Armenia Fund USA celebrates a string of school openings

Published: Tuesday July 03, 2012

Children of Shengavit boarding kindergarten during opening ceremony.

Yerevan - It was a joyous occasion as the Fund celebrated its 20th anniversary with a string of opening ceremonies, seeing its many water, healthcare, infrastructure, community and education projects come to life. Armenia Fund has made education projects a priority for years, ensuring that the leaders of the future are given the best possible resources to succeed.

As Ara Vardanyan, Executive Director of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, stressed, "stay put in your land, and the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund will do its utmost to support you."

This year, a boarding kindergarten in Yerevan, serving children from economic and socially vulnerable families, underwent a complete renovation and celebrated its opening this past May. Two brand new schools in Vaghuhas and Gishi villages, both located in Karabakh, also celebrated by opening their doors to the younger generation. Pure excitement was felt from the crowd during these opening ceremonies, each having its own unique flare. Vaghuhas and Gishi School, both brand new constructions, will be able to accommodate almost twice the number of students than before, 240 and 300 students, respectively. Vaghuhas School will now serve the residents of the neighboring village of Khnkavan as well, bringing these two communities closer together.

For Gishi, the opening ceremony was accompanied by the graduation of its 2012 students. Vice-principal Adelaida Ohanjanyan said that 20 of this year's 26 graduates intend to continue their studies at various colleges and universities. "This wonderful school has given us wings to fly," she added. Gishi's two-story campus, with its unique architecture and all new modern amenities, will soon boast a sizable outdoor recreation area, including a brand new soccer field.

Both Vaghuhas and Gishi School are located in Karabakh, where the implementation of water infrastructure projects has been a main focus of the Fund for the past few years. With the delivery of clean and accessible water distribution networks, new and renovated schools are now being opened throughout Karabakh. Hope for a bright future amongst these communities is finally beginning to become restored, as these educational facilities will become a beacon of learning for the young Armenian generation.

As more school campuses are opening their doors to the younger generation, the Fund now turns some of its focus to equipping these schools with all the modern amenities typically seen in educational facilities today, including furniture, computer and science labs, a wide selection of books and media resources, art supplies and sporting equipment.

The opening ceremonies were attended by the President of Karabakh, Bako Sahakian, and other officials, including Vladik Khachatryan, Karabakh's minister of Education and Science. Reflecting on the joyous events taking place, Khachatryan remarked that "the Armenian people have endured through the ages thanks to its venerable traditions of learning." He went on to stress that we must "continue the heroic path of our survival" and noted that the school was a "great gift to the community."

The Board of Trustees of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund chaired by President Serge Sargsyan and with representatives of all of Hayastan's 25 international affiliates reviewed a year's worth of work and discussed plans for the future during its 21st annual meeting in Yerevan on May 30.

Armenia Fund USA was founded in 1992, one of the first of "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund's international affiliates and serves constituents in all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit, non-governmental, nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all Armenian constituents, supporting strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh. The Fund has adopted a policy to go "Beyond Bricks and Mortar" to provide sustainability for projects it sponsors. www.ArmeniaFundUSA.org.