Press Releases

2008

Spring Brought Cheers to all Dalarik School Children (03/12/08)
On March 3, 2008, 624 school children of Dalarik moved to their fully refurbished school. The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) was there on the first day of school to share with the children and staff the joy of walking into such a modern building. The Dalarik School is the ninth completed building reconstruction project of COAF’s Participatory Integrated Rural Development Program. (more)

The New Community Center of Karakert (03/04/08)
On January 7, 2008 the Community Center of Karakert opened its doors to the local residents as well as to the neighboring communities of the Model Cluster.  The complete renovation of the building was made possible through COAF’s partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID). (more)

A Year of Remarkable Achievements (02/15/08)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) closed 2007 with an unprecedented record of achievements and results.  Projects completed in 2007 constitute infrastructure, 5 renovation / construction projects, an internal water network restoration project, establishment of Internet in 2 villages, and expansion of municipal services in all 6 villages and servicing a population of 17, 285;(more)

2007

Square One Restaurants and the Children of Armenia Fund Join Hands to Bring Holiday Baskets to Underprivileged Families (12/24/07)
As part of the social component of its Participatory Integrated Rural Development Program, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) has partnered with Square One Restaurants to distribute holiday food baskets to 368 vulnerable families in the Model Cluster including elderly and low-income families.(more)

Karakert and Shenik Celebrate the Completion of their Community Center and School & Sports Complex Respectively (12/14/07)
On December 14, 2007 the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) joined the people of Karakert and Shenik to celebrate the completion of two very important reconstruction projects.  The Karakert Community Center and Shenik School & Sports Complex were completely renovated under a COAF, UNDP and USAID Global Development Alliance implemented by UNDP.(more)

The Continuing Partnership between Children of Armenia Fund & Armenia Tree Project Benefits 2,907 Rural Families (12/10/07)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) is implementing a Participatory Rural Development Program in Armenia.  With the fundamental purpose of reducing poverty primarily by creating new income generating opportunities, COAF, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) and Armenian-American entrepreneur Bryan Bedrosian joined forces to reach out to 2,907 families in the Model Cluster of six villages in Armavir.(more)

First Aid and Safe Behavior Trainings Completed in Armavir (11/01/07)
Today, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) in partnership with the Armenian Red Cross Society (ARCS) awarded certificates of completion of the intensive course in Promotion of Safe Behavior and Preparedness to Respond to Emergencies in the communities of the Model Cluster — Argina, Dalarik, Lernagog, Karakert, Myasnikyan and Shenik.(more)

Late Breaking News: Charlie Rose to Attend COAF “Save A Generation” Awards Dinner (10/12/07)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) is pleased to announce that Charlie Rose, Emmy award winning journalist, will also attend the fourth “Save a Generation” awards dinner, to be held Friday, October 19, 2007, at Cipriani 42^nd Street in New York.(more)

Sherry Lansing to Deliver Keynote Address at 2007 COAF “Save a Generation” Awards Dinner (10/09/07)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) is pleased to announce that Sherry Lansing, Oscar-winner of the Humanitarian Award in 2007 and former Chairman of Paramount Pictures, will deliver the keynote address at the fourth “Save a Generation” awards dinner, to be held Friday, October 19, 2007, at Cipriani 42^nd Street in New York. (more)

The Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Awards Dr. Garo H. Armen Medal of Honor (09/19/07)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) today announced that the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia has awarded the Medal of Honor to COAF’s founder and chairman, Garo H. Armen, PhD, for his outstanding contributions in the revitalization of rural communities in Armenia. (more)

Revitalizing People’s Hope and Belief in Rural Armenia (08/15/07)
Following the launch of its Model Cluster Program, a unique and comprehensive development effort, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) continues to reduce poverty and bring back hope to rural Armenia by rehabilitating the infrastructure and improving the economy through a multitude of health, social and educational projects. (more)

Children of Armenia Fund and Armenian Dental Society of California Bring Back Smiles to Children from Armavir (06/26/07)
The Children of Armenia Fund continues to upgrade and expand the healthcare component of its Comprehensive Rural Development Program in the Model Cluster of six villages of Armavir District of Armenia.  In close partnership with COAF for more than three consecutive years, the Armenian Dental Society of California (ADSC) recently completed dental screening … (more)

COAF Participates in Second International Medical Congress of Armenia and Sponsors Mother and Child Health Plenary Session (06/06/07)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) will participate in the Second International Medical Congress of Armenia, June 28-30, 2007, Armenia Marriott Hotel, Yerevan. The COAF Country Director will make a presentation on June 30^th on COAF’s unique Formula to Eliminate Global Poverty. (more)

COAF Expands its Youth Program (06/04/07)
Today, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), in partnership with the Center for Agribusiness and Rural Development (CARD), formed two new youth clubs in the villages of Shenik and Karakert. These two clubs join the clubs of Lernagog and Argina, which were part of the pilot project launched a year ago. (more)

COAF and Anahit Beauty Salon Complete Trainings for Hairdressers from Armavir (05/08/07)
Today, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) held an award reception in its Yerevan office to mark the completion of trainings for hairdressers initiated by COAF and implemented in partnership with Anahit Beauty Salon. (more)

COAF Reviews Psycho-Social Center Activities at a Roundtable (03/15/07)
Today, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) held a roundtable in the newly opened Sirius restaurant complex in Karakert to review the activities of the Psycho-Social Center and to present the preliminary results of the project. (more)

COAF Holds Informational Conference on Micro Lending for Rural Areas of the Republic of Armenia (01/30/07)
Today the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) held a conference in the village of Karakert to provide information on different micro loan packages available to villagers of its Model Cluster – Argina, Dalarik, Karakert, Lernagog, Myasnikyan, and Shenik. (more)

2006

COAF Conducts Community Health Education Classes in the Model Cluster (11/22/06)
As part of its Community Health Education Program (CHEP), the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) recently completed a series of educational classes in the communities that constitute the Model Cluster. (more)

COAF & Heifer International Partner in Helping the Shenik Community (11/02/06)
COAF, in partnership with Heifer International, distributed cows to twenty underprivileged families in Shenik. The goal of the project is to help the beneficiary families increase their revenue generating capacity and become economically self-dependent. (more)

Children of Armenia Fund Raises $2.3 Million for Model Cluster Project (10/26/06)
COAF raised a record $2.3 million at its 2006 Save a Generation Awards Dinner, held Friday, October 20, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. The money raised will be used for the expansion of COAF’s Model Village program to a cluster of six villages in a disadvantaged rural region of Armenia. (more)

Jane Fonda to Deliver Keynote Address at 2006 COAF “Save a Generation” Awards Dinner (9/27/06)
COAF is pleased to announce that Jane Fonda, Oscar®-winning actress and humanitarian, will deliver the keynote address at the annual “Save a Generation” awards dinner, to be held Friday, October 20, 2006, at Cipriani 42nd Street in New York. COAF will honor outstanding individual and corporate leaders, and celebrate the success of COAF’s unique formula for poverty alleviation through village revitalization, education, health care and development. (more)

UNICEF’s Armenia Office Representative Leads Grand Opening of COAF’s Psycho-Social Center (9/25/06)
UNICEF and COAF jointly held the grand opening of the Dalarik Psycho-Social Center. By making psycho-social services available to the six communities of COAF’s Model Cluster, the two organizations aim to secure the integration of children with special needs and their families in the larger society. (more)

COAF Founder and Chairman Speaks at Armenia-Diaspora Conference (9/18/06)
Dr. Garo Armen, founder and chairman of COAF, addressed the delegates of the Armenia-Diaspora Conference. The plenary session dealing with Rural Poverty Eradication Program was attended by over 1,000 delegates from around the world, including the United States, Canada, South America, Europe, Eurasia, and the Middle East. Dr. Armen led the delegates through a virtual journey through rural Armenia, describing the conditions in most of the villages and prescribing the exact formula for poverty eradication. (more)

COAF Holds Roundtable in Armavir to Review Work in Progress (8/25/06)
The Armavir District governor and other representatives and mayors of Model Cluster villages reviewed the progress of the Integrated Rural Development Program. (more)

Children of Armavir District Learn the A,B,Cs (8/24/06)
During the one-month English language pilot program in the Model Cluster, children in one of Armenia’s most disadvantaged rural areas gained basic knowledge of English: the alphabet, songs and poems, colors, numbers, and a rich vocabulary of fruits, vegetables, and animals. (more)

Villages in Armavir District Benefit from Training in Reproductive Health, Dental and Eye Care Program (7/24/06)
COAF continues to upgrade and expand the healthcare component of its Integrated Rural Development Program in Armavir. (more)

COAF Celebrates Grand Opening of the Model Cluster Press Club and Three Other Cluster Initiatives (6/21/06)
COAF celebrated the grand opening of the Model Cluster Press Club in the village of Lernagog. The event also marked the launch of a number of inter-village projects in the Model Cluster, including the Waste Management system, the Inter-Village Transportation system and the Center for Psycho-Social Services in Dalarik. (more)

COAF Awards Contract for the Renovation of the School in Dalarik (6/16/06)
COAF signed a bi-lateral agreement with the municipality delineating the cooperative arrangements for the reconstruction of the Dalarik School. (more)

Internet Connects Karakert to the World (5/16/06)
The project, realized through partnership with Project Harmony (PH), will benefit the students of both schools in Karakert allowing the young generation and other members of the community to expand their horizons and take advantage of the unlimited informational and technological potential internet offers. (more)

COAF Establishes Two Adolescent Clubs to Promote Livestock Farming (5/12/06)
The project aims at teaching youngsters how to take responsibility for taking care of the sheep—caring, feeding, and controlling diseases. The broader objective is to develop livestock farming in the region. (more)

COAF Launches Comprehensive Rural Development in the Model Cluster (4/21/06)
COAF staff validated the information gathered through the Participative Rural Assessments, learned more about the most critical problems, heard the views of individual villagers, identified the priorities specific to each community, and listened to the suggestions from the residents on various solutions. (more)

Karakert Celebrates Community Day (4/7/06)
Today, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and the Armenia Tree Project (ATP), together with the local residents, celebrated Community Day in Karakert. The event marked the conclusion of the site development and landscaping of the school and kindergartens through the planting of trees and bushes. (more)

The Children of Armenia Fund Launches the Cluster Model for Rural Development in Armenia (2/1/06)
Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) presented its 2006 Integrated Rural Development Program and Strategic Approach to Clustering. Cluster-based development is an innovative approach for implementing development in a group of villages in rural Armenia and forms the basis of COAF’s planned program in 2006. (more)

2005

Continuing Medical Education in Pediatrics Pilot Project Successfully Achieves its Final Stage (12/12/05)
The CME initiative stood out among other similar projects not only because it measurably augmented the professional skills and abilities of rural doctors, but also because it was the first such project to publish a modern pediatric manual and protocols for improving case management and referrals. (more)

Karakert is in Phase II of Integrated Rural Development Program (11/28/05)
“Resolving the water problem is a priority for the sustainability and long-term success of our comprehensive development program in Karakert,” said COAF Chairman Dr. Garo Armen. Karakert has been deprived of access to running water since the collapse of the Soviet Union. (more)

Children of Armenia Fund Sponsored Training of Physicians and Nurses of Armavir District (11/8/05)
The primary goal of the training program was to augment knowledge in concepts of early detection of child health disorders, including developmental, growth, and congenital or acquired. The training also aimed at updating current health care approaches, adopting new management concepts regarding medical records following international best practices. (more)

Gala Children of Armenia Fund Dinner Raises Three Quarters of a Million Dollars (11/1/05)
On Thursday evening, October 20, more than 250 enthusiastic supporters joined Dr. Armen at the famed St. Regis Hotel in New York to celebrate the accomplishments of this oasis of hope, and look to the future with renewed vigor. The evening was in honor of the Izmirlian Foundation for their exceptionally generous support of Armenia’s youth. Tributes were also accorded to the Manoogian Simone Foundation, the Pagoumian Family Foundation, and Mr. And Mrs. Carl and Mary Ann Berg for their special benevolence to COAF. (more)

Children of Armenia Fund to Host Annual Gala (9/21/05)
“I am delighted that we have a such a distinguished keynote speaker and a terrific master of ceremonies participating in this exciting event. stated Dr. Garo Armen, Chairman and Founder of COAF. “We intend to expand our Karakert model village program, where we have improved the lives of 1,200 children dramatically, into other villages.” (more)

Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and Children’s Health Care Association (CHCA) Complete Integrated Child Health Care Initiative in Karakert (8/31/05)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) and Children’s Health Care Association (CHCA) organized a round table discussion to mark the completion of the Integrated Child Health Care Initiative implemented in the village of Karakert, Armavir Marz. This initiative was realized as part of the health care component of the Integrated Rural Development Program, which is implemented by COAF, United Nations’ Development Program (UNDP), United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and the World Bank (WB). (more)

Karakert Celebrates Its Revival (8/26/05)
In his opening remarks, the Mayor of Karakert, Haroutune Hekimian, stated, “This day marks the rebirth of our village after more than a decade of paralysis and overwhelming hardships. Today, thanks to the vision of COAF’s founder and president, Dr. Garo Armen, and as a result of the implementing partners’ concerted efforts, our village looks forward to a vigorous existence with renewed hope….” (more)

COAF Appoints New Country Director in Armenia (8/26/05)
“I am honored and thrilled to assume the position of Country Director of COAF in Armenia,” stated Arpie Balian. “It is not always that a Director’s personal and professional goals so closely complement those of the organization served. I am impressed by the COAF’s achievements to date and enthusiastic about what lies ahead. (more)

COAF Completes First Phase of Comprehensive Rural Development Program (8/16/05)
The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) today announced a press conference to be held on Tuesday, August 23 at the ArmenPress Agency in Armenia. The purpose of the conference is to highlight the success and rollout of COAF’s rural development program launched in July 2004. “This unique program, designed to significantly improve living conditions for the children in rural Armenia, has already produced sustainable benefit in the village of Karakert, a community of 5,000 residents,” commented Garo Armen, PhD, Founder and Chairman of COAF. (more)

Karakert Receives Humanitarian Assistance from COAF and Counterpart International (4/4/05)
In November 2004, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF), in cooperation with Counterpart International, began a clothing distribution project in its focus village of Karakert, in the Armenian province of Armavir. The project was carried out within the framework of COAF’s larger integrated humanitarian assistance program. (more)

COAF and the Shirak Competitiveness Center Clean Up Karakert (3/25/05)
COAF cooperated with the Shirak Competitiveness Center (SCC) and members of the Karakert community to work out a detailed plan for a 25-day cleanup of the entire village. The cleanup utilized primarily local workers, as part of a larger effort to include as many village residents as possible in the overall reconstruction of Karakert. (more)

2004

Christopher Hitchens of Vanity Fair to be Keynote Speaker at COAF Gala at the St. Regis Hotel, New York (6/16/04)
Christopher Hitchens, columnist and contributing editor at Vanity Fair, has been chosen as the keynote speaker for the Children Of Armenia Fund (COAF) Gala to be held on Thursday, June 24th, 6:30 pm, at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City. “I am delighted that Mr. Hitchens will be delivering the keynote address,” stated Dr. Garo Armen, Chairman and Founder of COAF. (more)

Ellis Island Medal of Honor Awarded to Garo H. Armen, Ph.D. (5/10/04)
The National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO) presents the award to remarkable Americans who exemplify outstanding qualities in both their professional and personal lives, while continuing to preserve the richness of their particular heritage. Established in 1986 by NECO, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor ranks among the country’s most prestigious awards. (more)

Children of Armenia Fund Honored for Humanitarian De-mining Work in Armenia (3/8/04)
At the “Clearing the Path” Gala, hosted by the Marshall Legacy Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to easing the global scourge of landmines, the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) was honored for its outstanding support to provide specially trained dogs to rid Armenia of deadly landmines left from the war with Azerbaijan. On behalf of COAF, its Chairman, Dr. Garo Armen, received MLI’s 2004 Clearing the Path Humanitarian Award presented by Senator Chuck Hagel. (more)

2003