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COAF Expands its Youth Program

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  • COAF Expands its Youth Program

    PRESS RELEASE
    Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) - Yerevan Office
    53-55 Pavstos Buzand Street, 0010
    Yerevan, Republic of Armenia
    Contact: Inessa Grigoryan
    Tel: (+374 10) 522076; 562068
    Fax: (+374 10) 522076
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Web: www.coafkids.org

    Children of Armenia Fund - New York Office
    162 Fifth Avenue, Suite 900,
    New York, NY 10010, USA
    Contact: Anna Sargsyan
    Tel: 212 - 994 - 8234
    Fax: 212 - 994 - 8299
    E-mail: [email protected]
    Web: www.coafkids.org


    COAF Expands its Youth Program

    Two New Youth Clubs are Formed in Armavir District

    Community of Shenik, Armavir District, Armenia, June 4, 2007 ¾ Today,
    the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), in partnership with the Center for
    Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD), formed two new youth clubs in
    the villages of Shenik and Karakert. These two clubs join the clubs of
    Lernagog and Argina, which were part of the pilot project launched a
    year ago. The huge success of the pilot project and resulting
    achievements of the club members led the COAF-CARD partnership to expand
    this joint project to two more of the Model Cluster villages. Just as
    in the forerunner pilot projects, these clubs will be dedicated to
    instilling in adolescent girls and boys a sense of responsibility and
    caretaking of their sheep.

    At today's event, the twenty 12-13 year-old adolescent boys and girls
    gathered in their respective school yards and cheered the sponsors as
    they arrived with the sheep. In turn, the Shenik Mayor, Mr. Koryun
    Minasyan, welcomed the guests and hailed the project as an important
    initiative for the individual development of the youth. COAF and CARD
    representatives also addressed the participating adolescents and their
    parents. Subsequently, the selected girls and boys received two sheep
    each together with a care package taking their first steps toward
    becoming full-fledged farmers in the future.

    The project aims at teaching youngsters how to take responsibility for
    taking care of the sheep ¾ caring, feeding, and preventing diseases.
    The broader objective is to develop livestock farming in the region.
    Adolescents from disadvantaged, needy, or single parent families are
    selected to join the club provided they satisfy a set of pre-established
    criteria, including their personal level of interest in livestock
    farming and the existence of a suitable sheep shed adjacent to the
    family home. Under the close watch and direction of an expert
    veterinarian, the youngsters will gain knowledge of animal science and
    take daily notes on their sheep. Khatutik NGO will be responsible for
    organizing the trainings and for providing educational materials and
    hygienic supplies to the club members.

    This project is expected to contribute to the economic development of
    the Model Cluster villages. Last year's outcomes have demonstrated full
    compliance with established standards in animal care and, in most cases,
    club members have exceeded the target performance results.

    Children of Armenia Fund was founded in 2000 with the aim to reduce
    poverty through the revitalization of rural Armenia and the realization
    of projects that are instrumental for the revival of communities. With
    the introduction of its novel approach to clustering in February 2006,
    COAF is currently implementing the Model Cluster working in six villages
    in Baghramyan Region of Armavir District. The key components of COAF's
    Model Cluster project comprise Infrastructure and Economic Development
    Programs, and Community Development including Health, Social and
    Educational Programs. Since early 2006, besides its Model Village
    Karakert, COAF is also working in Myasnikyan, Shenik, Dalarik, Lernagog
    and Argina.

    The Armenian Rural Youth Development Program, initiated by the Center
    for Agribusiness and Rural Development, is a voluntary non formal
    educational program that supplements formal school education. It is
    modeled after the US 4-H Program. The program is helping young people
    gain skills needed to become responsible, self-directing, productive and
    contributing members of society. The Extension Youth Development Program
    provides real experiences and an opportunity for youth to gain life
    skills, project development and implementation skills, basic
    agricultural knowledge in order to be engaged in community development
    activities.
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