2003 Report

Agape 2002-2003 Updates

2002 report and 2003 projects

2002 – another year full of activities accomplished through your LOVE and COMPASSION on your brothers and sisters in faith.

The school #7 constructed in Spitak by Project AGAPE in 1999 took half of the students (200 students) out of the deteriorated container-classrooms. But 250 students still have their classes in temporary facilities erected 11 years ago after the earthquake. Their faces are turned to the Project AGAPE and the Project is their only hope, as they know there are people on the other end of the Earth who could not stay indifferent to the awful conditions of the children.

Reconstruction of the AGAPE Center building in Lachin is underway. WNCC working team under the leadership of the Reverend Cecil Donahue (Rocky Mount United Methodist Church in Mooresville) contributed the reconstruction of AGAPE Center building in April-May 2002. The construction will be completed by June of 2003. A donation of $32100 is provided for this project.

The AGAPE Christian Education Center, that was the most important project of 2000 and the goal of which was solving the problem of the need of extra space for more children willing to join sport, art, computer & other groups and giving an opportunity to more effectively organize the religious classes for the teachers and students of schools, actively functions in Berdzor (Administrative Center of Kashatagh region). The CEC provides opportunities for enriching the religious, cultural and educational life of the community. The AGAPE Center provides classrooms for Christian Education and Bible teaching with accommodations for Sunday School, VBS, Music, Art, Sport, Computer and other educational classes equipped with furniture, computers, TV, VCR, special carpet making devices, chess boards, books for English language classes, sport accessories. A combination theater, auditorium and social halls are used for presentation of the arts, for wedding, baptism and other such occasions approved by the Church. The role of AGAPE CEC in changing the dull life of children and young people in the region resettled with refugees, that has no theater, no music hall, no cultural centers, is invaluable. This is the only place that raises children's excitement and gives an opportunity to the church to attract more children and keep them back from street with its undesirable on children's education impact. The potentials of the CEC in assisting the church to "compete" with expanding in the region sects, especially Jehovah's witnesses, that affects negatively even on the life of habitants, is very great. The priest, his assistant and teachers of computer, carpentry and handwork, chess, wood and stone carving, sewing and English language classes do a great work with children to contribute their Christian education and moral improvement. The playground adjacent to the CEC is still the only place in Berdzor where children have joy and fun.

Our project shares space as a Lachin office, as needed, and hosts visiting work teams. A space for sewing enterprise, office and a warehouse is also being developed on the property that serves for distribution of humanitarian aid. The last hope of many people in Lachin is AGAPE office, where they always find understanding, sympathy and support.

In 2002 there were teams from both Western North Carolina Conference and North Carolina Conference visiting Armenia and Karabagh. They travelled a lot visiting the field work sites of Project AGAPE in Armenia (Bagaran, Yervandashat, Spitak) and in Kashatagh (Lachin) district (AGAPE hospital, Children's home and Lachin Church, AGAPE CEC). Everywhere they visited people expressed their gratitude for the work that project AGAPE carries out in Armenia and Karabagh.

Project AGAPE continues to support Lachin Armenian Apostolic Church that functions since May 31^st1998. Except the financial contribution to the construction of the Church and the donation of $6000 provided by AGAPE that is set aside to pay the Priest $100 per month for five years, the Project continues to quickly respond to requests of Father Atanas - spiritual father of the Church, helping financially and providing whatever is possible that the Church & the Priest need for serving the people.

The sewing enterprise started in June 2000 functions well. Capable sewers recruited for the sewing enterprise and having skills to sew on machines donated by the Project do a wonderful work. It is a self-sustaining project founded on humanitarian base. So, the precondition for the project is providing the Kashatagh hospital & the Children's home with necessary goods (bedding, uniform, curtains, etc.) when needed. The enterprise provides 10 working places and has planned to open more in the future. This is the first development project of AGAPE. The sewing group children of AGAPE Christian Education Center shares the space and the sewing machines during their sewing classes.

The space for the bakery is also ready waiting for equipment & material necessary for the start of the project. Both projects give an opportunity to open working places and will provide many families in Berdzor with job, that is a vital necessity for this region.

An interesting demonstration of one of the projects - providing border village Bagaran with water supply fulfilled at the end of 2001 happened, when the combined Western North Carolina - North Carolina team representing mainly AGAPE Board members visited the boarder village in April. The excitement of the villagers carrying water on their shoulders for more than thirty years was very great. Here is a citation from what Mark Barden (WNCC Director of Mission/Outreach) writes about his impressions: “Seeing the men around the water running out of the spigot splashing water on each other in the cold Armenian rain was truly a sacramental experience. As I took the pictures I just had to get my hands in that water and remember my baptism and be thankful…The mayor showed us how well it worked and then poured a round of drinks for everyone and handed out chocolates. Another cool experience because this was the village’s way of saying thanks to Project AGAPE. We were all honoured to be a part of their expression of love.”

Project AGAPE continues to support the AGAPE Children's Home -cooperative venture with the administration of Kashatagh. Work teams from North Carolina provided construction assistance. Funds for the heating, electrical and water systems came from the United Methodist Church. AGAPE continues to support the internal repair efforts of the Children's Home administration.

Staple food items, clothing & shoes, medical, educational and hygiene supplies (along with other miscellaneous gifts) are provided regularly for the 35 (at the present) children that reside in the home. Christmas boxes and regularly provided new shoes are not a surprise for children. 15 staff members take care of the children.

· They would like to have a microbus to take children on field trips away from the Home to visit other parts of Armenia and Karabagh. Presently the children are confined to Lachin.

· They also hope offer programs to train/teach skills that will enable the children to be able to earn a living when they "graduate" from the home at age 17. Some of this could be done in conjunction with the AGAPE Center offerings, and could also include animal husbandry. Heifer Project International will be introduced to Armenia via the work of UMCOR during the next year, and Lachin could be a prime spot for the work of Heifer Project.

· The director of the Children's home would also like have camping equipment. Perhaps these items (tents, sleeping bags, cooking utensils, etc.) could be donated by groups in the States and sent by container.

· The staff is also working with the local administration to set up a fund to offer graduates of the Children's home a stipend upon their departure. This would help graduates to get a decent start on their own when they leave.

Project AGAPE continues to support the AGAPE Hospital - cooperative effort of the Kashatagh administration and AGAPE. AGAPE provides furnishing, medicine, medical equipment, sometimes with food for patients, infant formula for newborns and financial aid (a supplement to the salary of the Head Doctor). This 20-bed hospital provides free health care of Kashatagh district's resettled refugees. This is the only health care available to them and this is the only free health care institution not only in Kashatagh, but also in whole Armenia and Karabagh. That's why people from Goris, Abovyan, Shushi & many other places come here to get free health care. Hospital has already served thousands of patients and has the highest rate of birth not only in Karabagh, but also in Armenia.

There are 14 doctors including the Head Doctor and 23 nurses on the staff of the hospital. Hospital provides about 100 villages of Kashatagh district with health care and distributes medicine and medical supply to recently operating medical rooms (first aid station) in few villages. The financial contribution provided by AGAPE to the hospital helped to buy a new transportation means that is so vital for the region with such complicated geographical location and awful roads in order to organize an effective health care provision. But the hospital still faces the need of having an appropriate ambulance car. The Van that the Hospital had before, is worn out and serves as a morgue…

At the present the 20-bed hospital is small to satisfy the needs of the growing population of the district. Overcrowding is a recurring problem. Sometimes the corridors are used to admit more patients. There were days, when seven women gave birth to newborns in the same room. Every patient room has at least 3 occupants. We had a proposal from the Governor of Kashatagh district to assist in the project of new 40-50-bed hospital construction. This is number one priority for the district at the present.

The project continues to render humanitarian assistance to targeted vulnerable populations selected on the basis of need in NKR, Kashatagh region, border villages of Armavir marz Bagaran & Yervandashat, the earthquake zone center Spitak.

ü An amount of $1320 was provided for the construction of Spitak school heating plant construction.

ü The sewers of the sewing enterprise got $500 for making clothing for the children of AGAPE Children’s home.

ü An amount of $109 was provided for the reconstruction of the AGAPE Center building in Lachin.

ü Spitak Mayor got a financial assistance of $600 to start the construction of external communication lines (natural gas, water & power) of the heating plant.

ü The sewing enterprise was provided with hand sewing machine that works without electricity.

ü 4024 kg of clothing & shoes was distributed to the refugees of Kashatagh (Lachin) region‘s Berdzor administrative center.

ü An amount of $506 was provided for the reconstruction of the AGAPE Center building in Lachin.

ü Lachin habitants and special projects on request of the Governor got a financial aid of $930.

ü The sewers of the sewing enterprise got $152 for making clothing for the children of AGAPE Children’s home.

ü The preschool in Berdzor was provided with 40 chairs and nice toys for children.

ü Kashatagh region AGAPE hospital got 1526 kg of medical supplies and an anaesthesia machine.

ü Different departments of Kashatagh (Lachin) administration got office supplies, the total of 480 kg.

ü Children of CEC got 250 kg of sewing supplies for their sewing group activities.

ü An amount of $1182 was provided for the reconstruction of the AGAPE Center building in Lachin.

ü Thanks to the donation of the WNCC building team Spitak school and the Lachin Christian Education Center were provided with 2 pianos.

ü AGAPE children’s home received 577.5 kg clothing & shoes, 26.5 kg hygiene supplies and 202.5 kg food.

ü AGAPE hospital got one-touch strips bought on the request of the medical personnel.

ü An amount $2237 was spent on the construction of the Christian Education Centre construction.

ü A financial aid of $167 was given to Lachin habitants & administration on request of the Governor.

ü AGAPE children’s home was provided with 224 kg of clothing & shoes, 265 kg of food & 44 kg of hygiene supplies.

ü Different departments of Kashatagh administration received 27 kg of office supplies.

ü AGAPE hospital received 136 kg of medical supplies & 158 kg of hygiene supplies.

ü Handicap children of Karabagh “Zangak” NGO received 1086 kg of food, 23 kg of hygiene supplies, 63 units of hospital supplies (crutches, walkers, chairs).

ü Refugees of Kashatagh region villages and the administrative centre received 610 blankets & bedding supplies, 2176 kg of food & 2605 kg of hygiene supplies.

ü An amount of $511 was provided to reconstruct the AGAPE Center building in Lachin.

ü An amount of $1591 was spent on the reconstruction of the AGAPE Center building in Lachin.

ü The Governor of the region received a donation of $400 for an old church reconstruction in one of the villages.

ü Regional sanitary-hygiene clinic and one of the village clinics got financial aid of $85 & medical supplies.

ü Students of the school in one of the villages called Gandza received 30 toys for their special event.

ü The preschool in Berdzor received 100 Christmas toys and drawing paper & crayons.

ü On special request of the RA Government their staff 500 members that get very low salaries received 1125 kg of dried beans.

ü Families that lost their fathers during the war received 200 kg of food, 77 kg of hygiene supplies and 100 Christmas toys.

ü The Governor of the region received a donation of $200 for an old church reconstruction in one of the villages.

In 2002 Project AGAPE will continue to address the humanitarian needs of Armenia and Karabagh. The project will continue to refuse all funding that will endanger or prevent it from working in Kashatagh (Lachin). Project AGAPE will remain versatile so as to respond quickly to emergency needs, but also will seek funds to implement development projects, as it is Project's desire that the people we serve may become independent and self-sustaining. The Project will focus primarily on the rural areas of Armenia and Karabagh particularly where there are heavy concentration of refugees and displaced people. Kashatagh district will continue to be one of the Project's top priorities. Project AGAPE will also continue to help with the region's schools and supply food and clothing & shoes for the region's inhabitants.

The purpose of Project AGAPE is to provide humanitarian aid to the people of Karabagh and Armenia and to assist other persons living in rural areas by distributing supplies of needed items.

The following spheres are targeted by the Project for humanitarian and benevolent activities;

Ø Health Care: provision of medical supplies and equipment, medicine, medical training, especially in rural clinics.

Ø Humanitarian aid: distribution of food, clothes (especially winter clothes) and hygiene supplies to refugees and needy people.

Ø Agricultural projects which will facilitate the development of agriculture (Bardzrashen).

Ø Educational sphere: provide students and teachers with educational supplies, student and teacher kits, books, and implement exchange projects for students and teachers.

Ø Development projects with working place opportunities (Bakery in Lachin, Sewing Micro-Enterprise in Lachin with expansion in sock manufacturing, Carpet-making enterprise).

Ø Capital construction (primary in Lachin and earthquake zone) through financial assistance and work teams' involvement (the first work team from NCC has planned to visit in May 2003):

· Reconstruction of the AGAPE Center building in Lachin that was destroyed because of fire incident happened on February 13, 2000.

Ø "Face to Face" is an opportunity project for people from North Carolina to see and experience Armenia and Project AGAPE's work in Armenia and Karabagh, to find the possible spheres and ways of assistance, to share their valuable experience and knowledge with their Armenian colleagues, especially in the spheres of small business, textile, business & management, education, health care, agriculture, industry, manufacture, crafts/trade, metallurgy and law.

Ø "Peace Program" is a project that hopes to bring youth from Karabagh along with youth from Azerbaijan to North Carolina. The purpose of the project is to improve the psychological adaptation of war-affected children, which will be a small, but necessary element in conflict resolution. The first attempt in June 1999 proved to be effective improving the psychological adaptation of those children and fostering understanding of Christian/Muslim children. We hope that the Project will be able to carry out another such project involving more children from both parties.

The unique feature of project's financing that accepts only church donations and individual sharing puts some limitations in the size of projects and is accompanied with some difficulties of their fulfilment, but in the same time makes possible helping the most needy people in Kashatagh/Lachin region, that have remained out of the sphere of international community's humanitarian compassion…

THERE ARE MANY TOUCHING LETTERS OF GRATITUDE ADDRESSED TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN NORHT CAROLINA, WHO CANNOT BE INDIFFERENT TO THE NEEDS OF THEIR SISTERS AND BROTHERS IN CHRIST IN ARMENIA & KARABAGH.

The special letter of gratitude from RA Prime Minister to the Project was also very touching. It was handed during the special ceremony of 10^th anniversary of Kashatagh region (Lachin humanitarian corridor) liberation. The Armenian Government thanks the Project for the great input in helping refugees and resettled people of Kashatagh region.

PLEASE ACCEPT OUR SPECIAL APPRECIATION TO ALL THE CHURCHES WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED FINANCIALLY OR MATERIALLY TO THE PROJECT AND TO THOSE WHO HAVE PROVIDED FUNDS TO UNDERWRITE THE COST OF SHIPPING CONTAINERS.

PLEASE BE CONFIDENT THAT THROUGH YOUR LOVE AND SHARING THOUSANDS OF ARMENIANS HAVE FOUND NEW HOPE…