HIS HOLINESS KAREKIN II WORK PROJECT 2007 STARTS

ARMENPRESS
Aug 16 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 16, ARMENPRESS: General Manager of VivaCell Company
Mr. Ralph Yirikian and a number of staff members of the company, as
well as a volunteer team from the USA led by Reverend Doctor Kenneth
Bensen and Archbishop Viken Aykazian joined today the families of
Haroyans and Sargsyans in Ararat region, village Kor Virap, to help
them to finish their house construction.

On the same day His Holiness Karekin II joined the volunteers and
blessed the construction works of the day.

On April 10th 2007 the second annual "His Holiness Karekin II Work
Project" was launched at the Etchmiadzin Gevorgyan seminary, where His
Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of all Armenians, blessed the opening.

In the framework of the project 37 families in the 10 communities
of Armenia will complete their house and/or improve their housing
conditions by the end of the year.

VivaCell is the largest local corporate donor of HFH Armenia. The
leading mobile operator of Armenia has made an important commitment
to sponsor the houses of 10 low-income families.

"Because we believe in Armenia", said Mr. Ralph Yirikian during the
opening ceremony of His Holiness Karekin II Work Project in Gevorgian
Seminary of Etchmiadzin.

Thanks to the good will of VivaCell these 10 families will move to
their simple and decent homes before the advent of severe Armenian
winter.

Since April a lot of international and local volunteers have
participated in the construction works of these houses. It is the
third day since a team from the USA have been building in Khor Virap
together with the local volunteers, village community and the family
of Haroyans and Sargsyans to complete their house.

The family of Haroyans currently lives in their neighbor’s basement
with a rainbow leaking in because of the absence of a roof. Piruza,
a mother of three children, suffers rheumatism due to the humidity.

"It is not possible to live like this any more, I do not know what
we would do without the help of Habitat, VivaCell and volunteers",
Piruza said. "Soon we will complete our own half-built house and will
meet our eldest son in our own house after he returned from military
service The family of Haroyans is one of the 10 families supported
by VivaCell. On August 18, 2007 the church servants will perform
the Home blessing Ceremony of Haroyans, Misakyans, and Sargsyans`
blessing their entry to their simple and decent homes.

Habitat for Humanity is a nondenominational Christian charity dedicated
to eliminating poverty housing. It has built more than 200,000 houses;
more than one million people are living in Habitat homes they helped
build and own through low-cost, no-profit mortgages.