QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER

Autumn 2016, Issue 25

F.A.M.I.L.Y. (Finland and Armenia Make the

Incredible and Legendary Youth Exchange)
On October 10th, 2016, Syunik-Development NGO
and the Puumala Kunta Organization were proud to
help launch the F.A.M.I.L.Y. (Finland and Armenia
Make the Incredible and Legendary Youth Exchange)
Project at the Lucy Tour Resort in Hermon Village,
Vayots Dzor Region, Armenia. A total of 29 energetic
participants, ages 14-18, from rural communities
in both Finland and Armenia were selected to
participate in the cultural exchange together.
The project was planned together by the Finnish
and Armenian partners under the framework of
the EU Erasmus+ Programme. Puumala Kunta, the
Finnish Partner, was the applicant organization also
responsible for identifying Finnish youth participants
that were both excited and prepared to travel to
Armenia. Syunik-Development NGO, the Armenian
Partner, was the hosting organization responsible for
selecting Armenian participants as well as for ensuring
a successful logistical implementation of the project.
The project was financed by CIMO, the Finnish

National Agency, with the overall aim of familiarizing

youth from Armenia and Finland with each others
culture and daily life. In addition, youth participants
were provided an opportunity to explore the roots of
culturally-based behaviors and gain new perspectives
on understanding diversity in a global world.

Eurasia Tour Agency: Syunik-Development NGO Brings

Social Entrepreneurship to Vayots Dzor Region
A team of enthusiastic change makers from
Southern Armenia recently joined together in an
effort to develop local tourism by making more
accessible and interactive the cultural richness
and natural beauty of Armenia, Georgia, and other
countries of the Black Sea to travelers of the region.
The Eurasia Tour Agency LLC was founded by the
initiative of Syunik NGO in August, 2016, following
many years of constant development work in the tourist
sector. By 2013 Syunik NGO had already established its
own Tourism Development Department to stimulate
tourism in the region (http://syunikngo.weebly.com/
tourism-development.html). With this mission in
mind, the department took part in the development
and implementation of many projects such as the Black
Sea Silk Road Project which mapped out the region for
tourists, trainings for professional local tour guides,
the creation and maintenance of the Visit Vayots
Dzor blog (www.visitvayotsdzor.weebly.com), and the
development of leaflets and informational materials
about the many unique wonders and brands of the

Vayots Dzor region (honey, Jermuk mineral water,

Areni wine, cheese, and medicinal herbs and plants
just to name a few). Furthermore the department
was also involved in the creation of a comprehensive
database of hospitality service providers, art and
craft centers, and cultural heritage sites of the region.
Now, the newly founded Eurasia Tour Agency (ETA)
LLC will run as a social entrepreneurship with the
support and guidance of Syunik NGO. Based out of the
city of Yeghegnadzor, it aims to support local touristic
initiatives, the development of touristic sites, and the
creation of income generating opportunities for local
people. ETA has a newly developed webpage to support
its publication of various travel itineraries (www.eta.
am). Each year ETA will offer a number of cultural
excursions for travellers interested in the historical
richness of the region in the crossroads between
Europe and Asia (https://eta.am/tours-we-offer/). In
these journeys of discovery, visitors will find themselves
in the middle of authentic impressions of everyday life
amidst the beauty of nature in our home of Vayots Dzor.

Sewing Workshop for Women

For many years, Brt fr die Welt, Protestant
Development Service, one of Syuniks long-term
partners, has supported Syunik NGO in the development
of a social sector in the region to promote positive
change in the lives of people living in the Vayots Dzor
Region. Due to high demand in the region for increased
vocational opportunities, Syunik NGO is initiating
a three month long sewing workshop for middleaged women struggling against unemployment.
On November 15th, 2016, a planning meeting took
place between the trainer and women interested
in the sewing workshop, during which time various
topics about the workshop were discussed. Meeting
participants were also given the opportunity to direct
their questions to the trainers and the project team.
Six participants with ages ranging from 25 to 50
years old participated in the sewing workshop
planning meeting and now continue to attend the
ongoing workshop which takes place every weekday

until the end of January, 2017. In providing such a

training opportunity, Syunik NGO strives to help local
women enhance skills and knowledge in a field that
might help create income-generating opportunities.

Nerses the Great Charitable Foundation and

Fund for Armenian Relief
Supports the Vayots Dzor Region Population

For years, Nerses the Great Charitable Foundation

and the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) have been
supporting many programs to benefit disadvantaged
families of Vayots Dzor region. Recently, Syunik NGO
together with Nerses the Great Charitable Foundation
and FAR implemented one such initiative aimed at
providing shoes to school-age children living in 14
rural communities across the Vayots Dzor Region.
The charity project was implemented in Gomk, Arin,
Zedea, Martiros, Khndzorut, Artavan, Saravan, Herher,

Karmrashen, Sers, Bardzruni, Horbategh, Hermon and

Vardahovit villages. In addition, Syunik NGOs Clever
Baby Development Center running in Chiva Community
Center as well as the Rainbow Kindergarten located in
Yeghegnadzor have benefited from the project. Syunik
NGO and the project beneficiary communities express
their
deepest gratitude to the Nerses the Great
Charitable Foundation and FAR for their continued
support.

Charity Initiative in Khachik Village

In the scope of the Canadian Youth Mission to Armenia
(CYMA) Project, every year a group of Armenian youth
from Canada come to Armenia and implement charity
initiatives. This summer the youth worked in Khachik
Village where over the course of 10 days they helped
to paint the military headquarter office and renovate
the floor of a local theater, an outside pavilion, and a
swimming pool. For this year a group of volunteers from
America also joined this initiative. Among the Diaspora
Armenians was a member of the Armenian Dentists
Association in California, benefactor Viken Garabedian
and his two daughters, Alexandra and Leona. During

his visit to Khachik, Viken Garabedian met with the

Khachik Dance Ensemble. As a demonstration of his
appreciation for the ensembles important role in
inspiring the villages culture life, Viken made the
decision to donate dance shoes to all 31 members of
the ensemble. The shoes recently arrived to Khachik
Village from America and Syunik-Development NGO
presented the generous gift to the ensemble members.
Syunik NGO and Khachik Dance Ensemble express
their deep gratitude towards Viken Garabedian and his
daughters.

International Internship Creates Local Opportunities

From October 19th to 22nd, Anna Hovhannisyan
completed an internship at the Carpathian Travel Center
in Sibiu, Romania with financial support from Brt fr die
Welt. This work opportunity benefited not only Anna,
but also the newly opened Eurasia Travel Agency (www.
eta.am), which was founded by Syunik-Development
NGO in August 2016. The internship activities covered
many areas such as serving as a tour agent, planning
and preparing tour packages, working as a tour guides
assistant for English and Russian speaking tourists,
invoicing and accounting for booking accommodations
and amenities for individual customers, and
procuring flight and other transportation tickets.
In expressing her gratitude for the opportunity Anna

related that, This internship has given me a lot of

experience and understanding in what it takes to
be a competent person working in travel business
and assisting the bilateral relationship between
Romania and Armenian. Today, networking is more
important than ever for gaining new perspectives
and new values on different markets and for
creating mutual benefits in sustainable tourism.
Currently Anna is conducting workshops for
Vayots Dzors Tour Guide Team, passing on the
knowledge and skills that she gained during her
internship to ensure improved local employment
opportunities on behalf of the Eurasia Tour Agency.

Over the past years, Syunik NGO has dedicated much of

its work to peace building activities. One such activity
is the Youth for Peace Project, financed by HEKS-EPER
Switzerland and designed for teenagers ages 16-18
from Armenia and Georgia (including ethnic minorities
living in these countries).
On November 19th, 2016, in the scope of the Youth for
Peace Project, Syunik NGO organized a workshop on
Leadership and Conflict Management in Yeghegnadzor,
Vayots Dzor Region. The workshop was designed for

participants ages 15-20. Tatev Karapetyan, a sociologist

by profession and leader for the Youth for Peace Camp,
conducted the training. Over 20 participants from
different villages in the Vayots Dzor Region participated
in the workshop. During the workshop the trainer used
various group activities, games, and discussions to
show the fundamental principles and basic methods
of conflict management, leadership, and effective
communication.

Youth for Peace: Workshop on

Leadership and Conflict Management

Syunik Development NGO Welcomes

Representatives from Brt fr die Welt
On the 10th of October, 2016, in support of its
Development
Programme,
Syunik-Development
NGO hosted two representatives from the German
donor organization Brt fr die Welt. During their
visit, Dorothea Wolf, Project Officer of the Middle
East, Caucasus and Central Asia Desk, and Ulrich H.
Gundert, Head of the Asia, Pacific and Middle East
Department, discussed new development perspectives
for the Vayots Dzor Region and in Armenia as a whole.
The guests first visited Syunik NGOs headquarter
office where they were provided with an overview
of Syuniks work culture as well as the successes
and challenges of the Social Development Program.
They concluded their visit with tours at Syuniks
project sites where they met with beneficiaries and
learned about the activities organized by the NGO.

On November 18th, 2016, Syunik Development NGO

welcomed a delegation of representatives from Brt fr
die Welt. The visiting delegation included Ilonka Boltze,
Head of Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia Desk,
Brigitte Jacobs-Hombeuel, Head of the International
Personnel Services Department, and Claudia Hinderer,
Programme Manager Personnel Services for the
Middle East, Caucasus and Central Asia. The guests
took part in discussions at Syunik NGOs headquarters
on the Social Development Programme in the Vayots
Dzor Region, and learned about the projects initiated
by Syuniks German consultant Mr. Tilo Krausse, who
has been working with Syunik NGO since May 2015.
As part of a consultation process, the delegation also
visited of Syuniks Community Centers to meet with the
beneficiaries of the Social Development Programme
and discuss achievements, challenges, and possible
solutions for the future work of Syunik NGO in the field.

Swiss Organization HEKS-EPER Provides Monitoring Support

On October 20th, 2016, Syunik Development NGO HEKS-EPER). To this end, the visit also included meetings
hosted representatives from the Swiss organization with both Youth for Peace project alumni and beneficiary
HEKS-EPER, one of its long-term partners. Mark Zoss, farmers of the horticultural development project.
the new Desk Officer for the South Caucasus, Buba
Tsirekidze, the Program Officer for the South Caucasus
Office, and Ramaz Giorgiobani, the South Caucasus
Offices Agriculture Adviser, all participated in the visit.
The guests first toured Syunik NGOs headquarters
where they were introduced to the many different
projects and programs implemented by Syunik NGO.
The monitoring visit also allowed the guests to take an
in-depth look at the progress made in two of Syunik
NGOs most successful projects: The Rural Development
Project and the Youth for Peace Project (both made
possible thanks to generous financial support from

Improvment of Livelihoods in
Vayots DzorRregion
Within the frame of Small Funded Community Projects
of Syuniks Social Development Programme in Vayots
Dzor (sponsored by Brt fr die Welt), Syunik NGO
recently supported a dry fruit company called AL
VKUS LTD in buying the necessary furnishings, such
as shelving units, for the storage and the packaging
of the dried fruits. The project, entitled Improvment
of Livelihoods in Vayots Dzor Region, aims to build
up the quality and service level of the companys
products and contribute to an increase in product
quantity while also contributing to the improvement
of livelihoods of farmer households in the Vayots Dzor
Region by storing products from them. Almost 20
people, the majority women, are working in the fruit
company. Through this sustainable partnership, AL
VKUS has the potential to develop and provide higher
quality packaged dry fruits to customers while Syunik
NGOs beneficiary farmers gain access to a larger
market and year round storage for their products.

Syunik NGO Board

Member Received TurnItIn
Global Innovation Award
Dr. Nara Martirosyan, Assistant Professor in the
Department of Educational Leadership at Sam
Houston State University (USA), as well as Syunik
NGO Board Member and Editor-in-Chief of Syuniks
Quarterly Electronic Newsletter has received a
Global Innovation Honorable Mention Award from
Turnitin, an organization that provides plagiarismprevention services to academic institutions
globally. Martirosyans award was in the category
of Turnitin Academic Integrity, Higher Education
for the region of North America. More information
on her award can be found at (http://online.shsu.
edu/news/2016/november/turnitin-award.html).
Syunik NGO congratulates Nara Martirosyan on
receiving this award and wishes her further success in
the educational field.

Syuniks Staff Members Take Part in Local,

National, and International Trainings
Tatev Harutyunyan, Syunik NGOs Social Development
Program manager was selected to participate in
a training course held in Ede, the Netherlands.
The training course was on Leadership and People
Management and was organized from November 7th
to 11th by MDF Training and Consultancy Head Office.
Naira Harutyunyan, Syunik NGO Community and Youth
Projects Coordinator and Hasmik Galstyan, Youth for
Peace Project Coordinator participated in a workshop/
partners meeting organized by HEKS in Kvareli,
Georgia. The topics of the workshop were Project Cycle
Management and new HEKS Key Indicators. Team
building activities for the partners was also part of the
workshop.

From November 5th to 13th, 2016, Syunik NGO staff

members Gohar Karapetyan and Aspram Aleksanyan
participated in the iChange for Future youth
exchange which was held in Agros, Cyprus. The youth
exchange was organized in scope of Erasmus+ program.
The project iChange for Future brought together
40 female and male participants aged at 16-28 from
the Erasmus+ program (Cyprus, Bulgaria, Poland,
Croatia) and partner countries (Georgia, Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Ukraine) to provide them capacity
building that they are better able take initiatives that
address their communities environmental needs.

Office of International & Public Affairs

Syunik Development NGO
Momiki St.5, 3601 Yeghegnadzor
Vayots Dzor Province, Armenia

Tel/Fax:+374(281) 20409
Email: gevor.syunikngo@yahoo.com
www.syunikngo.weebly.com

Syunik NGO PR Manager: Gevorg Matevosyan

Editor-in-Chief: Nara Martirosyan, Sam Houston State University