ARS EXPANDS RANGE OF PROGRAMS

Azat Artsakh – Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR)
26 Jan 05

The Armenian Relief Society established in 1910 implements numerous
programs in different countries of the world. Presently the Society
has 200 branchesin 24 countries of the world including Artsakh. In
1998 ARS officially became member of the UN Economy and Social
Commission. The activity of the societyis well-known not only in
Armenia and Artsakh but also other countries of the world. Since the
genocide of Armenians in 1915 ARS has been aiding parentless
children. Since the very first day the society opens and sponsors
nursery schools and hospitals. Owing to the donations of different
branches and sponsors of the society it became possible to aid also
sole old people, poor families, excellent students. The ARS isolated
branch of Artsakh was established in 1990. For 15 years the branch
implements three large-scale programs. It annually provides 30
spectacles to the disabled, pensioners and families of killed families
and poor families of Karabakh. In the framework of the program `Soseh’
ARS opened a kindergarten in Stepanakert in 1998 where presently 100
children attend, mainly children of the disabled of the Artsakh war,
children of families having more than 5 children. Currently ARS
sponsors 10 nursery schools in Stepanakert, the villages of Aygestan,
Mets Tagher, Avdur, Karin Tak, Haghorti, Togh, Ashan, Aknaberd, and
Shushi. By the way, the latter three were opened in 2004. On the
whole, the nursery schools `Soseh’ admit 500 children. The chairwoman
of the ARS Artsakh branch Nelly Ghulian said, in 2005 building of the
nursery school of the village of Moshatagh, Berdzor region will be
finished. Speaking about the programs of the current year, Nelly
Ghulian stated that the central executive board demanded the list of
the villages having 50 and more children of school age and probably in
five villages also nursery schools will be opened in the nearest
future. One of the wide-scale programs of the Societyis the
`Sponsor-a-Child’ program. In 1998-2000 the documents of about 3
thousand children were sent to the central executive board most of
them already receive aid for several years already. Children of killed
azatamartiks and parentless children receive 120 dollars annually
until the age of 18. Presently the number of children who receive aid
is over 2000. According to Nelly Ghulian, recently the ARS branch of
the West Coast of America has distributed uniforms to the children of
the nursery schools `Soseh’. It should be mentioned that the activity
of the Artsakh branch is fully coordinated by the central executive
board which takes into consideration all the suggestions and possibly
assists to the implementation of programs. Another important fact: in
the web site of the ARS we read that the Armenian Relief Society, the
Armenian General Benevolent Union and the Armenian Assembly of
America, which are members of the board of trustees of the
pan-Armenian foundation `Hayastan’, took part in the Telethon 2004 and
will be represented in the competitive commission of the foundation.
This means that the ARS will take part in the tenders of the fund.

ANAHIT DANIELIAN.
26-01-2005