OSCE OFFICE ORGANIZES SUMMER CAMP FOR ARMENIAN CHILDREN
armradio.am
27.08.2008 17:12
Some 80 disabled and socially disadvantaged children from Armenia’s
Syunik province are taking part in a summer camp on "Learning to Live
Together" in Kapan, the provincial capital.
The 10-day camp, which ends this week, was organized by the OSCE
Programme Implementation Presence in Syunik, which is part of the
OSCE Office in Yerevan. The Canadian-owned Deno Gold Mining Company
co-sponsored the camp.
"This camp follows a similar event last year, organized together with
UNESCO," said Garik Chilingaryan, Project Co-ordinator of the OSCE
Programme Implementation Presence. "By having a corporate sponsor
this year, we promote the building of bridges between business and
society. Such connections form a basis for public-private partnerships
that can promote economic and social development".
At the camp, the children learned about the outdoors and the
environment.
The camp aimed to foster independence, self-esteem and social and
life skills, as well as create equal opportunities for vulnerable
groups and support their integration.
An interactive training programme introduced this year helped the
participants, ranging in age from 8 to 13, develop basic leadership
skills and learn how to identify, analyze and solve problems. At the
end of the camp, the children will develop small project proposals
for their communities.=2 0Some proposals will be selected for
implementation, with support from Deno Gold.
Hasmik Kostandyan, 10 a camp participant, said: "I was happy to discuss
the problems of our community and felt important that I can make a
difference by introducing my solution and offering my assistance. I
would like to make something good for the community".