Armenia Fund USA, Inc.
80 Maiden Lane, Suite 301
New York, NY 10038
Tel: 1-212-689-5307
Fax: 1-212-689-5317
e-mail: [email protected]
Armenia Fund 2001-2006
1992-2007: Celebrating 15 years of nation-building in Armenia and Karabakh
NEW YORK, New York – The year 2007 marks the 15th Anniversary of Armenia
Fund, a pillar organization created after Armenia’s independence and
mandated with the vital task of uniting all Armenians around the world to
direct efforts toward development and revival of the nation. For 15 years,
the Fund, with its international affiliates across the globe, has touched
countless lives in Armenia and Karabakh. Combining aid, development and
direct investment, Armenia Fund has engaged Armenia’s leaders, its people
and the worldwide Diaspora to promote education, create jobs, improve public
health and develop infrastructure, among other critical humanitarian needs.
Today, Armenia Fund’s contributions to social and economic prosperity of
Armenia and Karabakh are unprecedented.
The 15th Anniversary of Armenia Fund is a celebration of the past, present
and future of the Armenian people. It is a celebration of overcoming
challenges by working together. Above all, it is a celebration of humanity,
courage and hope.
Armenia Fund 2001-2006: Building Sustainable Foundations for the Future
"Build a New Horizon" dubbed Armenia Fund’s 2005 International Thanksgiving
Telethon. It was, however, more than just a slogan. The campaign was a call
of confidence for new directions that the organization was taking to better
address pressing needs of development in Armenia and Karabakh.
Armenia Fund was established out of a need to meet day-to-day challenges of
newly independent Armenia. The organization’s proactive approach to
development that ranged from providing shelter for those left without home
to rebuilding schools and water supply systems of vulnerable communities
gradually expanded its mission, reach and impact.
Having completed over 250 humanitarian and development projects by 2003,
Armenia Fund brought regional development and investment in economic
revitalization at the forefront of its activities. Years 2003-2006 were most
decisive: the Fund adopted a policy to go "beyond bricks and mortar" and
focused on long-term solutions for sustainable economic growth. The Fund
also expanded its cooperation with different like-minded organizations and
self-governing entities in Armenia and Karabakh. By 2004, over 100 such
non-governmental organizations were working with Armenia Fund, further
enhancing civil society involvement in Armenia’s day-to-day social and
economic life.
The year 2005 was full of bold initiatives, and, most importantly, marked a
major shift from funding separate large-scale infrastructure projects to
investing in regional development. Over years, Armenia Fund had successfully
completed over a dozen landmark projects – be it in public health, education
or economic infrastructure. The two major highways linking the region at
most important crossroads, or the state-of-the-art Armine Pagoumian
Polyclinic and Diagnostic Center of Stepanakert, which has the unique
distinction of being the only medical facility in the region that the
population can rely on in case of medical emergencies and for preventive
care, all have had a measurable impact on improving daily lives of the
people in Armenia and Karabakh.
With such viable infrastructure in place, the economy of Armenia and
Nagorno-Karabakh still needed a boost to reduce poverty in the country and
open new roads toward sustainable economic growth. This is why Armenia Fund
launched the Rebirth of Artsakh Regional Development Program in 2005. The
main components of this comprehensive plan – agriculture, housing, medical
facilities, roads and schools, were designed to invest in the economy of
rural areas. Since the economy of Karabakh is so much dependent on
agriculture, the Agricultural-Initiative provided critically needed support
to subsistence farmers to help them move from mere existence to
self-sufficiency and economic mobility.
Starting in 2006, Agricultural Development Associations (ADAs) were
established throughout the Mardakert and Hadrut regions of Karabakh. These
set up facilities to own, maintain and operate various types of farm
equipment and provide mechanized services to farmers to work the land at
affordable rates. The ADAs provided technology packages including access to
farm equipment (tractors, harvesters, haying) along with other support
elements such as fertilizer, plus training in farm management and animal
husbandry.
The unique success of Armenia Fund’s Agricultural Initiative was widely
recognized throughout Armenia and Karabakh, and currently efforts are made
to replicate the same cluster model development in other regions. By 2006,
Armenia Fund had set the stage for a new development approach and a broader
vision for eradicating rural poverty.
"Growing up" with Armenia since its independence, Armenia Fund has developed
into a structure that is now not concerned with Armenia’s day-to-day
survival. Today, the Fund is called upon to respond to urgent economic needs
of a dynamic country where development needs to reach to every segment of
the society, and where each undertaking needs to be turned into a renewed
opportunity and investment in the people.
Over the past 15 years, Armenia Fund has invested more than $170 million in
sustainable development in Armenia and Karabakh. This makes the Fund the
largest contributor to critical infrastructure projects in all aspects of
social and economic activity. Securing long-term development solutions, the
Fund has had an outstanding impact on the lives of countless citizens of
Armenia and Karabakh. Armenia Fund has evolved over the years into an
organization that has an unprecedented track record of affecting change. In
recognition to its development work, Armenia Fund was accredited to the
United Nations in spring of 2006, as one of the most credible international
organizations working in Armenia and Karabakh.
To recognize and thank the Diaspora for its 15 years of continuous support
to Armenia and Karabakh, Armenia Fund will hold a 15th Anniversary Gala
Banquet at the United Nations on October 6, 2007. Join Armenia Fund as it
celebrates the tenacity of the Armenian people and strength of the Armenian
Diaspora!