Embassy of the United States
Yerevan, Armenia
28 April 2005

E xchange Program Alumni Bring Orphans and the Elderly Together on Earth Day

The U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section, IREX, and American Councils,
organized an Earth Day celebration at the Nork Marash Retirement Home on
April 23 with alumni of U.S. Government sponsored exchange programs. The
group volunteered to refurbish the garden of the retirement home with the
help of three to five year-olds from the Zeitun Orphanage. The alumni used
the event to teach the children the importance of taking care of the nature
around them.
The residents of the retirement home spent a couple of hours with the
children, talking, walking around the garden and sharing a picnic lunch. The
kids from the orphanage also performed a play based on an Armenian fairy
tale for the seniors.
U.S. Embassy Cultural Affairs Officer, Rian Harris, said of the celebration,
“We had a great time. It is so encouraging to see young people giving back
to their community and doing their part to help protect the environment.”