Chlidren's International Day in Kharbert orphanage

It has already became a tradition for the AREGAK Head office staff to organize celebration parties for the Kharbert orphanage on June 1- Children's International Day. The orphanage has special status among the other orphanages in Armenia, as here reside only physically and mentally handicapped children. As always, this year also AREGAK Yerevan staff made monetary contributions, bought candies and sweets to make it a real celebration. We also received school and hygine kits from UMCOR and coordinated with the Children's studio "Silver Key" for organizing a concert for the orphanage kids.

We visited the orphanage accompanied with the "Silver Key" studio. The director of the studio with four children and a clown organized an interactive concert with the orphanage kids. It was very impressing for the kids, because they had a chance to directly participate in the concert, sing and dance on the stage. After the concert we distributed our gifts to the kids. Several government official were participating in the ceremony, among them the director of Armenian Orphanages Fund.

The head of the orphanage in his speech mentioned that UMCOR-AREGAK had been making June 1st a real holiday for the orphanage for the past 6 years.

This tradition will continue…

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Study Tour to Scotland

The UMCOR Demonstration Farm (DEMOF) program operated in the Gegharkunik Marz. The main source of agricultural income arises from the production of cattle, sheep, horses, wheat and potatoes with some small amount from fisheries. The climate in Gegharkunik is very similar to that of Northern Scotland where agriculture is the main stay of the area.

The purpose of this study tour was for Project Specialists and Wheat and Potato Seed Producer Leaders to learn about modern agricultural production and marketing in a European country so that, upon their return, they could share this knowledge with others in Gegharkunik Marz.

The North East of Scotland is a wild and wet region. Agriculture centres around the production of milk, beef, sheep, potatoes, wheat and barley. Most livestock producers in Scotland are family owned and run, they pay great deal of attention to the production of good quality silage for the long winter periods and have taken advantage of the quite heavy subsidies for marginal hill farming. The study tour team has had the opportunity to view agricultural systems in this part of Western Europe which will prove to be very useful in their endeavors to establishing profitable and sustainable farming systems in the poorest agricultural region of Armenia. Upon their return they will be better equipped to deal with the every day problems of the farmers in Gegharkunik and be able to advise and guide toward improved family income through better husbandry techniques. Most of the farming systems that were witnessed by the team in Scotland are replicable on a smaller scale in Armenia. With more assistance here in Armenia from the universities, such as are in effect in Scotland, more could be done in the way of agricultural extension and training to assist the people in the field.

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5000   USD Allocated by UMCOR Has Made Life in Yerevan #1 Retirement Center More Comfortable for the Elderly

Yerevan #1 Retirement Center is located in Yerevan, Hagtanak district. It was established during Soviet times and currently serves 230 inhabitants. They are mostly single pensioners or elderly who live at the retirement center, as their own families are unable to take care of them due to financial hardships. On the occasion of celebrating the decade of its operations in Armenia, UMCOR allocated 5,000 USD to the institution for repairing a section of the building that fits within the allocated money and is also a priority.

The main building of the retirement center has not undergone a renovation since 1970. Many of the wards are mostly dilapidated, the pipes corroded, toilets and sinks hardly functioning. Needs have been augmented during the years. After assessing their own needs, the administration recognized that in renovating the laundry place the institution could improve the deteriorated conditions.

The laundry place is a separate building adjacent to the main building. It was on the verge of collapse. With the support of UMCOR the walls were cleaned and painted anew, the main part and the walls were covered with tiles. In addition to the construction materials, paints and glues, the administration could purchase new toilets, water heater, sinks, lamps with the allocated money causing the laundry place to transform beyond recognition. Besides the renovation of the laundry room, which includes laundry, bathroom, and a toilet, two wards were renovated too.

The administration and the inhabitants express their gratitude for this gift that makes life of the elderly comfortable. It is worth mentioning that the inhabitants of the institution are being supported by UMCOR with daily cheese, through a USDA funded program. They have received also bedding packs and hygiene kits through Sager Brown, an UMCOR partner.

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10  YEARS IN ARMENIA

In 2004 UMCOR-Armenia celebrated its 10th anniversary. A decade ago, UMCOR started distributing essential pharmaceuticals and in-kind supplies and continue to do so today. But the organization is doing much more. Over the last ten years, it has expanded its humanitarian skills, to include development expertise and engaged in a variety of projects including agricultural and microfinance programs and has become renown for that. UMCOR recently ventured into new areas such as anti-trafficking and civil society building. These will bring UMCOR a success to, because we are proud of what we are doing, and we are good at what we are doing.

UMCOR responds to natural and manmade disasters worldwide. It alleviates human suffering by providing relief and development assistance without regard to race, ethnicity, religion, age, gender, social status or political affiliation. We believe in human dignity. We believe that all people have a right to a life in which their basic needs are met. In Armenia UMCOR assists the young and the elderly; men and women; the vulnerable and the poor; the healthy and the handicapped; city and the countryside.

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Tree planting for the future generations

The festivities devoted to the 10 years of UMCOR in Armenia were completed with a very special event. Some 1,000 trees were planted at the Maternity park of Malatia-Sebastia community with the coordinated initiative of UMCOR Armenia and the Armenia Tree Project (ATP). The activity had united the Malatia-Sebastia community authorities and organizations. A small piece of land in this community that houses the park was planted and greened with trees.

Mother nature and Maternity are so akin in their meaning. Both of them are symbols of life, both of them bare trials and tribulations, but ultimately give birth to new life. They cherish and nurture generations and are a source of happiness.

The high school-grade students from Yerevan #162 School also participated in the tree planting.

It was a good example for the youth in caring about the environment. Everybody was very zealous as mothers and children and many members of the neighborhood eagerly participated in the tree planting, some 200 people in all. Among the participants were people who were planting a tree for the first time in their life. UMCOR, the ATP staff, and the schoolchildren were helping each other in carrying water, digging or filling the pits with soil, and watering the young trees. UMCOR representatives and the schoolchildren decided to call one of the trees "A tree of friendship".

These trees will sprout and blossom in the spring of 2005. Young mothers will come to Maternity Park with their kids and the park will echo with merry laughter and joy. The Mayor of Malatia-Sebastia, Aghvan Grigoryan, ensured that the municipality leadership and community members organized to care for the trees will maintain the trees for years to come and were very happy about the coordinated efforts to green this park.

Let us hope that never an arrogant hand will rise to cut and harm these trees.

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UMCOR-ARMENIA MARKED 10 YEARS WITH $10,000 IN GIFTS

To mark its 10th anniversary, UMCOR-Armenia held a special reception at which it presented a total of $10,000 to two facilities helping meet the needs of children and senior citizens. The presentations were made on September 15th at the Marriott Hotel in downtown Yerevan, Armenia, and included remarks by both UMCOR-NGO Executive Director Jim Cox of New York City and the UMCOR-Armenia Head of Mission Warren Harrity.

The two benefiting organizations were Echmiadzin Special School No. 2 and Yerevan Retirement Center No. 1. Leaders from both facilities gratefully acknowledged the special financial contributions, as well as noted other assistance UMCOR-Armenia has provided through the years.

The 22 teachers and 32 other staff members at the school serve about 130 students between the ages of seven and 15 who have developmental disabilities. The school offers a full range of classes in addition to boarding about 120 students who live too far away for the daily commute.

Principal Elmira Mirakyan said the school regularly receives cheese distributed free under UMCOR's nutrition program, helping supplement the diets of the children. In addition, the school receives UMCOR hygiene and school kits. The school will apply the $5,000 gift from UMCOR towards the repair of the school's roof.

Retirement Center Director David Shahbazyan said the UMCOR gift would help defray the costs of repairing the resident's bathrooms, as well as the building's sewerage system. The 130 residents have no family living in Armenia and subsist on a government pension, most of which goes towards the cost of living at the center.

Also during the special reception, it was announced that UMCOR would present a total of $10,000 in scholarships in honour of UMCOR's 10th anniversary in Armenia. The children of AREGAK clients will receive those scholarships during local celebrations and special events held across Armenia in coming weeks.

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