PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND & ARMENIA TREE PROJECT BENEFITS 2,907 RURAL FAMILIES

ARMENPRESS
Dec 10 2007

YEREVAN DECEMBER 10, ARMENPRESS: The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)
said it is implementing a Participatory Rural Development Program
in Armenia.

With the fundamental purpose of reducing poverty primarily by creating
new income generating opportunities, COAF, Armenia Tree Project (ATP)
and Armenian-American entrepreneur Bryan Bedrosian joined forces to
reach out to 2,907 families in the Model Cluster of six villages in
Armavir. Each of the families received apricot trees, depending on
the size of their plots.

Besides economic development, COAF’s Participatory Rural Development
Program also tackles issues related to healthcare, education reform,
social services and infrastructure rehabilitation. In partnership
with COAF since 2005, ATP has realized tree planting in the Karakert
School and Kindergartens in April 2006 and, more recently, in the
Karakert Public Park.

"Our partnership with a visionary organization such as the Armenia
Tree Project and our association with Bryan and Rosie Bedrosian,
Armenian-American entrepreneurs and philanthropists from California,
have culminated in the realization of such an important undertaking. We
are thrilled to have such friends among our long-term partners and
to share with them the vision of reducing poverty in rural Armenia,"
stated Arpie Balian, COAF-Armenia Country Director.

The ATP Community Tree Planting Program Manager, Anahit Gharibyan,
was very forthcoming in expressing her appreciation of the cooperation
among all parties involved in this project, including all six local
municipalities and COAF staff. "We are gratified with the smooth
implementation of this tree distribution project. We look forward to
continuing our collaboration with COAF and reaching other successful
outcomes from our joint efforts."

The apricot tree nursery was initiated in 2004 by Bryan and Rosie
Bedrosian, in Karakert, the first village where COAF launched its
Participatory Rural Development Program. The Bedrosians aimed at
providing high quality apricot trees to local farmers to help them
become more competitive in regional and foreign markets. During the
past three years, the nursery was under the professional care of local
agricultural specialists supervised by the Karakert community. The
magnanimous and visionary assistance by the Bedrosians made possible
the distribution of 14, 729 trees to 2,907 families of the Model
Cluster.

On the day of distribution of the trees, COAF and ATP staff witnessed
the enthusiasm of the beneficiary villagers. In the words of Zevs
Minasyan, sixty-year-old Shenik villager, the climatic peculiarities
of the region and the agricultural potential of the land in this
area will produce top-quality apricots making this distribution a
worthwhile effort. "We are grateful to all those who contribute to
the development of our villages and who consider this work their top
priority. I am more than convinced that in five years’ time my income
will double with the harvest from these trees. Thank you very much
for making me a part of this assistance project."

The Armenia Tree Project (ATP) was founded in 1994 to advance Armenia’s
development by planting trees.

Trees ? managed on a sustainable basis ? deliver a steady bounty of
tangible benefits like flowers, fruits, shade, and medicine. They
protect precious topsoil against erosion and landslides, clean the
air, and safeguard supplies of fresh water. Trees also support an
array of animal and plant life.

Bryan Bedrosian is ranch manager of Bedrosian Farms. Back in 1942,
one of his grandfathers purchased a 100-acre grape farm in Fowler,
California. Through hard work and frugality, the family was able
to purchase more land in subsequent decades, also establishing the
National Raisin Co. For over ten years, Bryan Bedrosian and his wife
Rosie have been involved in various consulting and philanthropic
activities in Armenia and Karabagh.

In 2004, in consultation and close cooperation with COAF and the
Karakert Municipality, the Bedrosians established an apricot nursery
in the village of Karakert, where COAF had launched its Participatory
Rural Development Program. The project’s aim was to grow apricot
seedlings that would later become high quality apricot trees and
provide local farmers with new opportunities to become more competitive
in marketing their products.