The repaired roof that will long be remembered 17 June 2020 By Nane Vardanyan 3 min read Leaving school and wrapping up that important chapter in life can often be emotional. This year the graduation ceremonies were canceled for many students all over the world, including Armenia. However, for Lyudmila Shirvanyan, goodbye with her school…
The voice for people who aren’t being heard 24 May 2020 By Nane Vardanyan, Photos by: Knar Babayan 3 min read A neglected child whose parents took her back from the orphanage. A disabled kid who was finally able to attend his local school. A villager who started to receive 8 times as much as…
Helping kids express themselves: speech therapy 24 April 2020 By Nane Vardanyan 3 min read Have you ever felt how choosing the right words for expressing ourselves is important? Ever struggled between speaking the truth or saying the right thing? Isn’t it all about being able to convey what we really mean? We are born…
Young and brave: Shenik’s or TnaShen Anush 6 March 2020 By Nane Vardanyan, Photos by: Knar Babayan 3 min read She advises young women not to be afraid to speak up, not to limit their dreams, at least in their minds, and not be apathetic to phenomena in their surroundings. She is from a small…
Varazdat Harutyunyan. From Dzoragyugh to SMART 20 February 2020 By Knar Babayan, Photos by: Knar Babayan 3 min read He is obsessed with dancing but is always in search of new adventures from studying Turkish to the theater. Meet Varazdat Harutyunayan, 14, a “veteran” of the COAF SMART Center from the village of Dzoragyugh in…
Welcome to Aren’s mini handmade factory 14 February 2020 By Nane Vardanyan, Photos by: Knar Babayan 3 min read You hear the buzzing and clanging sounds filling the room as Aren, 15, turns on the machines one after the other. Welcome to the mini-factory of Aren Bulghadaryan, a COAF SMART Musical Instruments student from Vahagni…
From Boston to Yerevan: the road leading back home 9 February 2020 By Nane Vardanyan, Photos: from personal archive 3 min read Hi, I am Nane, a new COAF family member. Though we haven’t met yet, I have been working behind the scenes of COAF’s content creation on our blog and social media since 2020.…
The future artsy lawyer-psychologist 27 January 2020 By Nane Vardanyan, Photos by: Knar Babayan 2 min read Barev. Today you will meet Manushak Mnatsakanyan, 13, a student of the Management Program at COAF SMART Center. Manushak is from the historic village of Odzun in Lori region. She became a SMARTian in September 2019. “Since SMART…
Annual COAF Gala Raises Over $5 Million for Rural Armenia 25 December 2019 By Tatevik Oganessian 5 min read Over 400 guests from around the world gathered at New York City’s renowned Cipriani 25 Broadway in support of the 16th Annual Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) Holiday Gala on December 14. This year’s benefit surpassed…
The Theater Girl Dreaming of a Time Machiner 20 December 2019 By Tatevik Oganessian, Photos by: Knar Babayan 2 min read Meet Lilit Madatyan, 15, from Sarnaghbyur. She hardly knew anything about theatrical art before joining the COAF project My Theater in Sarnaghbyur. “I, technically, knew nothing about that area,” she admits. “Theater is very similar…
