Lexington Minuteman: Lexingtonians help Armenian school

GateHouse News Service Sat Aug 25, 2007, 10:49 AM EDT

Lexington –

Lexington residents Nicole and Jean-Jacques Hajjar, on behalf of the
Khatchig Babikian Fund, recently donated $50,000 to St. Stephen’s
Armenian Elementary School of Watertown.

The donation was made in recognition of the mission of the school to
promot= e excellence in education in an Armenian environment. The fund
earmarked this sum to be used during the 2007-08 academic year, for
two specific programs. One half will fund scholarships for needy
students, while the remaining hal= f will fund teaching staff
incentives and enrichment programs.

"I am thrilled with this donation, especially as it takes into
consideratio= n what our school needs: helping families financially so
that sending their children to a private Armenian school will not pose
a burden, and also helping the teacher learn valuable skills," said
principal Houry Boyamian.

The Khatchig Babikian Fund was created in January 2007 by the five
daughter= s of the late Khatchig Babikian (1925-1999). The fund honors
the memory of Mr= . Babikian, a philanthropist, attorney, former
member of the Lebanese Parliament (1957-1999), cabinet minister
successively of Administrative Reform, Health, Tourism, Information,
and Justice in the Lebanon government= , and former chairman of the
executive council of the Armenian Catholicosate of Cilicia –
Antelias, Lebanon.

The fund’s purpose is to contribute to the welfare of Lebanese
Armenians in particular, and Armenians in general. It was the will of
Mr. Babikian to establish such a charitable fund to benefit Armenians
in humanitarian, educational and cultural projects.

"I feel very strongly about keeping one’s Armenian identity and pride,
and that’s what I love about St. Stephen’s," said Nicole Babikian
Hajjar, one o= f Mr. Babikian’s daughters. "We in the Boston area are
so lucky to have a quality private education mixed with the Armenian
culture."

In addition to the donation to St. Stephen’s, the Babikian Fund has
made large donations to Beirut’s St. Joseph University and the
American University of Beirut, providing scholarships for needy
students.

Hajjar and her husband, Jean-Jacques, send all three of their
children, Serena, Joseph and Anelga, to St. Stephen’s Armenian
Elementary School.

"We are extremely grateful to the Khatchig Babikian Fund, especially
our ow= n Nicole Babikian Hajjar," added Boyamian.

Source: 147400