SOCIAL ORPHANS IN ARMENIA

Panorama.am
15:43 04/09/2008

UNICEF and HSBC Bank Armenia closed joint stock Company have started
"Help children live in families" joint program the chief aim of which
is to support the Armenian families in need and prevent children from
living in orphanages.

"Family is the main guarantee for child’s safety and security." This
is the chief slogan of the propagandistic action. "The children
deprived of parental care are more likely to become victims of abuse,
trafficking and discrimination," UNICEF Armenia Office Representative
Sheldon Yett says.

According to Mr. Sheldon 80% of 1300 children living in Armenian
orphanages have at least one parent, hence these children can be
considered social orphans, as they are compelled to live in orphan
asylums because their own families are in need. That is why HSBC and
UNICEF have founded special charity fund to help poor families.

HSBC Bank Armenia cjsc Chief Executive Officer Tim Slater says the
Bank has already donated 10 000 dollars to this joint fund which
is supposed to provide financial support to the children from needy
families during three year’s period.

At the end of the conference concerning the creation of the joint
fund, a special social video "Help Children Live in Families" was
shown for the first time.