THE ARMENIA FUND ACCOMPLISHES A NUMBER OF SCHOOL FURNISHING PROJECTS

armradio.am
10.04.2008 17:11

The Armenia Fund accomplished several furnishing projects during
the month of March including the Parakar Art school, school N10 in
Abovian, Kotaik region, schools N 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 in Artik, Shirak
region, secondary school in Kndzoresk, Siunik region and School N78 in
Yerevan. All these projects have been initiated and financed through
contributions from the Armenia Fund’s French Affiliate.

The Art School after Hovik Edgaryan located in the village of Parakar
with a population of 7000 was renovated in 2007 with funds from the
Armenia Fund French Affiliate. The furnishing project at a total
cost of 13,758,549 AMD includes items such as chairs, tables, sofas,
hangers, mirrors, drawers, desks, two looms, an oven and a shaping
machine for producing ceramic items and a computer. The project is
named in memory of the late Loussintac and Sahak Tchopourian.

Around 200 students from Parakar and nearby villages of Tairov,
Merdzavan, Ajgek, Baghramyan, Norakert, Ptghunk, Arevashat, Musaler
attend different classes at the school. Piano, brass band, dancing,
painting, tapestry, pottery and carpet-making classes have classrooms
of their own. With facilities for ceramics and carpet-making classes
available now, the school administration has started registering
pupils who want to enroll on it.

The instructor of the painting class Liparit Shahinyan said they
now have 26 children attending the class instead of the 12 they had
earlier this year, as they now have 12 easels instead of 6 and more
tables and chairs in the classroom. "There was always much interest in
painting and pottery classes, but we did not have enough facilities
for all those who wanted to join us. We are grateful to the Armenia
Fund and our donors for their timely assistance and the stimulus
the new environment provides. It is not only pupils who enjoy the new
painting tools, it is us, the teachers, who are inspired to do better,"
said the instructor. Anahit and Anush have been attending the painting
classes for 2.5 years now. They said they always enjoyed them but with
the new furnished room and tables of their own they enjoy the classes
better. Anahit, 13, is quite certain about her future profession and
is seriously planning to become a fashion designer.

Two years ago a class for brass band opened at school. Today it has 10
students and a nice display of a dozen instruments – trumpet, clarinet,
trombone, baritone, and viola -on the wall in the classroom. The
instruments lay idle in the Parakar secondary school where they
belonged in and were passed over to the art school so that the brass
band class could use it. With the support of the local municipality
they were repaired and now make an impressive collection of Soviet
era brass instruments.

Principal of the school Almast Svajyan was greatly excited when showing
around the school that was no longer just a nicely renovated and an
orderly place which could do with new and more pieces of furniture
earlier this year.

Appropriate maintenance is felt in every corner of the
building. Although the school was renovated only seven months ago,
it is not without the efforts of Ms. Svajyan and her team that the
building is kept in good repair; a lot is currently being considered
and done to add to it. The curtains obtained by the school management
for the concert hall are a perfect match with the chairs. "We are all
so pleased with the new interior; it’s an incredible change. We really
appreciate the efficiency with which acquisition of the furniture
was organized. And we know that not every school in Armenia enjoys
the conditions we do today. Many thanks to the Armenia Fund and our
friends in France for the school we have," said Ms Svajyan.

Fittings such as pictures, small rugs and other decorations are part
of the principal’s plans. According to her due to the Armenia Fund
renovation and furnishing projects the school has now four job openings
– one for an administrative assistant and three for support staff. On
April 6 the school hosted the festival of sport dances in which groups
from Yerevan, Gyumri, Vanadzor, Sisian and Echmiadsin participated.

Within the Armenia Fund upcoming project banisters will be built along
the stairs and a fence put up around the building so as to provide
safety for school children and prevent the flowers and grass from
being trampled.

Similarly eight classrooms for a donation of 3,688,300 AMD drams were
furnished in N10 School in Abovian city. The school received tables,
chairs, blackboards and hangers. The classrooms were sponsored
through the French-Armenian Association for Friendship, Normandy
Association for Armenian Solidarity and in memory of late Mihran,
Nvart Hatsagortsian.and their son Jirair.

The municipality of Vaulx en Velin in France with a total cost of
5,510,000 AMD drams funded five classrooms in schools number 3, 4, 5,
6, and 7 in Artik, Shirak region. It is planned that the municipality
will go ahead with the full furnishing of these schools.

School 78 located in the center of Yerevan received new furniture
with a total cost of 4,283,200 AMD drams. It includes desks, chairs,
tables, bookshelves, blackboards, as well as hangers.

The secondary school in Kndzoresk, another beneficiary of the Armenia
Fund project, received sport facilities with donation from Michel
Tchaloyan. The project was implemented in memory of Melik and Jirair
Melik Mardirossian.

The Armenia Fund Executive Director Vahe Aghabegians welcomed the
successful accomplishment of the projects. "By giving our young
generation modern schools with appropriately furnished classrooms we
make yet another step towards a better life for them. We want them to
choose to stay and study in their home communities and truly enjoy
their learning. The Armenia Fund is doing its best to support the
government in its attempts to provide schools to the standard and thus
solve the most basic problem existent in the country’s educational
system today," says Mr. Aghabegians.