Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) – Yerevan Office
1 Northern Avenue, Suite 24,=20
0001, Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
Contact: Inessa Grigoryan
Tel: (+374 10) 50.20.76; 53.34.12
Fax: (+374 10) 50.20.76
E-mail: [email protected]
Web:
November 12, 2014, Yerevan, Armenia
COAF and ONEArmenia Partner to Bring Healthy Nutrition and Dental
Hygiene Programs to Aragatsavan Children
Today the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), in partnership with
ONEArmenia and Governor’s Office of Aragatsotn District of Armenia,
held the official opening ceremony of the newly constructed School
Cafeteria, Brushodrome and Auditorium in the School #2 of Aragatsavan
Community of Aragatsotn District.
Aragatsavan School #2 became the seventh rural educational
institution, where COAF has been implementing its Healthy Nutrition
and Comprehensive Dental Hygiene Programs. Upcoming reforms in the
Aragatsavan School #2 envisage inclusion of the school in the state
program of “Health Promoting Schools” and membership of the school to
the “Schools for Health in Europe” Network. With the aim of developing
children’s artistic skills and instilling in them the love towards
art, COAF has constantly been promoting the organization of cultural
events among children residing in rural communities of Armenia and
ensuring improved physical infrastructure and creative environment, in
addition to an array of interventions in healthcare and education.
As part of the trilateral partnership, COAF and ONEArmenia held a
special crowd-funding campaign to raise funds for the construction of
the school cafeteria and tooth-brushing station for the Aragatsavan
schoolchildren, and through the donations made at COAF’s Summer Soiree
2014, the school auditorium was capitally renovated. The Aragatsotn
Governor’s Office joined the efforts of two partnering organizations
and provided furnishing of the auditorium.
Since the start of 2014-2015 academic year, the elementary school
students in Aragatsavan have been served with hot and healthy meals,
and the elementary school teachers and school nurses have been trained
on proper oral and dental hygiene. The whole school community has also
been gifted a big and bright auditorium, which will help to reveal
many a talent among Armenian children and contribute to their
harmonious development and advancement.
In her welcoming speech Mrs. Anoush Yedigaryan, COAF Executive
Director, stated: “Today we celebrate the collective accomplishments
of a number of COAF projects and we are delighted to have our
partners, ONEArmenia and Aragatsotn Governor’s Office standing next to
us. It’s through this joint effort that COAF’s great initiative became
complete and realizable. COAF’s School Nutrition program seeds healthy
habits and ensures better health for rural Armenian children by
providing them with healthy food choices at school and implementing a
series of health education activities. Education on healthy nutrition
and hygiene is an inseparable part of the program. COAF’s brushodrome
concept is another innovative solution in addressing poor dental
hygiene. Brushodromes are school-based tooth-brushing stations which
are directed to combat dental caries among rural children in preschool
and primary school.
In the words of Ms. Nora Kayserian, ONEArmenia representative, “Health
and nutrition is something people around the world deserve and care
about. We’re proud to have brought together the global community to
make this initiative a reality”.
The guests were also greeted by Ms. Nune Movsisyan, Deputy Governor of
Aragatsotn District, who congratulated the residents of Aragatsavan
and attached great importance to the initiative, considering it as a
pre-requisite for healthier lifestyle and healthier food choices. The
Deputy Governor also noted that the cooperation with COAF has turned
into a nice tradition, and that new development projects would be
launched in the years to come.
The School Nutrition and Comprehensive Dental Care Programs have been
among COAF’s most popular and effective initiatives. Since 2013 COAF
has launched the operations of a number of school cafeterias and
provided healthy hot meals to over 600 primary school students. COAF’s
initiatives have evoked a high level of enthusiasm and interest among
the parents and teachers. Many local farmers, entrepreneurs and
parents have donated food items to the program in appreciation of
their children being provided with free meals.
* * * * * * *
About COAF
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) is a non-profit, non-governmental
organization that employs community-led approaches aimed at improving
the quality of life in rural Armenia, with a particular focus on
children and youth. COAF’s target development areas are education,
health, social and economic development. COAF launched its programs in
2004, starting in one village and expanding to 22 villages in the
Armavir and Aragatsotn marzes of Armenia. This became the inception of
COAF’s innovative cluster village model approach. Eight of COAF’s
beneficiary villages have undergone intensive interventions, while
selected development programs have been carried out in the rest of the
villages. Over 30,000 people have been impacted by COAF’s work. Please
see more at and
am.coafkids.org.
Inessa Grigoryan
PR & Communications Manager
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)
1 Northern Avenue, 8th floor, Suite 24
Yerevan, 0001, Republic of Armenia
Tel.: (+374 10) 53 34 12, 50 20 76
Fax: (+374 10) 50 20 76
; am.coafkids.org
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
