PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Antranig Kasbarian
Tufenkian Foundation
20 Capitol Drive
Moonachie, NJ 07074
mailto:[email protected]
TUFENKIAN FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES NEW SPONSORSHIP IN KARABAGH RESETTLEMENT PROGRAM
Dr. Albert Karamanoukian joins effort to resettle NKR’s border regions
STEPANAKERT, NKR — The Tufenkian Foundation today announced a generous
gift by Dr. Alber Karamanoukian toward its ongoing efforts to promote
Karabagh’s resettlement. Dr. Karamanoukian’s gift of $20,000 will
underwrite the construction of one house and associated facilities
in Arajamough, a new village the Foundation is building in Karabagh’s
border regions.
Begun in 2004, Arajamough currently houses 25 resettlers, consisting
of 6 families, most of them refugees from Azerbaijan. The village
will welcome another 6 families this fall. The Tufenkian Foundation
is committed to building and resettling at least 6 houses per year
until the Arajamough project is completed.
“We are grateful to Dr. Karamanoukian for his generous support of
this project,” stated Antranig Kasbarian, a Program Director with
the Foundation. “Indeed, his support for resettlement extends
beyond this project and toward the larger vision of fortifying
Artsakh–particularly its vulnerable border regions–as a crucial
component of our national security.”
In turn, Dr. Karamanoukian praised the Foundation for its
efforts. “Resettling Karabagh is of vital importance, particularly
when many people still lack decent housing, facilities, and especially
jobs. I commend the Foundation’s commitment to raising the bar in each
of these fields, and urge others to join the effort to consolidate
our victories on the ground. ”
The Arajamough project features newly built houses with modern
amenities. Alongside these, the Tufenkian Foundation is providing
water, power lines, gravel roads, as well as administrative support
in bolstering the village. Future plans include animal husbandry and
land cultivation, in order to provide sustainable livelihoods and to
spur economic growth in surrounding areas.
“Our view of resettlement is an integrated one, and moves beyond the
usual humanitarian-subsistence approaches,” stated Kasbarian. “The
Karabagh war created many thousands of refugees and homeless persons;
some of these have left the area entirely, while many others
continue to eke out an existence in ruined areas amidst primitive
conditions. Under such circumstances, our very existence on these
lands remains tenuous. If we are to attract Armenians back and
solidify our presence, then clearly having a roof over one’s head
is not enough. Rather, people must gain hope that there is a future
living on these lands, which is why modern facilities, infrastructure,
and the promise of economic activity are essential as well.”
Dr. Karamanoukian is a prominent physician and businessman based in
Glendale, California. He has a long record of philanthropy toward
Armenian causes.
The Tufenkian Foundation was established in 1999 by New
York-based entrepreneur James Tufenkian. The Foundation
currently pursues a wide array of projects in Armenia and
in Karabagh, and also sponsors the “Armenian Forests” NGO,
which addresses environmental issues. To learn more about the
Foundation’s efforts, please see the Foundation’s website at
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or contact Antranig Kasbarian at [email protected]
<mailto:[email protected]> .
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