Armenia Fund USA, Inc.
80 Maiden Lane, S-301
New York, NY 10038, U.S.A.
T/1-212-689-5307
F/1-212-689-5317
http://ww w.armeniafundusa.org
e-mail: [email protected]
Archut Village: Armenia Fund Brings Pieces Together
NEW YORK, New York – Armenia Fund USA is pleased to announce that Archut
village in Armenia will benefit from the agricultural development initiative
that started in Karabakh. Armenia Fund in Yerevan transferred agricultural
technology and supplies to Archut to help family farmers there in crop
cultivation and seasonal agricultural activities. Access to upgraded
equipment is an important part of the Fund’s Agricultural Initiative which
also involves creating jobs and providing improved agricultural practices
for rural communities.
Since the collapse of the Soviet central planning system, villages in
Armenia and Karabakh have been facing serious difficulties, a major problem
being lack of agricultural machinery. The agricultural sector has long-term
needs for more investment and upgraded technology. To address this need,
Armenia Fund has made providing access to updated agricultural equipment an
important part of the region’s development plan.
The Regional Development Program started in Mardakert region of Karabakh in
spring of 2005. In 2006 the program was expanded to Hadrut region. An
important economic underpinning of the initiative is the establishment of
agricultural development associations in all major regions. New tractors,
combines and other agricultural equipment were shipped to Karabakh from
China and Belarus. The project registered success in the first cluster of
villages in Mardakert, and now villages in Armenia, like Archut in Lori
Marz, are also beginning to benefit from it. "New tractors are of great help
to the 480 small households in the village," says Vardan Khachikian, a
resident and head of the village that has just received new agricultural
technology from the Fund. "This is not the first time during the 17-year
existence of Archut that Armenia Fund renders assistance to our communities
in different ways", he notes with gratitude.
In 2000, Armenia Fund built a secondary school in Archut, and later
furnished its classrooms. The French affiliate of the Fund is spearheading
the initiative which currently extends beyond classrooms to include sport
and other facilities for the school.
Archut is reviving today with new hope for a better life. The village is
relatively new, as it was established in 1989 and has 1500 inhabitants, most
of them refugees of war. Its residents are resilient, hardworking, and are a
great encouragement for Armenia Fund as it paves the way for a better
quality of life.
ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: Founded in 1992, Armenia Fund USA was one of the
first of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 19 international affiliates and serves
constituents in all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit,
non-governmental, nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all
Armenian constituents. Armenia Fund USA is the largest contributor to
strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh. The Fund has
adopted a policy to go "Beyond Bricks and Mortar" to provide sustainability
for projects it sponsors.