AMERICAN-ARMENIAN STUDENTS IMPLEMENT CHARITY PROGRAMS IN ARMENIA WITH
THEIR OWN RESOURCES

YEREVAN, JULY 4, NOYAN TAPAN. It is already the second year the
organization of American-Armenian students has been implementing a
charity program in the town of Armavir. Elmen Tsarukian, a student of
the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA), said at the July 3
press conference that last year the organization purchased furniture,
consumer electronics, and stationery amounting to 5 thousand dollars
for one of Armavir’s kindergartens. This year aid of 12 thousand
dollars has been given to another two kindergartens, at that, the
necessary things were bought or ordered in Armenia. It was mentioned
that next year it is envisaged to implement charity programs in another
region of Armenia.

The student organization’s name, Alfa-Epsilon-Omega, is comprised of
the initial letters of the Greek name for the Armenian National
Organization. The organization, founded in 2000, currently has branches
in seven Universities of California, where many Armenian students
study. The initial goal of the organization was to unite Armenian
youths from different parts of the Diaspora, to inform American
students about the Armenian Genocide, Armenian history, and culture. In
E. Tsarukian’s words, many programs of the kind are being implemented
at UCLA, where renowned historian Richard Hovhannisian works as a
lecturer. Their organization also takes part in these programs.

The youth union’s programs are mainly financed at the expense of their
own resources and membership fees. However, the students hope that
donations from another sources will also increase parallel with the
expansion of the charity programs.