CELEBRATING WORLD HABITAT DAY AND THE LAUNCH OF NEW PROJECT IN NSHAVAN
armradio.am
08.10.2008 14:14
With great excitement and hope for a better future the village Nshavan
in the region of Ararat embraced the new project of Habitat for
Humanity Armenia, which celebrated the World Habitat Build on Monday,
October 6, with a build week in Nshavan. The event also marked the
start of an unprecedented project to eradicate poverty housing in
this agricultural community of 2,400.
A ceremony at the village hall of Nshavan, about 40 minutes from
Yerevan, took place on Monday at 11 a.m. The population of Nshavan,
together with distinguished guests including the RA Deputy Minister
of Urban Development, as well as Archbishop Vicken Aikazian, member
of the International Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity,
as well as representatives of Armenian and international NGOs were
attending the opening ceremony, which took place in front of the
village hall of Nshavan.
The United Nations-designated World Habitat Day on Monday, 6 October,
calls for the recognition of the state of human settlements and
the basic need for adequate shelter for all. Habitat for Humanity’s
World Habitat Build in Nshavan, will mark the observance throughout
the week to accommodate various groups of volunteers who will help
finish the half-built houses of two families and mark the launch of
a communitywide strategy to eradicate poverty housing.
=0 A"We are here to celebrate the beginning of a new start to improve
the housing conditions of the inhabitants of Nshavan and many other
villages and towns in Armenia," said Habitat for Humanity Armenia
executive director Irina Vanyan. "I am very thrilled to find so many
adherents here and the excitement with which Habitat for Humanity
Armenia and its project is greeted in Nshavan is indeed encouraging. If
the project has such a strong support from the community than it will
definitely succeed." Ms. Vanyan also thanked the tens of local and
international volunteers who had arrived Nshavan to give the partner
families a hand up in making their dream of having a simple, decent,
and affordable home a reality. She particularly thanked the volunteers
of Armenian NGOs IESEC, AMSE, Luysi Ashkharh, and Clean Yerevan.
"Today we are actually celebrating the commitment the partner families
and the people of Nshavan are going to make to end poverty housing
in your village," said Habitat for Humanity Europe and Central Asia
Program Director Lucija Popovska. "The real heroes today are the
families who have inspired us to help build their and many other
peoples’ homes in their community," she added.
"Habitat for Humanity’s commitment to the village Nshavan is serious,"
added Ms. Popovska. "Our objective is that when Habitat for Humanity
leaves this community, nobody will be living in poverty housing."
Karlen Gevorgyan, RA Deputy Minister of Urban Development,
congratulated the people of Nshavan on the launch of the Habitat for
Humanity project in their village. "I am convinced that these projects
will find success in Nshavan and many other villages throughout
Armenia," said the Deputy Minister. "We are also extremely glad on
the new partnership between Habitat for Humanity Armenia and the RA
Ministry of Urban Development to more effectively tackle the issue
of poverty housing throughout Armenia and help an increasing number
of families in living in decent homes," said the Deputy Minister.
"We are extremely happy that the project of Habitat for Humanity
Armenia kicked off in Nshavan," said Marzpet Hakobyan, the Mayor
of Nshavan.
"The need of our village to adequate housing is indeed pressing
and we hope that at the end of the project’s activity in Nshavan,
our village will have a nicer look with its renovated houses."
Towards the end of the opening celebration, Archbishop Vicken Aykazian
blessed the project and its mission to help an increasing number of
families in Armenia in dropping off the burden of living in inadequate
shelters.
"Helping to our neighbors, our friends, and other people is a duty
assigned by God to every Human Being. Helping people in Armenia to
have better homes is the mission of Habitat for Human ity in Armenia."
Within the hours following the opening ceremony, the official guests
joined their efforts to that of the local and international volunteers
and the partner families in building their homes. During the build
week, more volunteers, including Habitat for Humanity international
board chair Ron Terwilliger, will lend the families a hand up.
Habitat’s self-help approach has worked for nearly 300,000 families
in more than 90 countries, and it’s working in Nshavan and throughout
Armenia. Habitat for Humanity earlier this year recommitted itself to
improving housing conditions in Armenia, where about 40 percent of
the country’s 3 million population live in substandard shelter. In
addition to Nshavan, Habitat is tackling a communitywide project in
Khachik, not far from the border with Azerbaijan.
The two completed homes will be blessed and dedicated on Saturday,
October 11.