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: Samantha Wagar
Tel: 212 – 994 – 8234
Fax: 212 – 994 – 8299
E-mail: swagar@coafkids.org
Web:
Lernagog School Children Advocate Tobacco Free Environment
June 25, 2008 Lernagog, Armavir District ¾ Following international No
Tobacco Day celebrated worldwide on May 31, the community of Lernagog
recently hosted an event in the premises of a newly renovated village
school, advocating tobacco free environment in the community and
throughout the region. Lernagog is one of six villages included in
Comprehensive Rural Development Program, initiated and implemented by
the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) since early 2006. Other communities
constituting COAF’s Model Cluster include Argina, Dalarik, Karakert,
Miasnikian and Shenik.
The event was organized by the members of the local Youth Club on
Healthy Lifestyle in close cooperation with COAF health education team.
Through the mentioned club, which makes part of a chain of 30 clubs
operating in four villages of the Model Cluster and one neighboring
Hushakert, the local youth acquires knowledge and builds capacity on
disease prevention, healthy nutrition, physical activities and healthy
behavior. Other clubs focus on such areas of development as
agribusiness, civic education, ecology, logics and journalism/public
relations. The project is being implemented within the framework of
Creation and Development of Youth Clubs, implemented in close
partnership with Heifer International.
The participants and organizers built the first part of the event on
question and answer scheme, discussing and covering smoking and
non-smoking issues, accompanied by illustrative slides on the damages
caused by active and passive smoking, and presenting some statistics on
smokers throughout Armenia. As Karine Tonoyan, Head of Youth Club on
Healthy Lifestyle and Lernagog School Biology Teacher noted, "This event
and a number of others that we are regularly organizing is always a
great tool in raising awareness and taking responsibility towards health
issues among children, youth and adults. And from one event to another
we get more and more enthusiastic, as we find the necessary support from
our friends from COAF".
The second part of the event was dedicated to the performance, played by
the Lernagog schoolchildren themselves, with the goal of advocating
tobacco-free environment and conducting healthy lifestyle among youth
and adults. Anti-smoking commercials and ads, as well as recommendations
towards quitting smoking were widely used and advocated. Of special
importance were the stage decorations, which symbolized the Universe,
divided into two parts – smokers and non-smokers. The guests and the
local community could witness that the part engaging non-smokers was
blossoming with flowers and flourishing with sunshine, thus promising a
bright future and prosperity for its inhabitants. Meanwhile the opposite
camp remained uninhabited, with its grey and gloomy colors, arousing
sadness and bore and repelling the people to a brighter part of the
Universe.
For the past two years, apart from classes on healthy lifestyle
conducted in Lernagog and other five villages of the Model Cluster, COAF
community health education program additionally included trainings and
workshops on first aid, prevention of infectious diseases, management of
chronic health problems, prenatal care, child care, cervical and breast
cancer prevention, family planning, sexually transmitted diseases, and
family violence.
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