In Chapar, a northern village in Artsakh, Armenia Fund has constructed a new school with modern amenities to serve the local population. During the time Armenia Fund has realized many projects in and around the area, 15 families have moved back and resettled in the village.
Fourteen year old boys usually have less serious things on their mind.
The ceasefire negotiations were underway and an independent Artsakh was in sight. On the verge of a monumental defeat, Azerbaijan, suffering from embarrassingly disproportionate military losses, chose to continue its hostilities. One of the targets for Azerbaijan’s special forces was the civilian population of Chapar village in northern Artsakh’s Martakert region. As recorded by Human Rights Watch, six Armenian civilians, including one 14-year old boy, were killed.
One of Artsakh’s oldest communities, picturesque Chapar is in northern Artsakh, close to the militarized border and the Azerbaijani-occupied Armenian region of Shahumian. Armenia Fund chose the village of 300 residents for the location a new school as a part of its Rural Development Program. The building of the new school was co-sponsored by the government of the Artsakh Republic.
The school is built with the future in mind, bearing accommodations that will allow students to have a holistic educational experience. Among the different facilities are included biology and chemistry labs, a computer lab, and a library. A unique feature at the school that speaks to its precarious geography – and with a nod to its history – is a classroom specially built for military studies.
Spanning over 10,000 square feet, the school’s campus also houses a grass sports field, as well as an outdoor playground. For Chapar’s cold winters, a boiler room was installed so that the children and faculty could benefit from central heating and not have to limit class time for lack of it.
Despite now having a brand new building outfitted with the most modern educational equipment, Chapar School’s most valued possession is distinctly antiquated: a hundred year old bell. Having survived through some of the most tumultuous times in Armenian history, the bell will hang proudly from the new building where it will continue to see off the school’s graduates in the spring and welcome new students in the fall.
This is not Chapar’s first experience with Armenia Fund. In 2012, a water pipeline almost 2.5 miles long was installed and has since provided the village with regular access to drinkable water.
Chapar is also one of the locations along the new Vardenis-Martakert Highway which is being constructed by Armenia Fund with donations from Armenians throughout the world. These developments, together with the new school and a general improvement in the village’s conditions have encouraged 15 families that had left to return and continue their lives there.
In fact, in addition to the traditional trades of the villages, which include beekeeping, animal husbandry, and agriculture, many of the village’s residents have been hired to work on the Armenia Fund infrastructure projects in and around their homes.
We can’t know what the 14-year old boy who was killed by Azerbaijani soldiers would have been if he was able to grow up. But, by continuing to build the communities that were destroyed by the War for Independence and which continue to live on the razor’s edge, we can ensure that his innocent life, and that of many others like him, was not lost in vain. The real victory in war is giving the fourteen year olds of today and tomorrow that which the ones from yesterday did not have.
God Bless U ARMENIAFUND.
Armenia Fund is doing great work developing these areas in Artsakh. Education is a top priority in Armenia and Artsakh and this is further support of these high educational ideals.
Dear Armenians living abroad, you are too rich and you could support Armenia much more and better. Armenia needs to repair roads, industry agriculture, water, supply, support military funds, etc. Dear diaspora, you can do much more.
The things you mentioned above are all responsibilities of the government of Armenia, not the diaspora. The more the diaspora keeps stepping in to fill the gaps lead by its criminal government, the more we are encouraging their behavior. They know that if they don’t do it, the diaspora will step in and do it for them.
What are you talking about? Diaspora can’t even build or maintain schools like this for their own kids in their own communities. They are not rich, they are in debt up to their eye balls mortgaging everything the previous generations sweated for. Leave them alone!
Artsakh and Armenia can rebuild and replenish on their own. They are resource rich countries with smart and educated people.
Unfortunately, the NATO imposed economic blockade (an act of war according to international law) and British Petroleum-led AzeriTurk OIL&GAS Alliance are suffocating them, but the Diaspora is happy to support this by paying taxes, serving in NATO armies and filling up their leased Lexuses.
pls keep building schools / facotries and work place and communit centres
and hospitals and play ground instead of churches and more churches
keep the good work
no more church building
enough of wasting money over church building
renew the old ones if its worthed but no more church building for ARMENIA sake
**** Armenian Church has a historic and symbolic role for uniting all Armenians and helping to preserve our ancient culture & language., whether they are Conservative or Liberal., and that is truly the case specially with Diaspora.