Armenia Community Development

“ARVESTARAN” CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Arvestaran creates a safe and enabling environment, where disadvantaged groups and the wider community will build an inclusive and aware society. The Center supports people with autism and other developmental disorders of all ages to develop and advance their living, social, and self-advocacy skills. Arvestaran also works with young adults in especially difficult circumstances. Arvestaran provides the following range of services: consultancy and creative therapy services, such as art, music, dance, and crafts, educational services, such as pre-elementary training and vocational training, capacity building for sector specialists, Advocacy Hub.

Typical Volunteer Tasks: Most volunteers help develop curriculum and/or teach English to kids, teens, or youth with different disabilities and developmental disorders. In addition, volunteers help staff organize events and handle some administrative work, including writing emails to possible partners/donors.

HIKEARMENIA

HIKEArmenia strives to develop a wide range of economic, tourism, and cultural sectors in Armenia as a way of promoting rural development across the country. Its priorities include designing a state-of-the-art hiking resource center in downtown Yerevan, creating a one-stop shop for hiking and ecotourism, building upon the pilot release of its mobile app, advocating for further development and investment in quality trail design and necessary hiking infrastructure, and promoting Armenia worldwide as a hiking destination.

SOURCE FOUNDATION SUPPORTING CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES

The mission of SOURCE Foundation is to improve the quality of life of children with disabilities and their families, to promote their involvement in social life, and to create a prosperous environment for them. In addition, their vision is to promote children’s inclusion in society and the workplace, create needed services, and  ensure an improved quality of life in line with international standards. The organization seeks to raise awareness of and extend support to as many children and families as possible. In 2017, the Source Foundation established a day-care center for children with disabilities in Yerevan committed to development and rehabilitation through therapeutic art, speech, and physical activities.

KASA SWISS HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION

Since 2008, KASA has been striving to meet the new needs of Armenian society. Their main focus is on education and training programs (be they face-to-face or remote), promotion of civil society, and overall contribution to the sustainable and harmonious development of the country. KASA is also involved in developing local tourism, allowing for others to see the cultural and human riches of Armenia.

BLOOMING ARMENIA

The mission of Blooming Armenia is to identify, value, and promote the natural and cultural assets in Armenian villages and turn them into tangible opportunities for local residents.

PAWSITIVE RESCUE ARMENIA

PAWSitive is a NON-KILL animal rescue group that provides medical and relocation assistance to homeless, unwanted, and owner-surrendered animals. The organization has 5 main directives: 1. Reduce the number of homeless and abandoned animals; 2. Provide medical assistance to needy animals; 3. Increase the effectiveness of pet adoption across Armenia; 4. Develop spay/neuter programs; and 5. Give pet-care educational materials.

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF COMMUNITIES / ISSD NGO

The mission of ISSD NGO is to ensure sustainable development in Armenia through the implementation of innovative projects in waste management, agriculture, education, business, and female empowerment. The NGO organizes more than 20 clean-up activities annually, focusing efforts on the territories adjacent to water bodies. They pick up all recyclables, sort them, and take them to recycling stations.

IDEA FOUNDATION (INITIATIVES FOR DEVELOPMENT OF ARMENIA)

IDeA focuses on programs which achieve tangible socioeconomic development and assist Armenia in transition from the survival model to the prosperity model. IDeA is committed to promoting social entrepreneurship in Armenia through investments in long-term, non-profit projects, as well as ensuring their sustainability. They implement large-scale charitable initiatives in Armenia and Artsakh and among the Armenian diaspora, meant to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of the Armenian people and revitalize the nation in an ever-changing world.

COAF (CHILDREN OF ARMENIA FUND)

COAF works to secure a future for children in Armenia’s impoverished rural villages through improved education, health care, community life, and economic conditions. COAF’s programs create and sustain opportunities for growth and progress. The programs employ community-led approaches to reduce rural poverty, particularly among children. Since the inception of its programs in 2004, COAF has funded and implemented education, health, social, and economic development programs serving more than 25,000 people in rural villages of Armenia.

ARMENIA TREE PROJECT (ATP)

ATP was founded in 1993 to further Armenia’s economic and social development by mobilizing resources outside the country to fund reforestation. These vital new trees provide food, fuel, wood, environmental benefits, and opportunities for economic growth. ATP’s goal is to assist the Armenian people in using trees to improve their standard of living and protect the local environment. The organization is guided by the need to promote self-sufficiency, aid those with the fewest resources first, and conserve the indigenous ecosystem.