psychiatric institutions. We are the first long-term group home in Armenia and the only one to serve orphans with disabilities or mental illnesses.

“Warm Hearth is not a project; it’s a home,” says founder, “that’s sustained by the faces of our residents and the harsh fate that awaited them if something was not done.” We serve Armenian orphans with disabilities who were destined for the psychiatric institutions. We believe they deserve basic human rights and this means a loving home and a life of dignity. Our group homes are long-term and address the challenge of having a disability and being orphaned in Armenia.

We operate a safe & loving group home for thirteen residents with disabilities, which reduces instances of human rights abuses in psychiatric institutions and increases our residents’ rights through integration. Our staff provides care that encourages residents toward independence, offers rehabilitation and is holistic.

The Warm Hearth center has an immediate need for funding to provide transportation to enable their residents to able to attend vocational training.  Classes will include tailoring, jewelry making and carpet weaving. The ability to attend these vocational courses will provide the residents with theraputic benefits and the chance to acquire new skills with the hope of employment. 

Region

Yerevan

City / Village

Yerevan

Start Date

January 2014

End Date

June 2014

Gallery Images

A home damaged by shelling in Aygepar. Photo credit: Hetq



The interior of a home in Aygepar hit by a mortar. Photo credit: Civilnet



The interior of a home hit by sniper fire in Aygepar. Photo credit: Hetq



A villager works to cover his damaged roof in Aygepar before the rains. Photo credit: Hetq



The remnants of a mortar from the bombing along the border. Photo credit: Hetq

The Need

Orphans with disabilities in Armenia are one of the most forgotten and vulnerable groups of people due to the stigmas associated with having a disability and the lack of resources and programs to care for them. Orphans who are over the age of 18 and have outgrown the orphanages are in even greater need due to the fact that there is no infrastructure in place to meet their needs. The only option available to these individuals is the former Soviet psychiatric institutions that do not focus on rehabilitation or holistic care.

Short Term Impact

The project provides a home-life for 13 residents, allowing them to live outside institutions. It’s a model for community-based care and a pilot project for moving away from institutionalization. In the short term, funds from this project will allow for residents to be transported into community settings.

Long Term Impact

The longer term impact of this project will be the expanded capacity at which Warm Hearth operates that will benefit future residents, allowing them to continue living in this family environment as their physical and/or developmental conditions change. This group home model will continue to serve as a example of non-institutional living for people with disabilities.

Sponsors Benefits

All sponsors will be listed both on the Warm Hearth and Paros Foundation websites. Visits to the Warm Hearth group home will be arranged for sponsors visiting Armenia.

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April 9, 2014

Residents are now taken on regular trips to both historic sites and other public venues.

Adopt a Restroom, Yerevan School #154

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Description

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 six identical two stall bathrooms 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.

Region

Yerevan

City / Village

Yerevan

Start Date

November 2015

End Date

January 2016

Gallery Images

The bathroom is in need of new windows, doors, flooring, lighting and paint in addition to new pipes and toilet.



The sinks are also in need of renovation.

The Need

Students need a dignified and clean restroom to use while attending school. Currently, many students have no option other than to use unsanitary restroom facilities, or, even worse, avoid using the restroom at all until they reach a more appropriate venue, which can lead to health issues in later life.

Short Term Impact

The reconstruction of these new bathrooms will employ a contractor and support the local economy through the purchase of necessary building materials and fixtures.

Long Term Impact

Hundreds of children will benefit from modern and dignified bathrooms to use while attending school.

Sponsors Benefits

Donors will be recognized with a plaque installed at the school and on the Paros Foundation Website.
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January 26, 2016

The restroom renovations have been completed at the Yerevan School #154 including new windows, doors, flooring, lighting, paint, two sinks & faucets and two toilets installed in each of the six renovated restrooms.

Kanakeravan Art School, Bathroom

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Description

The Kanakeravan Fine Arts School is located in the village of Kanakeravan 30 minutes outside of Yerevan and serves both this village and a neighboring village. The School provides afterschool program in several of the fine arts including music, dance, pottery, painting and needle work to more than 125 children annually. The School has a committed staff and principal that ensure that their personal passion for the arts is upheld and taught to these children. The School receives support from the local government for administrative expenses and the students pay a modest monthly fee. This support and fees are not enough to allow the School to renovate this bathroom.

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Region

Kotayk

City / Village

Kanakeravan

Start Date

April, 2012

End Date

May, 2012

Gallery Images

Kanakerevan Art School restroom prior to renovations.



Renovations will include new and modern “Western” style toilets.



Local villagers were hired to complete the renovation work.

The Need

Armenia’s villages and its children suffer from lack of facilities for children. The promotion of a child’s education and preservation of our rich culture depend on quality educational institutions. The Kanakeravan Fine Arts School can meet these needs with a modest amount of support.

Short Term Impact

The reconstruction of a new bathroom will employ a contractor and support the local economy through the purchase of necessary building materials and fixtures.

Long Term Impact

125 children will benefit from a modern, dignified bathroom to use while attending the afterschool programs at the Karakeravan Fine Arts School.

Sponsors Benefits

Your donation to remodel the Kanakeravan Art School Bathroom will be recognized with a plaque at the entrance to 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 will happily arrange a visit to the Kanaderavan Art School when you are in Armenia.
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Getashen Kindergarten Creation

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Description

The village of Getashen is a town in the Armavir Province of Armenia, a few hundred meters away from the Turkish border. This village of 2,300 people currently houses one village school with 280 kids in attendance, but does not have an operating kindergarten for its younger children.
Recently the principal of the school has identified the important need for a kindergarten and is committed to put in great efforts to create one. He has made space available which will need to be renovated and turned into the village kindergarten. In addition, he will exhaust all efforts to contribute part of the labor and materials needed to complete this project. Sponsorship of this project will help raise the remaining amount needed in order to complete renovations. The renovations will include new doors and windows, electrical, window blinds, new flooring and new paint. The creation of a functioning kindergarten in the village of Getashen will provide local children a safe and comfortable environment in which to learn. Presently there are 25 younger children that will be able to attend.

Region

Armavir

City / Village

Getashen

Start Date

June 2015

End Date

August 2015

Gallery Images

Two rooms at the Getashen Village School, currently being used as storage space, will be transformed into a kindergarten .



The children love their new kindergarten !

The Need

Studies show that attending kindergarten is important to students’ success in higher education, as well as for their future success. Creating a kindergarten for the village of Getashen will give 25 young children the opportunity to attend and provide them with safe and warm environment in which to begin their education.

Short Term Impact

The short-term impact of this project will be to renovate two classrooms in the Getashen School to be used as a kindergarten for 25 children. Jobs will be created for additional staff and teachers. All materials will be purchased in Armenia, thus providing a boost to the local economy. In addition, local villagers will be hired to complete the construction work, thus providing them with temporary jobs.

Long Term Impact

In the long term, the success of this project will provide a proper facility for current and future young children in the village of Getashen to attend and start their educational journeys. Furthermore, the creation of the kindergarten will help create and maintain employment opportunities for the villagers.

Sponsors Benefits

Your donation to sponsor the kindergarten creation in the village of Getashen will be recognized on a plaque in the Kindergarten, on the Paros Foundation website and in appropriate press related to this important project. The Paros Foundation will happily arrange a visit to the kindergarten in the village of Getashen when you are in Armenia.
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June 25, 2015

As their contribution the Getashen Village School offered to help with some necessary demolish of the two rooms that will be rebuilt into their kindergarten. In addition, they will also build a separate entryway directly into the new kindergarten space.

 June 29, 2015

Village residents hired to work on the kindergarten have begun construction work. New doors and windows have been installed and both rooms are ready for the SERVICE Armenia 2015 participants to arrive and work on the kindergarten.

 July 21, 2015

SERVICE Armenia 2015 participants spent several of their work days working on the kindergarten. They helped prepare and paint the walls and installed the laminate flooring.

 August 8, 2015

The construction of the Getashen Kindergarten is complete. The school will also provide new furniture for the children.

The Nork Orphanage Play Area – Ari’s Playground

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Description

The Nork Orphanage houses approximately 80 infants and toddlers, from newborns to six years of age. The facility is located in the Nork area of Yerevan approximately 15 minutes from the city center. The orphanage is in need of an appropriate play area for the children that can provide them with a safe environment in which they can play and interact with one another, with staff, and with perspective adoptive parents.

A 25 x 25 meter (approximately 7,000 square feet) outdoor space is prime for the addition of a small wading pool, water feature, flower garden and seating area. This area would give the children need summer relief during the hot weather and create a very nice space for the children, the staff and perspective adoptive parents to spend time.

The scope of work in this space includes constructing a water feature (sprinkling type), a small wading pool (about 140 square feet) with filtration system, the addition of benches, flowerbeds, walkways, outdoor lighting and landscape.

Region

Yerevan

City / Village

Nork Marash

Start Date

April 2012

Gallery Images

The future site of Ari’s Playground.



Paros staff surveying the future site of Ari’s Playground.



A great view of the future site of Ari’s Playground.

The Need

Children need a safe and secure environment in which to play and interact with one another. The Nork Orphanage is generally in good repair, but lacks an outdoor space that can provide a safe play space and relief from the hot summers.

Short Term Impact

The short-term impact of this project will be the employment of a construction team to build the outdoor space and the immediate benefit for the local economy.

Long Term Impact

The long-term benefit of creating this outdoor play space will be realized through the increased happiness of the children, staff and perspective adoptive parents, who will have an environmentally friendly, safe and beautiful space to enjoy during the non-winter months. Additional benefits will be realized through the cultivation of a vegetable garden, which will provide the children fresh vegetables and will augment the orphanage’s food budget.

Sponsors Benefits

Your sponsorship of the Nork Orphanage Play Area will be recognized with a commemorative plaque installed at the Play Area, 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 and tour the Orphanage when you are in Armenia.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34vRxWwL5gEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Jjk99zPH1whttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STMIkBCYW9Ihttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MVtYH1GoI8https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w27ZDsIsMYhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPfQuIlsCxc
April 5, 2012

Today we broke ground on Ari’s Playground with a group of volunteers from the College Prep School in Oakland, California!

 April 20, 2012

Work began today on the grading and work is continuing on stuccoing the block walls.

 September 9, 2012

The Side by Side mentoring program from the Ghoghanj Children’s Center in Yerevan spent the day today working to prepare the flower beds for plantings. Thank you!

 October 9, 2012

Ari’s Playground is a complete!

 July 25, 2019

The Paros Foundation is sad to have learned of the untimely passing of Mr. Vasken Laurancian, and we extend our condolences to his family and friends. Vasken’s family has decided to support the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of Ari’s Playground in his memory. His funeral will be held on Friday, July 26th at 12 noon at St. Peter Armenian Church in Van Nuys, California.

Debi Arach Children’s Center- Gyumri

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Description

The residents of Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city have endured very devastating realities. The tragic 1988 Spitak Earthquake claimed the lives of 25,000 people and left more than 100,000 residents homeless, and plagued with unemployment and rampant poverty for years to come. In turn, the fate of children in Gyurmi 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 and the financial resources for them to excel in school and have a successful future. Families struggling with these extreme conditions must often place their children in one of several orphanages to try to have their daily needs met.

The Debi Arach Children’s Center, which in Armenian means “moving forward,” will help these socially vulnerable children by providing them with the support and guidance they need to succeed in life. Through sponsorship of this important project The Paros Foundation, will establish a children’s center providing the necessary academic, psychological, social and humanitarian support to ensure that the children mature to well adjusted, successful, young adults.

The new center will provide 100 students with opportunities to receive counseling, homework help and tutoring along with English, Math, Art/Design, and Computer classes. Additionally, a well-balanced and nutritious meal will be provided daily. The Center, which will be open six days a week, will be able to serve two groups of 50 students for three days each per week.

In order to address another very important need for children in Gyumri, supervised bathing facilities will be available for the children’s use. Each child attending the center will be able to use the showers twice a week should they desire. Strict supervision will be assigned in order to ensure the privacy and safety of the children.

Furthermore, the municipality of Gyumri has agreed to partner with us on this important project and provide us with long term and rent-free space to house this new program. The current program budget reflects only the one-time startup and annual operational costs.

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Region

Shirak

City / Village

Gyumri

Start Date

April 2015

End Date

March 2016

Gallery Images

Students at Debi Arach participate in academic, art and computer classes.



Students in Debi Arach’s computer classes learn about basic use of computers, the internet, Microsoft office suite and even
photoshop!



Student are fed a nutritious meal each day.



Weather permitting, students engage in outdoor classes and physical activity. The backyard at Debi Arach has been cleared and planted with grass and a garden.



Children at Debi Arach participate in regularly schedule excursions to cultural and educational sites.

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 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 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 have 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 providing the children in attendance with supervised new bathing facilities.

Short Term Impact

The short-term 100 children will receive immediate support and gudacne to help them succeed. The new Center will offer nutritious meals, counseling opportunities, homework aid and tutoring and core classes including English, Computer, Art/Design, and Math. Additionally, new bathing facilities will be constructed and ready for use by the children. An entire staff of 11 individuals including an administrative staff and instructors will be immediately employed to help instruct and oversee these courses. Additional employment opportunities will be created for the residents of Gyurmri for both the start-up and operational phases of the program.

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. This project has the potential of 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. Through the ongoing employment opportunities created, several families will receive a fair wage.

Sponsors Benefits

Your donation to sponsor the establishment 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.
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Video Update

July 15, 2020

A video shows the protests in Baku calling on a resumption of war with Armenia.

July 16, 2020

The kindergarten in the village of Aygepar was hit by Azeri artillery this morning. We had finished the complete renovation of this kindergarten in 2018 and will assess the damage and rebuild again as soon as possible! We build, they destroy!

 July 21, 2020

Members of The Paros Foundation team joined Tavush Governor Hayk Chobanyan, Berd Consolidated Communities head Harutyun Manucharyan, representatives of the Prime Minister’s office, and local village representatives to visit the Nerkin Karmir Aghbyur, Aygepar and Chinari communities to assess the damage and to strategize and coordinate the next steps forward.