Children of Armenia Fund and Armenian Dental Society of California Bring Back Smiles to Children from Armavir

Armavir District, Republic of Armenia, June 26, 2007 — The Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) 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 and treatment in the communities of Dalarik, Lernagog, Myasnikyan and Shenik.  Implemented on a cost-share basis, the project continues to be very productive in terms of preventive care and considerable number of beneficiaries.

This year, 195 schoolchildren from the Model Cluster villages benefited from this partnered initiative.  In a series of scheduled stops on the school grounds of each of the mentioned communities, these children were diagnosed and treated in the mobile dental clinic.  The availability of two experienced dentists, a qualified nurse and up-to-date equipment and medicine on board of the ADSC mobile clinic enabled quick action and high-quality performance.  A total of 88 boys and 107 girls were provided with needed screening and treatment.

In the words of Tigranuhi Harutyunyan, a thirteen-year-old student from Dalarik, “… the doctor’s friendly and caring attitude changed my discomfort with dentists“, she said with a smile.  Another student, Aram Ghazaryan from Lernagog, expressed his delight when he spoke about his visit with the doctor. “Thanks to the interesting stories the doctor was telling during the screening and treatment, I hardly noticed how quickly two hours flew by”.

Aside from the children’s satisfaction, the dentists’ professionalism and caring attitude also impressed their parents.  They all unanimously stated that not a single child left the clinic unhappy.  “We are so grateful to COAF for initiating these important visits, and we are also very impressed with dentists who brought back smiles to our children,” said Vardges Azizyan, one of the parents from Myasnikyan.  “It is so convenient to have the dentists come to our village, so we do not have to take our children elsewhere.  We truly appreciate this project and realize how it makes our lives much easier“, he concluded.  COAF plans to continue this partnered program with ADSC.

The Armenian Dental Society of California (ADSC) was founded in 1993 and since its inception has undertaken various projects both in the US and Armenia. One of ADSC’s major undertakings for the past few years has been its Sponsor a Smile Project.  With the aim to address the lack of access to dental care in Armenia and through the acquisition and conversion of a bus to a mobile dental clinic, ADSC has been able to reach out to distant communities in Armenia providing dental care to thousands of schoolchildren.

Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) was founded in 2000 with the aim to reduce poverty through the revitalization of rural Armenia and the realization of projects that are instrumental for the revival of communities.  With the introduction of its novel approach to clustering in February 2006, COAF is currently implementing the Model Cluster working in six villages in Baghramyan Region of Armavir District. The key components of COAF’s Model Cluster project comprise Infrastructure and Economic Development Programs, and Community Development including Health, Social and Educational Programs. Since early 2006, besides its Model Village Karakert, COAF is also working in Argina, Dalarik, Lernagog, Myasnikyan and Shenik.

CONTACTS: Sunny Uberoi, (212) 994-8206; or e-mail info@coafkids.org