Description
The Shirak Center NGO, established in 2006, has been an instrumental organization aimed at helping Gyumri and its residents. Chairman, Vahan Tumasyan, and his staff have worked tirelessly for years fighting for the rights of impoverished residents, helping bring humanitarian aid and supplies to their families and helping shed light on their devastating living conditions. Furthermore, the Shirak Center NGO aims at bridging differences between local authorities and communities in Gyumri through coalition building and conflict resolution, and promotes homeless advocacy, and economic and social rights and civil liberties.
The Shirak Center NGO is also an important partner of The Paros Foundation and together we have successfully implemented several projects in Gyumri’s impoverished neighborhoods including the distribution of winter boots and coats for children, firewood for fuel to keep families warm and give them the ability to cook in the winter, identified and moved families out of domiks into homes and worked with children from these neighborhoods.
The Shirak Center NGO hopes to continue this good work and is in need of additional funding. Sponsorship of this project will provide the funds needed to allow Shirak Center NGO to continue to distribute firewood for fuel for heating and cooking. Gyumri’s harsh winters and extreme poverty has led to families burning trash to keep warm and cook food for their families. Shirak Center NGO will also use the funds in order to locate and identify the vacant domiks in Gyumri, purchase the domiks from their owners, demolish them and distribute the remaining scraps of wood to other families in need who are still living in domiks and condemned buildings. Demolishing these domiks has several benefits including raising the communities morale, returning land to its former use and providing firewood for fuel to impoverished families. Finally, some of the funds will also be used to promote the work the organizations does through marketing, social media and communications and administration costs.
The Need
The Shirak Center NGO and the aid they provide impoverished families in Gyumri has become a vital part of these family’s future well-being and success. They are in need of funding in order to continue their important work
Short Term Impact
In the short term, the Shirak Center NGO will be able to immediately continue their programs and distribute firewood to domik families, tear down abandoned domiks and distribute the firewood for heat to families, market their organization and cover some administration costs
Long Term Impact
In the long term, the advocacy work led by the Shirak Center, combined with the humanitarian aid they provide Gyumri’s impoverished families will help these families come out of their devastating conditions gradually and steer them towards a positive future.
Sponsors Benefits
Sponsors will be recognized on all relevant press regarding this project and on The Paros Foundation and Shirak Center NGO websites and social media outlets.
Our Donors (31)
- Mr. & Mrs. Vartan & Asya Nazarian $15,590 Dec 10, 2016
- Knights of Vartan Bakradouny Lodge $589 Jun 22, 2016
- Daughters of Vartan $250 Jun 6, 2016
- Mr. Raffi Allaverdi $250 Mar 11, 2016
- Mr. & Mrs. Vartan & Asya Nazarian $3,500 Nov 18, 2015
- Mr. Shant Vartanian $0 Sep 3, 2015
- Mr. & Mrs. Vartan & Asya Nazarian $2,500 Aug 24, 2015
Updates: Images & Information
Due to the current Covid-19 situation, the Shirak Center continues to provide families living temporary housing shelters and “domiks” with hygienic supplies and food packets.
Through support from this project the Shirak Center has been distributing bags of firewood to families in need for several years in order to burn to stay warm and cook.
Funding supported a portion of construction on the Shirak Center buildings vocational training center.
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The purchase of a table saw helps the Shirak Center much more easily prepare firewood for distribution to poor families living in domiks.
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The Shirak Center launched a campaign to rid Gyumri of vacant domiks. Their first goal is to clear all domiks from a public park, with the pledge that the municipality will restore the park for Gyumri’s residence.