ARS PROJECTS IN JAVAKHQ
By Naira Poghossian

Yerkir/arm
September 02, 2005

The Armenian Relief Society’s Javakhk Assistance Committee started
working in 2001. The aim of the Committee’s activities is to launch
healthcare, educational, cultural, economic and spiritual activities
among the Armenians of Javakhk.

We talked to chairman of the Javakhk Assistance Committee Bagrat
Sargsian about the Committee’s current and future activities. He
noted that the Committee has implemented a number of projects and
is currently working in three directions – healthcare, youth affairs
and economics.

Some representatives from Canada, East and West Coasts of the US
and Beyrut have joined this committee devoted to the preservation
of Armenians.

The Javakhk Assistance Committee is planning to open youth centers
in Akhalkalak, Akhaltskha, Ninotsminda and Poka. “We have a building
to use as a youth center in Akhaltskha. We already have the cost
estimations for renovation works and we have arranged with construction
companies to start the renovation in a couple of days. We are creating
the youth centers to give better education opportunities for the
youth and to contribute to their Armenian upbringing.”

The centers will have internet clubs and special courses on languages,
history of the Armenian Nations and the Armenian language will be
organized for young people since teaching history of the Armenian
nation has been banned in Georgia and the graduation exam on the
Armenian language has been cancelled. In spite of this, a special
class for the history of the Armenian nation will soon be created at
school #3 named after Tumanian in Akhaltskha.

Students will be able to attend lectures on history of Armenia
and watch relevant films which will greatly contribute to the
consolidation of patriotism among them. These are working measures
to connect the Armenian youth to their homeland and to maintain the
existing connections,” Sargsian said.

The youth centers will also have sports facilities. Some entertainment
activities will also be organized. The two-floor building that was
formerly used as a clinic will be allocated for the youth center in
Akhalkalak. The adjacent territories of the building will be turned
into a park with fountains. In the future, smaller youth centers will
be created in other strategically important locations.

Poka village loses its Armenian population

Bagrat Sargsian believes it is especially important to open a youth
club in Poka village located on the eastern shore of lake Parvana.

This village is situated at the division line between Armenian and
Georgian influences. “There is a Georgian center on the shore of Lake
Parvana – a new Georgian church has been constructed and a number of
spiritual leaders and nuns work there to spread Georgian influence in
this village that is considered Armenian. One of the village streets
is already completely populated with Georgians.

As opposed to this, the Armenians that used to live in this
homogenously Armenian village have started leaving because of the harsh
economic conditions and the pressure from the Georgian side. Poka has
a strategic importance since if we lose it we make the entire Gandza
vulnerable for attack,” Sargsian explains.

Clinics in 16 communities

A diagnostic center was opened in Javakhk a couple of years ago
equipped with modern medical equipment and supplies. The center was
very important for the Armenians in Javakhk since before that they did
not have access to diagnostic services and had to travel to Tbilisi
or Yerevan.

“The opening of the diagnostic center stimulated a new wave of
confidence in their home country among the population. This was a
convincing proof for them that Armenia is not indifferent towards their
problems and this inspired hope for progress and encouraged them. The
project on construction and renovation of clinics and provision of
medicines, medical equipment and furniture to 16 villages in Javakhk
had a similar effect,” Sargsian comments.

This project has already been completed in 10 villages. Construction
and furnishing of the clinics have been completed in Damala, Tsurut
and Azavred villages of Akhaltskha region, Mets Gomburda, Kartsakh
villages in Akhalkalak region, Radionovka, Samsar, Gondura and
Satkha villages in Ninotsminda region and Nardivan village in Tsalka
region. In two of the six remaining villages there are no facilities
to be used as clinics so the Committee will have to use temporary
houses as clinics. It is planned to provide ambulance vehicles to
the clinics in the future.

Sargsian acknowledged the assistance provided by the Canadian
Javakhk Assistance Committee which has sent a large number of medical
supplies, equipment and medicines and provided funds to furnish the
clinics. Member of the American West Coast Committee Haykush Cohler
Keghinian has had a significant contribution. Together with students
from medical colleges in the USA she has been engaged in charity
activities to benefit the Armenians in Javakhk.

“We have settled the issues with human resources at the clinics. When
the diagnostic center was created we organized free training of
doctors at the National Healthcare Institute in Yerevan. In the
villages we work with the local young specialists. Director of the
union of medical workers of Akhalkalak Alexander Torossian has helped
us in this respect.

A contract is signed with the specialists that the equipment and
furniture, as property of the Armenian Relief Society, is transferred
to him or her for use free of charge and with no time limits. All
the issues are settled in accordance with laws and with the consent
of the parties involved,” Sargsian says.

Educational facilities are renovated

Several projects are implemented in the sphere of education. Regular
competitions of essay writing (with topics like “I Am Armenian”),
painting, handcrafts are organized at schools. 25 winners of the last
year’s competitions were given a prize – a one week trip to Artsakh.

The chairman of the Committee assures that the visit to Artsakh
has been of a great cognitive importance for the children. All the
participants were filled with gratitude since they saw that the
Armenians in Javakhk are not left alone with their problems and that
their homeland is there to support them.

Internal finishing works at the school in Ghado village in Javakhk are
currently in progress (the renovation works have been completed). The
renovation has been implemented with funding provided by the Armenian
community in Rasht city in Iran.

The academic year in Georgia starts on September 19 and the renovated
school will be opened on September 10. The school has about 110
students. All the necessary stationery and other supplies will be
provided to these students. The Committee is working to furnish the
schools after renovating them.

Economic perspectives

The projects aimed at the preservation of the Armenians cannot
be expected to achieve their goals where the families are facing
economic hardships and have problems earning their living. This is
why the Javakhk Assistance Committee prioritizes the gradual solution
of the unemployment problem among the Armenians of Javakhk.

“We are working to assist the development of farming and we have
already had one successful project in this sector. A cheese production
plant will be created in Zhdanovakan village which will employ the
population of 4 adjacent villages and give them income generation
opportunities.

We have 9 similar projects. We are planning to arrange them in such a
way as to ensure income generation opportunities for the populations
of the villages adjacent to those where we implement our farming
projects,” Sargsian said noting that small plants will be constructed
and cattle breeding farms will be created through these projects.

In Kartsakh village it is planned to create a cattle breeding
farm with the purpose of creating a sausage production unit in the
village. Sargsian believes that well-organized, realistic and tangible
efforts will make it possible to establish an attachment between the
Armenians in Javakhk and their homeland.

In addition to the above-mentioned projects, additional assistance,
such as collective baptizing, has been provided to socially vulnerable
families. The leader of the Armenian Church in Akhalkalak Babken
Salbiyan contributed greatly to the preservation of the Armenian
spirit and consolidation of the Apostolic faith. The Armenian Church
in Javakhk closely cooperates with the Javakhk Assistance Committee.

Obstacles for integration

The poor road connection is a serious problem for the Armenians in
Javakhk. “The internal roads in the towns of Javakhk as well as the
roads connecting Akhatskha and Akhalkalaq, Ninotsminda and Akhalkalak
have been renovated. The roads as well as some buildings in Akhalkalak
and Ninotsminda are currently being renovated.

The European Union has provided Georgia with 100 million euros and the
Georgian government has allocated 3 million to Akhalkalak. The road
from Ninotsminda to Tbilisi is in a terrible condition – it connects
Javakhk to Tsalka. You will never think that this road takes to the
capital city – it resembles an impassable mountain path. President
Saakashvili has promised to renovate it. Let’s wait and see what will
happen,” Sargsian continues.

Electricity supply is another problem for Javakhk. Some measures
have been undertaken in this respect. With funding provided by the
American West Coast Committee 9 villages in Javakhk get electricity
supply from Armenia. In some of these villages there used to be no
electricity supply while in others it was available for only 2-4 hours
per day. The villages included in the electricity supply project are
located along Lake Parvana.

Customs problems

Irrespective of any targeted activities, for many Armenians in Javakhk
the connection with Armenia is fostered through visits to the country
and the Armenian side is causing serious problems in this respect. In
the past, people were mostly complaining about problems caused by
the Georgian side while now the activities of the Armenian customs
officials have an adverse impact on the Armenians from Javakhk that
want to enter Armenia.

Meanwhile, it could be expected that the Armenian side should be
interested in improving the conditions of the Armenians living in the
border regions. The problems start right at the border. The vehicles
with Georgian license plates have to pay very high customs fees when
entering Armenia irrespective of the nationality of their owner.

“It is very important to undertake measures at the state level to
contribute to the integration of Armenia and Javakhk. The existing
customs code hinders the integration process.

The customs fees for export of agricultural products from Armenia are
very high. Meanwhile, because of the climate in Javakhk people are
mostly engaged in cattle breeding and sometimes it happens so that
people don’t get fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products
in the mountain villages. This is because of the unfavorable customs
regulations,” Sargsian explains.

So it turns out that right at the entry point to the country we are
creating obstacles for the Armenians of Javakhk. Moreover, in the past,
some agricultural and milk products produced in Javakhk were imported
to Armenia while now, due to the unfavorable customs regulations in
Armenia, the Armenians in Javakhk are deprived of this opportunity
to sell their products. The absence of any privileges causes poverty
among them.

To counter emigration

Sargsian assures that all of the projects implemented by the ARS
Javakhk Assistance Committee are sustainable in the long run. In
other words, once the project is completed, monitoring and future
activities continue – for instance the Committee continues monitoring
the activities of the created enterprise or continues providing
medical supplies and equipment to the clinics.

The difficult socio-economic conditions in Javakhk have resulted
in mass emigration particularly among the young people. With
the above-mentioned projects the Committee aims at countering the
emigration of Armenians from Javakhk or at least minimizing it. For
this purpose it is necessary to create adequate conditions for the
population’s daily lives.

Sargsian believes upbringing of the Armenians, preservation of the
national spirit and faith and ensuring adequate social-economic
conditions are crucial to achieve this. This is the guarantee of
preservation of the unity of the Armenians in Javakhk, their attachment
to the homeland. The ARS Javakhk Assistance Committee is working to
achieve these goals.