During an annual trip to Armenia in August, our supporters – Mary Pendergast, Larry Peters, Kevork Derkevorkian, and Karolin and Karin Cakirdas– got a chance to visit Vanand and Baghramyan villages and see the tangible results of their generous contributions in the villages.
First Graders Singing an Armenian Lullaby to Our Donors
Vanand is a village in the Armavir region with a population of 1,102. There are 176 students, 16 of which were 1st-year students this September. In 2014, COAF aided Vanand with the establishment of the Creativity Lab. Infrastructure repair projects began from there on with the cafeteria and brushodrome, health post, the playground (donated by Mary Pendergast), and, lastly, the gym.
Here are some programs implemented by COAF in Vanand: after-school clubs, professional orientation, mentorship to student councils, English learning programs, provision of scholarship to University students, operational support to the school cafeterias and brushodromes, capacity building of local health providers, and community health education and screenings.
Donors also visited Baghramyan, a village where starting from 2007 COAF was implementing health programs, including capacity building of local health providers, community health education and screenings, dental fluoridation, and free dental care. The village of Baghramyan has a population of 1,106 with 332 students.