UMCOR scholarships for Armenian students15
November 2004
Heghine Minasyan,
Naira Stamboltsyan, Anush Manukyan and
Lusine Petrosyan all received
UMCOR tuition scholarships.
Thirty-five Armenian
university students start this school year with high hopes
after being awarded with tuition scholarships courtesy of
UMCOR Armenia. The scholarships were awarded as part of
UMCOR's micro-credit program, AREGAK.
The students who received
scholarships were selected from among families who have
received AREGAK micro-credit loans. AREGAK is implemented
throughout Armenia and provides beneficiaries, who would
not be eligible for finance from conventional sources such
as banks or similar credit organizations, the financial
means to set up businesses, purchase equipment, machinery
and tools, buy livestock or seed and create the means to
support themselves and their families.
Typically, AREGAK clients
stem typically from amongst the most vulnerable people in
Armenia. Around 52 percent of the population lives below
the poverty line, while 16 percent lives in what is
considered to be severe poverty.
On a recent trip to Syunik
Marz, I met dozens of families that have been living in
communal centers and "domics" or temporary metal shelters
for up to twelve years. These municipalities are
"forgotten regions" in which assistance provided to date
has proven inadequate to address the needs of vulnerable
families. UMCOR has set up AREGAK micro-credit offices in
Sissian, Kapan and Goris and seeks to open an additional
office in 2005 in Meghri, a municipality in the furthest
southern point of Armenia, bordering Iran. UMCOR aims to
increase assistance in Syunik Marz and build on its
current presence. Local assessments are underway in
coordination with and actively supported by the local
community.
This year, UMCOR Armenia is
celebrating its tenth anniversary - serving the people of
Armenia through the provision of humanitarian and
development assistance. Long-term development initiatives
in Armenia continue to be in need of support, while
education is among the highest priorities. For many
Armenians, sending their children to college is a
cherished dream. This latest intervention will help these
Armenian students achieve new goals which will impact not
only their future but potentially the future of Armenia.
As one recipient stated, access to advanced degree
education is a dream come true.
By Warren Harrity,
Head of Mission for UMCOR Armenia
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