PRESS RELEASE
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
Governmental Buiding 3, Yerevan, RA
Contact: Lusine Mnatsakanyan
Tel: 3741 56 0106
Fax: 3741 52 15 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Web: www.himnadram. org
02 April, 2007
A Modern School is more than a Building
Since 2002, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has furnished schools and nursery
schools in Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. These projects, though small at
scale, are widespread and very keenly appreciated in many corners of our
country.
The Fund’s furnishing activities have been firmly established since 2004 and
are part of a project called `Let’s give them a classroom’ (`Donons-leur un
classe’), which was initiated by the Fund’s French affiliate. Christiane
Goharik Kulhandjian, based in France, is directly responsible for
implementing this initiative and has been carrying out this truly wonderful
work on a voluntary basis for three years. Now, Jean Der Mekdian has brought
his devoted participation to the initiative too.
>From 2004-2007, the Fund has implemented furnishing works in Armenia and
Artsakh worth about 288.000 USD, financed by contributions from the Funds’
friends in France. Between August and October 2006, complete furnishings and
fittings were provided at the Haterk and No 1 schools in Martakert and the
Karmir Shuka village nursery school in Martuni.
Often, after the school furnishing has been completed, the Fund’s
benefactors go ahead with more basic work in the same institution, such as
roof reconstruction, the installation of a boiler or sanitary system, or the
replacement of doors and windows. In this way, the No 1 School in Dasht
village in Armavir region has completely changed its appearance and is what
it is today. One more month and the school will look even more attractive
with a newly planted park dedicated to Armenian-French friendship.
The municipality of Vaulx en Velin in France is currently funding the
furnishing of two classrooms in six secondary schools in Artic. After their
completion it is planned that the municipality will go ahead with the full
furnishing of these schools.
Such work by the Funds’ French affiliate is expanding more and more. Thus,
the Fund has to thank the municipalities of Lion and Valence for sponsoring
similar furnishing projects. The Fund was pleased to learn that its French
affiliate is planning to establish contacts with relevant state structures
in Paris with the aim of funding similar projects here.
It is also very gratifying that following the French example, the Fund’s
affiliate in Montreal and local committee in UK have contributed to similar
projects, particularly in the Hrashk nursery school in Yerevan and Togh
School in Nagorno Karabakh.
A modern school is not a mere building. It’s a whole system depending on
reliable water, heating, sanitation, and furnishings, which help make
learning at school truly enjoyable and worthwhile. It’s good school
conditions, teachers’ satisfaction and the schoolchildren’s contented smiles
that help shape the kind of personality we want to see in our families and
in society at large.
`By construction and reconstruction, we strive to instill in a child the
mentality, behavior and overall qualities our society deserves’. This is how
we would describe the Fund’s working ethic and its approach towards its
activities.
Hayastan All-Armenian Fund
PR Department