Residents of Armenia’s remote villages struggle to access medical care. Many depend on small clinics and dispensaries, which are often under-resourced, for routine procedures and check-ups.

One such clinic is located in Darbas, a village in Armenia’s Syunik region lying about 35 kilometers from the border with Azerbaijan and 22 kilometers from the nearest city of Sisian. The clinic serves 1747 people, including three displaced families from Artsakh. Patients come from Darbas and three other surrounding villages. But due to bad conditions, half of the clinic lies unused. Even worse, the half in use does not have proper running water or heating. The community is taking action to renovate piping this year, but the problem of heating remains unsolved. The clinic in the border community of Angeghakot also lacks central heating. It serves a total of 2700 inhabitants, including 32 families displaced from Artsakh, from six surrounding villages.

When our Ayo! team heard about this, we decided to invest in heating systems for both clinics to ensure that the nearly 5000 people they serve can receive humane care. Moreover, the region of Syunik — bordered on two sides by Azerbaijan — is strategically important to Armenia’s security. Without basic infrastructure, residents will be more likely to leave the region. Investing in Syunik and its people is investing in our security.

Thank you for giving the gift of warmth and saying Ayo! to a stronger Armenia!