A NEW VISION TO COME TO LIFE IN KHASHTARAK SCHOOL PROJECT
armradio.am
11.02.2008 17:58
The Armenia Fund’s Germany Affiliate "Armenien-Fonds Hayastan-Fonds"
and the Association of Armenian Entrepreneurs in Germany "Armenischer
Unternehmer Verein" have undertaken the complete renovation of the
school in Khashtarak village (in the Tavush region) as part of the
Armenia Fund (Hayastan All Armenian Fund) Rural Development Program.
The German community had made this commitment prior to the Armenia
Fund 2007 Telethon, during which the Armenia Fund Executive Director
Vahe Aghabegians had announced the generous German contribution.
The Armenia Fund has taken on the challenge of bringing comprehensive
development to Armenia’s border villages. The rehabilitation of
infrastructure is the cornerstone of the initiative, coupled with
targeted economic development assistance in order to help border
village residents achieve a sustainable self-reliant life. The
renovation of schools as vital elements of community infrastructure
is a top priority for the Fund.
"Schools, together with all other aspects of infrastructure must
be upgraded so that we can reduce or remove the gap between city
and village," says Gilbert Momdjian, President of the Armenia Fund
affiliate of Germany. "By undertaking the Khashtarak School renovation
project, the Fund has set out to provide top-notch educational
facilities in rural areas."
The Fund’s Germany Affiliate and the Association of Entrepreneurs
in Germany "Armenischer Unternehmer Verein" will see full scale
remodeling of the Soviet-era building which is the largest school in
the cluster and might serve as the magnet for all school-age children
in the area. The result will be the transformation of a backward,
crumbling structure into a modern educational center that will come
complete with all the required facilities for conducting productive
educational and extracurricular activities.
Gilbert Momdjian who has headed the Germany affiliate of the Armenia
Fund for over fifteen years says that the community felt that a
renovated school is possibly the most important expression of faith in
a community’s future. "This is what will make parents think twice about
leaving a community," he noted. "This is why our community is ready
to take on this nearly half-million dollar commitment. It is worth it."
"We see the revitalization of the village schools as a potent tool in
breaching the isolation of the border communities. The creation of a
favorable educational environment will allow the children to realize
their potential to the fullest and receive knowledge that will be
competitive in today’s world," says Vahe Aghabegians, the Armenia
Fund (Hayastan All Armenian Fund) Executive Director. "We want the
children in the border villages to see that the change is starting
from them and they, in turn, are the ones who will bring change and
a better life to their communities."