AYF TEAMS WITH ARS JAVAKHK FUND FOR CHRISTMAS ‘PIGGY BANK’ FUNDRAISER

Asbarez
Dec 22nd, 2009

AYF members from the Glendale and Burbank chapters working with the
ARS Javakhk Fund to prepare for the fundraiser

BURBANK, CA-Members from AYF chapters in Glendale and Burbank on
December 18 volunteered with the Armenian Relief Society to prepare
for a much-anticipated holiday fundraiser dedicated to helping the
children of Javakhk.

"We are always happy to help the Armenian Relief Society since their
humanitarian effort helps Armenians most in need, be that in Armenia
or the Diaspora," said Nanor Aghamalian, a member of the Glendale AYF
‘Roupen’ chapter." It is the duty of the youth to help our brothers
and sisters in every corner of the world whenever that help is needed."

The fundraiser, known as the "Javakhk Piggy Bank Drive," is organized
every Christmas season by the ARS Javakhk Fund. The campaign mobilizes
school children from local Armenian schools to raise money for the
organization’s various humanitarian and youth-oriented projects
in Javakhk,

"The Piggy Bank Project’s aims are two-fold," explained Haigoush
Kohler, the chairperson of the ARS Javakhk Fund Committee."Other
than the aim to raise money to provide humanitarian assistance in
the region, the program also seeks to help educate our youth, those
attending Armenian day and Saturday schools, about the needs of the
children living in Javakhk."

"AYF members continue to volunteer for this program and we are thankful
that parents and school administrators have been supportive of the
drive and take their responsibility seriously," she added.

A predominantly Armenian region located in Southern Georgia, Javakhk
is home to tens of thousands of Armenians. Today, it is the most
underdeveloped and impoverished region in the country, with the
highest rate of unemployment and the lowest rate of state investment.

Javakhk is a geographic, economic and political island, almost cut
off from the rest of the world.

"Javakhk is the last piece of our historic homeland outside of the
Republic of Armenia and Artsakh that is still populated by Armenians.

It is imperative to prevent their exodus," another Glendale AYF member,
David Arakelyan, noted. "The Armenians worldwide need to work together
to create better living conditions in the area so that the people do
not leave Javakhk."

The ARS Javakhk Fund Committee works in the Javakhk, Tsalka,
Akhaltskha, Ninotsminda, and Akhalkalak regions of Georgia to renovate
and repair not only local schools and youth centers, but also clinics
in need of care. With many projects already underway-the Fund also
provides the clinics with necessary supplies on a year-round basis.

The Fund has also repaved roads and renovated water and electricity
systems in Javakhk to compensate for the region’s non-existent
infrastructure and its primitive agriculture and local industry.

Alongside regular drives and fundraisers for Javakhk, the Fund also
holds an annual fundraiser cruise. Last year’s cruise raised almost
$60,000 in humanitarian assistance to the Armenians of Javakhk.

Over the summer, the AYF worked with the Fund to organize a
photo-exhibition and sale, displaying original photos by Tamar
Yerdamian Baboujian, who had visited Javakhk and chronicled the
everyday life of its people. The event’s goal was to raise $6,000 to
purchase two cars for the Javakhk Armenian youth organization, which
has faced difficulty in organizing activities in Armenia over the
years due to a lack of transportation. The photo exhibit is ongoing
and interested donors can contactayf@ayfwest.org.

"The AYF has always considered helping the motherland as a top
priority," said Shahan Boghigian, an AYF member from the Burbank
‘Varak’ chapter, who volunteered that evening. "theProviding the
youth in Javakh an opportunity to visit Armenia is an important way
of ensuring that the future generation of Armenians in that region
will retain their connection with the homeland and work with the rest
of the nation to help us achieve our mutual goals."