QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Benevolent NGO

Spring 2011, Issue 4

Summer Academy:
New Initiative With New Partnership
Syunik NGO launched a new initiative entitled Establish-
ing a Human Resources Network for Peace in South Caucasus. The
project aims to prepare young trainers in conflict analysis,
conflict management, conflict transformation, conflict me-
diation and conflict resolution and is funded by the Insti-
tute for Foreign Cultural Relations (ifa) through the German
Federal Foreign Office.
As part of the project, a three-week Summer Academy
will take place in the newly built Hermon Summer Camp in order to share their knowledge and skills with others. In
Complex. Thirty young activists from Armenia and Geor- addition, a training manual will be published and there will
gia will take part. As a follow-up to the academy, alumni be a final debriefing conference to share project outcomes
will conduct peer-to-peer workshops in their communities and resources available.

New Projects by Our Young Staff Members

Syuniks young staff members took part in the Active Citi-
zen Projects implemented by the British Council in Armenia,
in collaboration with the Armenian Young Women Associa-
tion. As part of this project, a small grant program was an-
nounced for participant youth to apply. Three of the five
projects funded in the Vayots Dzor region are proposals pre-
sented by Syuniks young staff members and Yeghegnadzor
Youth Bank. A representative from the British Council, Lilit
Qalantaryan, recently visited Syunik to discuss the projects
and to advise on some organizational steps.
The Beautiful Dancers project led by Marine Aghajanyan will
provide dancing club students in Vayk SSC with uniforms
and will allow them to perform in local and national compe-
titions. Hasmik Sargsyans Active Generation, Active Community
initiative will try to contribute to the development of educa-
tional-cultural life in Hermon, Goghtanik and Vardahovit ru-
ral communities by offering various clubs in the Hermon So-
cial Service Center. Another initiative, Our City is Our Home,
will be implemented by Youth Bank members and will focus
on increasing public awareness about environmental issues
through training, round-table discussions, competitions, etc.

All three projects will contribute to the community and

youth development initiatives implemented by Syunik NGO
up to date.
Representatives from British Council discuss Active Citizens
projects in Syuniks Headquarter office
 Yesterdays Student Becomes Todays Leader:
Success Story
Ten years ago Hasmik Sargsyan was one of the beneficia- Answer: I decided to study Italian as a first subject and
ries of Syunik NGOs coaching courses. Today she is the English as second be-
Vayk Social Service Center Coordinator in the EED project cause I wanted to spe-
Development of South Armenia. She is also among the cialize in something
finalists selected by British Council to visit the UK within uncommon. In June
the Active Citizen Initiative. Hasmik is a proud example of 2010, I received my
how local capacity building can help to improve the chances university diploma.
for people from vulnerable families and open new doors for In August, I heard
them. Below is the interview with Hasmik, conducted by from a classmate at
Lennart Lehman, CIM consultant to Syunik NGO. the Social Service
Question: How did you get involved in the coaching Center that there was
courses of the SSC? an opportunity to
Answer: In 2001, when I was in 9th grade, I read an an- work at Syunik NGO
nouncement in school that there was a possibility to par- in Yeghegnadzor. My
ticipate in coaching courses at Syunik NGO. The courses relatives asked me to
(Armenian, English and Mathematics) were free of charge stay in Yerevan, but I
and conducted by the best teachers in Yeghegnadzor. I ap- had no job there and
Hasmik Sargsyan
plied and was accepted to take part. Altogether I participated I was convinced that Coordinator of Vayk Social
for almost three years. Syunik NGO would Service Center
Question: Why were you eligible for the coaching courses help me again.
of Syunik NGO? Question: How did you feel when you started at Syunik
Answer: When I was a child my father died. My mother NGO?
was not working. In those days only my brother, who was in Answer: I was afraid that I would not fulfil expectations,
Russia, supported us. because I had to do many translations and English had only
Question: Was it easy for you to go to Yerevan to study? been my second subject. For financial reasons I had not been
Answer: My family didnt want me to go to Yerevan be- able to continue my studies for a Master degree. But now I
cause I am a girl. In those days there was no university in am very glad that I started to work with the Syunik NGO
Yeghegnadzor and I had to make clear to them that I wanted because I learned so many things here that I didnt learn at
to achieve higher goals. My family doubted that I would get university. I like the atmosphere and the open and direct way
free admission to study at the famous Bryusov University in that the colleagues communicate with each other.
Yerevan. I convinced them that I would succeed, and I did Question: What are your plans for the future?
so without bribing or having to pay fees. Finally, my mom Answer: I havent planned anything special for the future
said: If you want it, try! When I was in Yerevan, I stayed with yet, because things do not always work out the way I plan
relatives, who supported me. them. But I know one thing for sure - I would like to develop
Question: What did you study in Yerevan? professionally and become more advanced in what I do now.

A Panel Discussion on Employment Perspectives

Recently, a laboration with Syunik NGO, GIZ, Vayots Dzor Employ-
panel discussion ment Forum and other local partners involved in the forum.
on new perspec- Participants of the panel discussion were diverse: employers,
tives of employ- representatives from collaborating organizations and local
ment opportuni- stakeholders, officials from the regional government, stu-
ties took place at dents and parents. A number of issues were discussed, all of
Gitelik Universi- which concerned the existing employment opportunities and
ty in Yeghegnad- challenges for youth in the region. The need for strength-
zor. The panel ening collaboration between higher educational institutions
Panel Discussion
discussion was and employers in the region was emphasized.
organized in col-
An Agricultural Machinery Youth Bank
Park in Vayots Dzor Activities
Within the framework of the Rural Development in 7 Com- On March 30,
munities of Vayots Dzor Region project funded by HEKS, an the Youth Bank
Agricultural Machinery Park was established in the Vayots hosted Behrooz
Dzor region. The Park consists of two tractors, a cultivating Motamed-Afshari,
plough, a furrow-making plough, trailer, cultivator, sprayer, a consultant on
and row seeder and will provide various agricultural services civil society and
to members of the seven target communities involved in the youth issues, who
project. Currently the Park is under Syuniks supervision, was in Armenia
but it will be trans- with the Eastern
ferred to a Service Partnership Pro-
Group at the end gram of the Eu-
of the project in ropean Union.
2013. The Service The main purpose
Group consists of of Mr. Motamed-
Mr. Behrooz (in the middle) with
two tractor opera- Afsharis visit was Youth Bank members
tors and a mainte- to learn about the
nance person, all Youth Bank activities in Armenia and discuss future col-
recently trained laboration possibilities. He met with Youth Bank members,
by the agricultural learnt about their projects, and discussed youth issues in
expert at Syunik Armenia. Later he visited the Syunik NGO headquarter of-
NGO. fice where he was introduced to our organizations mission
and activities.

Photo Club for Job-seekers Exhibition in Hermon

Young job-seekers in the Vayots Dzor region are given On May 12, 2011, a handicraft exhibition was opened in
an opportunity to learn the principles of photography and Hermon Social Service Center within the Active Citizen ini-
become proficient in the field. It has been a few weeks tiative implemented by British Council Armenia. Commu-
since Sebastian Muellner, our EED volunteer, started a nity members from Hermon and neighboring villages and
photo club in the Job Club located in Vayks Social Service high ranking guests such as Bishop Abraham Mkrtchyan,
Center. Participants of the club learn how to compose ex- representatives from British Council in Armenia and Great
citing images using digital cameras; they are introduced to Britain attended the
different kinds of photo-editing software for optimizing re- exhibitions opening
sults and are provided with necessary photography related ceremony. Guests
technical information. were impressed to see
In addition, photog- so many hand-crafted
raphy is presented to items produced by the
participants as a pos- children of Hermon.
sible way of income- The exhibition was an
generation for young excellent opportunity
people in the future. for children living in a
At the end of the rural village to exhibit
photo club training their work and get en-
an exhibition will be couragements from
organized to present attendees. Guests in Hermon Social
Photo club participant taking the participants work Service Center
photos to the community.
 Various Events and Visits
HEKS Agricultural Advisor Musik+X German Exhibition in
Visits Syunik Vayots Dzor
From March The Goethe Institute, in collaboration with Gitelik Uni-
14th through versity and
16th, Mr. Gior- Syunik NGO
gobiani, HEKS in Yeghegnad-
Agricultural zor, opened a
Advisor from photo exhibi-
Georgia, was in tion entitled
Yeghegnadzor to Musik+ X.
provide consul- The exhibition
tancy on our Ru- presents cur-
ral Development rent pop and
in the Seven rock stars, rap-
Mr. Giorgobiani (second from left) in the Communities of pers and DJs Exhibition opening ceremony
field with farmers
the Vayots Dzor from Munich
region project. to Cologne, from Frankfurt to Jena. The official opening of
Mr. Giorgobiani met with the agricultural project team and the exhibition took place on May 7th at Gitelik University.
discussed current developments in the project. He also vis- Students, faculty, community members and many high rank-
ited the nursery and met with farmers involved in the proj- ing guests including representatives from the German Em-
ect. Future steps and activities were also discussed. bassy in Armenia and the regional government of Vayots
Dzor attended the event.

A Representative from the Russian Cooperation

Resource Center visits Syunik NGO

On March 5, 2011, Gurgen Barikyan, a representa-

tive from the Russian Cooperation Resource Center
(RCRC) in Armenia and past president of Rotary Inter-
national, visited the Syunik NGO. He was introduced
to our NGOs ongoing projects and initiatives, and
discussed further collaboration possibilities. Last sum-
mer the Russian Center offered conversational Russian
courses during Syuniks summer camps and provided
gifts for socially vulnerable children at the camp. At this
meeting, Mr. Barikyan agreed to strengthen collabora-
Mr. Barikyan is introduced to
tion in the future so that we can make further use of
Syuniks projects the resources available through the RCRC in Armenia.

Nara Martirosyan Tel/Fax: +374 (0281) 24009

Office of International & Public Affairs Email: oipa.syunikngo@yahoo.com
Syunik Benevolent NGO www.syunikngo.am
Benevolent NGO
Momiki St. 5, 3601 Yeghegnadzor, Vayots Dzor Province, Republic of Armenia