On March 17, AWWA board member Margaret Kiladjian and the president of Hanganak NGO Gohar Hovhannisyan met with the financial director of the Aurora foundation Zaruhi Hayrapetyan. Let us remind you that in 2021 AWWA participated in the Aurora grant competition and appeared among the 14 best winning programs. The project was aimed at the needs of lonely elderly people and was implemented by Hanganak NGO within the framework of the Elderly Project.
The meeting took place in the new spacious office of the Aurora Foundation, where the visitors were warmly welcomed by Zaruhi Hayrapetyan. She expressed her concern regarding the blockade and the alarming developments taking place around Artsakh.
Margaret Kiladjian spoke about the successful completion of the project and noted that the final reports would be ready in the near future.
Turning to the Elderly Project being implemented by Hanganak NGO, Gohar Hovhannisyan presented the problems that the organization and the project are facing. In particular, she noted that back in 2022, during the meetings with Artak Beglaryan, former State Minister of Artsakh, state support for the project was repeatedly discussed, which would be a logical solution for the sustainability of the project. Having similar examples of programs in Artsakh that have state support, Artak Beglaryan promised to support the Elderly Project as a well-run and competitive project. However, the latest developments have proven that it is probably not appropriate to expect state support at the moment, considering the security and other priority issues facing the state and the people of Artsakh.
Therefore, the organization is looking for funds for the further implementation of the Elderly Project. In particular, Gohar Hovhannisyan expressed hope that the organization will participate in the grant competition of the Aurora for Artsakh project in 2023, expecting on new funding.
Zaruhi Hayrapetyan gave detailed information on the Aurora for Artsakh program, spoke about the most successful projects implemented by the foundation, and said that they have two more projects that are yet to be implemented, after which the program will probably be completed. She also stated that Ruben Vardanyan is implementing a new project in Artsakh called “We are our mountains”, and suggested getting in touch with its leadership for a possible partnership. It was noted that “We are our mountains” project also has health objectives to improve access to primary healthcare services and the quality of healthcare. In this context, cooperation is possible considering common goals.