Armenian Caritas is proud to announce that the project, “YouthSmartVillage”, has been selected as one of the semi-finalists and is looking forward to representing Armenia at such a prestigious competition. The project aims to establishment of demo-model of “smart village”, which will ensure employment and learning opportunities for youth, decentralization of IT sphere, improvements in spheres of local self-government and agriculture through the establishment of youth innovative technology laboratory in remote village of Armenia. Competition was rather stiff, too, with only 30 projects selected to enter the next phase of the competition out of 731 eligible entries from 39 countries.

Since 2002 “ArmenianCaritas” has been providing a care to the older people promoting their well-being. To increase the social responsibility of local authorities and society and to promote specialized care, an attempt has been made to reintroduce geriatrics in modern Armenia. It’s already the third time that Victoria Kaprielian, MD, FAAFP Associate Dean for Faculty Development and MedicalEducationCampbellUniversity Jerry M. Wallace School of Osteopathic Medicine came to Armenia with her team. The well-known specialists performed a free-of-charge a-day training for the AC nurses and for the Armenian care institutions and respective NGOs. The training included such topics as confusion,

Armenian Caritas’ OPO’s ARAMAZD: Within the framework of the “Community for Community Program” Vanadzor’s Arrajynt’ats’ NGO implements the project “Community-Based Socio-Economic Development through Poultry Farming Development”. The goal is to promote socio-economic development of the Lejan and Agarak settlements in the Lori Fortress area of the Stepanavan district, located in the Lori region, through the introduction of poultry farming and sustainable income opportunities. The beneficiaries of the project are 40 socially vulnerable families of each of the above mentioned settlements (80 families in total). These families took part in trainings on the topic of cultivation and care of 1-2-day-old chicks.

On May 16, 17 and 21, children from the Drawing group of the Armenian Caritas Charitable Non-Governmental Organization’s “Little Prince” social center in Gyumri, participated in a group of ceramics organized by the Aslamazyan sisters’ gallery. The trainings were held in 3 rounds, on the first day, with acquaintance with children and their skills, on the second day the work process, and in the final, the final stage of the work. Gallery Guitar Guide Michael Vardaponian notes that this is also a field therapy. Lyova Varosyan, a child, was so interested in carpeting that he even thought to be specializing in the future and to become a carpenter,

Within the framework of “HIV/AIDS Prevention and Support in the Post-Soviet Countries” Project an information event, a flash mob and candle lighting was organized in Gyumri for the International AIDS Memorial Day. Young people added the pieces to the traditional AIDS quilt and the interested passers-by approaching the AIDS awareness symbol ribbon-stand pinned small red ribbons on it to commemorate those who died of AIDS. After they started a march with candles from Vardanants Square to Dramataic Square. AIDS Candlelight Memorial takes place every 3rd Sunday in May, however it’s not mere Memorial Day but also a community grassroots movement to end the HIV epidemic.