She has brightly colored hair, and equally bright and tasteful clothes. Her character is completed by unusual earrings and a bright smile. Meet the SMART Center’s drawing instructor Christina Avagyan, the walking color palette.
Christina arrived at Lori’s SMART on a “direct flight” from Armavir. Prior to that, she taught art for COAF’s educational program in the villages of Armavir.
The sister is obsessed with Asian languages and likes to take photos of clouds, and the brother likes to cook and play virtual football (as a musician he can’t play real football because he needs to take care of his hands). Two things unite them: SMART and music.
Fifteen-year-old Lilia is a pianist, and twelve-year-old Zhora is a cellist.
She adores animals. She has managed to participate in seven programs at the SMART Center and at the age of 13 she has already decided that she will become an actress.
“Besides being an actor, I really want to give performing arts lessons to children where there is a need for it,” says Araksya Apresyan from Odzun, who manages her own small business alongside the theater group.
The sun has been particularly generous this year. Its warmth is still palpable in the village, through the aroma of seasonal fruits, smoke from the fireplace, burning leaves, ash-roasted potatoes, and the flavors of sweet cherry compote.
It’s autumn in Yeghegnut, the best time to distill the last fruit vodka or eat khash (Armenian dish) with relatives in the morning.
Women at the core of hospitality industry development in Lori 30 November 2022 By Nane Vardanyan Photos by: Knar Babayan 3 min read Lori is known for being one of the most hospitable regions in Armenia. But how developed is the field of hospitality in the province, and what are the prospects of its further…
“Stand clear of the closing doors, please. This choo-choo train is headed for the Child Development Corner.” A line-up of little learners moves from the waiting room of the Child and Family Center in Hatsik Village to the Child Development Corner.
Seventy five kids, aged 3-6, attend the Center from the Hatsik, Myasnikyan and Khanjyan communities of Armavir province. The Center’s coordinator, Ms. Haykuhi Piloyan, tells us that the Child Development Corner is to expand with the addition of 50 more children from the communities of Noravan and Lukashin.
Sixteen-year-old Garik Ghazaryan from Debet Village is one of the SMART Center’s veterans. So far he’s managed to participate in seven programs. Prior to attending SMART, Garik was engaged in all sorts of activities, like karate, wrestling, dhol (Armenian drum), and Armenian folk dancing. Participating in the AgriTech program at SMART inspired him to delve into agriculture, specifically beekeeping.
2022 in review: COAF’s major infrastructure projects in Armenia 18 November 2022 By Nane Vardanyan 5 min read 2022 was a prosperous and exciting year for COAF—a slew of new initiatives, groundbreakings, and collaborations. Looking back, let us present COAF’s most large-scale infrastructure investments in education, healthcare, child and family services, and economic sectors in…
The faces of COAF SMART Center in Lori 13 November 2022 By Nane Vardanyan Photos by: Knar Babayan 4 min read If you have managed to tour the COAF SMART Center in the Lori region, you will probably have noticed the rooms and corners for various education programs, full of students’ works. If while tours,…
Blissful & peaceful Christmas in the mountains | Concept Hotel 8 November 2022 By Nane Vardanyan 3 min read Dreaming of a veritable winter wonderland, panoramic vistas, and white flakes falling on Christmas eve? You don’t need to own your cabin in the mountains to celebrate an idyllic Christmas or New Year’s Eve. If there’s…
Situated in Lori Province, Lernapat Village (meaning enclosed by mountains in Armenian) is known for its community dance group and its fleet of drones. Here the adults dance the Lernapar (mountain dance), and the children fly drones high above the mountains.
Fresno Medical Mission for rural Armenians 1 November 2022 By Nane Vardanyan Photos by: Knar Babayan 3 min read In October 2022, COAF hosted a group of doctors within the Fresno Medical Mission for the fifth consecutive year. About two dozen doctors, including physiotherapists, family doctors, pediatric neurologists, and ophthalmologists, were on the ground in…
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