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]
Armenia Fund 1997-1998
1992-2007: Celebrating 15 years of nation-building in Armenia and Karabakh
NEW YORK, New York – The year 2007 marks the 15th Anniversary of Armenia
Fund, a pillar organization created after Armenia’s independence and
mandated with the vital task of uniting all Armenians around the world to
direct efforts toward development and revival of the nation. For 15 years,
the Fund, with its international affiliates across the globe, has touched
countless lives in Armenia and Karabakh. Combining aid, development and
direct investment, Armenia Fund has engaged Armenia’s leaders, its people
and the worldwide Diaspora to promote education, create jobs, improve public
health and develop infrastructure, among other critical humanitarian needs.
Today, Armenia Fund’s contributions to social and economic prosperity of
Armenia and Karabakh are unprecedented.
The 15th Anniversary of Armenia Fund is a celebration of the past, present
and future of the Armenian people. It is a celebration of overcoming
challenges by working together. Above all, it is a celebration of humanity,
courage and hope.
Armenia Fund 1997 -1998
Along with the several large-scale initiatives already underway in Armenia
and Karabakh, from 1997-1998 there was an upsurge in Armenia Fund’s projects
focusing on social infrastructure, particularly schools, kindergartens,
residential buildings, hospitals and healthcare clinics.
In Gyumri, where the 1988 earthquake had shattered not only infrastructure
but also the lifestyle and hope of the people, Armenia Fund put together an
ambitious reconstruction plan. This involved the completion of the "Sayat
Nova", "Mush" and "Ani" residential districts where Robert Boghossian & Sons
also sponsored an educational center. To this date, orphaned children live
and study at the Boghossian Educational Center. Among other projects were
the Mush School, the Children Art Center, the Shahan Shahnour Secondary
School, as well as the Arshak Chopanian School in Gyumri. The Fund also
reconstructed the Physics and Mathematics Boarding School in Yerevan.
The devastating consequences of the Karabakh conflict took an immense toll
on the everyday life of the local people depriving them of even basic social
services. Here as well, the lack of functioning schools posed the serious
problem of failing to educate an entire generation of children. Given the
urgency of the situation, Armenia Fund initiated the construction and
restoration of over a dozen schools in Stepanakert and in the villages of
Karabakh. The Stepanakert Boarding School was the first among such
initiatives.
Revitalizing the healthcare system in Armenia and Karabakh has always been a
priority for Armenia Fund, but the need for intervention became particularly
urgent from 1997-1998. This was due to the collapsing healthcare
infrastructure across the country on the one hand, and the increasingly
deteriorating health of the population on the other. A major undertaking in
this direction was the complete restoration and modernization of the Yerevan
Clinic for Pediatric Care, the Pediatric Surgery Center of which today has
become an important hub of pediatric research and study.
What made Armenia Fund a unique institution in these years was not only the
pace at which the Fund completed critically needed large-scale
infrastructure projects, but also its ability to affect change in the most
underserved and vulnerable communities in Armenia and Karabakh.
Over the past 15 years, Armenia Fund has invested more than $170 million in
sustainable development in Armenia and Karabakh. This makes the Fund the
largest contributor to critical infrastructure projects in all aspects of
social and economic activity. Securing long-term development solutions, the
Fund has had an outstanding impact on the lives of countless citizens of
Armenia and Karabakh. Armenia Fund has evolved over the years into an
organization that has an unprecedented track record of affecting change. In
recognition to its development work, Armenia Fund was accredited to the
United Nations in spring of 2006, as one of the most credible international
organizations working in Armenia and Karabakh.
To recognize and thank the Diaspora for its 15 years of continuous support
to Armenia and Karabakh, Armenia Fund will hold a 15th Anniversary Gala
Banquet at the United Nations on October 6, 2007. Join Armenia Fund as it
celebrates the tenacity of the Armenian people and strength of the Armenian
Diaspora!