PRESS RELEASE
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) – Yerevan Office
53-55 Pavstos Buzand Street, 0010
Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Inessa Grigoryan
Tel: (+374 10) 522076; 562068
Fax: (+374 10) 522076
E-mail: igrigoryan@coafkids.org
Web:

Children of Armenia Fund – New York Office
162 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900,
New York, NY 10010, USA
Contact: Tracy Mazza
Tel: 212 – 994 – 8234
Fax: 212 – 994 – 8299
E-mail: tmazza@Antigenics.com
Web:

The Continuing Partnership between Children of Armenia Fund &

Armenia Tree Project Benefits 2,907 Rural Families

Armavir District, Armenia, December 10, 2007 ¾ The Children of Armenia
Fund (COAF) 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 2 ¾ 7 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 ¾ managed on a sustainable basis
¾ 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.