On May 24, a delegation of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund comprising trustees, representatives of affiliates worldwide, benefactors, and associates, began a series of project-site visits in Armenia, starting with the Tavush Region. The visits come on the heels of several others which the delegation made to the sites of current or newly completed projects in Artsakh, starting on May 20.
The delegation’s first stop in Tavush was the village of Khachardzan, where the fund is renovating the community’s school with the financial support of longtime benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Arto and Hilda Kalciyan of Argentina. With access to natural gas and equipped with a new central-heating system, the school will provide students with a comfortable learning environment year-around. The renovated and fully furnished campus will open its doors in September. Assistance to Khachardzan is also being provided by the Armenia branch of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). After planting an orchard in the vicinity of the school, UMCOR is currently donating farm animals and beehives to 28 economically disadvantaged local families.
Also on May 24, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund delegation visited the community of Lusadzor, in Tavush, for a first-hand look at the activities of a farm established through the support of the fund’s French affiliate. For the past several years, a number of far-reaching agricultural-development programs have been implemented throughout Tavush, with the joint support of France’s Hauts-de-Seine General Council and the French-Armenian community.