The Government of Japan will implement two grant assistance projects in the communities of Margahovit and Noyemberyan. The signing ceremony of grant agreements was held today at the ESCS Ministry.

Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Armenia Jun Yamada, head of the “Margahovit Youth Center” NGO Emilia Martirosyan and Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Bagrat Galstyan signed the agreements.

In his welcome speech ESCS Deputy Minister Arthur Martirosyan underlined that both initiatives are important in terms of proportional territorial development, overcoming poverty in the districts, enhancing educational opportunities and social assistance in rural and regional communities of the Republic of Armenia, and boosting sports life. According to the Deputy Minister, these are the approaches adopted by the RA Government.

“Another important factor is that the Japanese Government is providing constant assistance to our country. It is also noteworthy that the initiatives are implemented by the local structures. The project to be implemented in Margahovit will enliven not only the life of the community, but will also include the neighboring communities. The initiative of the project to be implemented in Noyemberyan, belongs to the Primacy of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church. This project is important in terms of the provision of social services, employment prospects for women, as well as the expansion of supplementary and long-term, in particular, vocational education, so that young people will have the opportunity to acquire relevant skills and find work in their home districts - for creating, developing and strengthening it,” noted Arthur Martirosyan and added that the ESCS Ministry is always ready to contribute to the successful implementation of projects.

Ambassador of Japan to Armenia Jun Yamada, in his turn, underlined that the two projects share one common goal - to support the improvement of people's lives, which is among the priorities of the Japanese Government.

"I hope that these two projects will strengthen the ties of friendship and relations between our two countries," the Ambassador said, wishing success to all parties involved in the projects.

The head of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Bishop Bagrat Galstyan, noted that this is the second such initiative in the Tavush region: the first is the Ijevan center, which was a great success, and the Embassy of Japan has a significant role in this activities.

“Due to this initiative, the dream of an entire village is becoming a reality, because every child has the right to a better life․ The playground is going to be inclusive, and children with disabilities will have the opportunity to visit it and organize a healthy lifestyle,” noted the director of the "Margahovit Youth Center" NGO Emilia Martirosyan.

Within the framework of the "Providing Exercise Equipment to the School of Margahovit Village" Grant project, US$ 21,300 will be allocated to “Margahovit Youth Center” NGO to build a playground and a training area at Margahovit school for pupils and adults, the aim of which is promoting a healthy lifestyle in the community and providing a more favorable educational environment for pupils. The playground and training area are designed for more than 400 pupils and 3,000 adults.

Within the scope of “Founding a Community Center for Women and Youth in Noyemberyan" program, US$ 70,955 will be provided to the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church to create a community social-educational center in Noyemberyan. It will provide assistance to the population of the town and the neighboring villages․ As a result, more than 200 children and young people will receive vocational (craftsmanship) training opportunities, and about 50 adults will be provided with social work services. The center will also provide educational and socio-psychological services, attracting at least 1,000 beneficiaries annually, including children, youth, women and socially vulnerable families.

The grant projects are implemented within the framework of the “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security” Project.