ARKA News Agency, Armenia
Oct 12 2007

Social house program implemented in Yerevan, Armenia

YEREVAN, October 12. /ARKA/. A Social House is to be put into service
at the Kanaker-Zeitun community in Yerevan late in 2007.

Chairwoman of the Mission Armenia benevolent organization Hripsime
Kirakosyan reported that the Social House program worth $1mln was
launched in 2005.

She said that 70% of the funds are provided by the Armenian office of
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, with the rest 30%
being provided by Mission Armenia.

Kirakosyan said the Social House is designed for 34 socially
vulnerable people, particularly old people and refugees.
She said that all the necessary conditions have been created for the
residents – a canteen, laundry, gymnasium, and other services.

Kirakosyan pointed out that Mission Armenian intends to mobilize all
the financial and in-kind assistance from governmental and private
sources to ensure high-quality services to the residents.

Yerevan Mayor Yervand Zakharyan stressed that the Yerevan
Municipality will render all possible assistance to the residents of
the Social House.

`The establishment of this complex is a happy fact for us, and we are
ready to render assistance I the creation of necessary conditions for
the residents of the Social House,’ he said.

The Mission Armenia benevolent organization was founded in 1993. It
has around 15,000 beneficiaries, with 8,000 of them being single old
people, 7,000 refugees residing in hostels.-0–