The mission of Hrazdan Day Care Center for Disabled Children is to provide the highest quality of social, health, and educational support to the vulnerable children of the Hrazdan area to ensure that they live healthy, happy, and productive lives. Armenian ministries and Kotayk Marz offices encourage Hrazdan Center to operate because their work is essential and there are no government funds available. To meet this need, the mayor of Hrazdan provided a ten-year lease to CAF for this Center. With the help of the US Embassy’s Democracy Commission grant and other supporters, CAF covered repair and renovation charges.

Hrazdan’s Center work is powerful and essential. They must continue to operate their community day care center for children with disabilities - ages three through eighteen - in the Hrazdan Region of Kotayk Marz. Social services for people with disabilities in the region is underdeveloped. Most individuals with disabilities receive no social services. Children with disabilities and adults are typically not regarded as part of the community and are sadly often isolated from their community.

Disabled individuals in Armenia need educational opportunities to learn life skills and fully integrate into their community. Many have the capacity to learn and function in society, but these skills go underdeveloped with the lack of social services. With some skills and encouragement, they can become productive, independent, and vibrant members of their community. The Hrazdan Center will continue to allow children with disabilities to be educated, to learn a trade, and to get attention for their physical and mental health in special facilities. Professional teachers, psychologists and social workers will work with the children and encourage their parents. Hrazdan Center has expanded its staff to general education, intellectual games, physical education, the arts, and dancing. Many of Hrazdan center’s students have not attended any school prior to the center and general education classes are vital to their intellectual development. Physical education has enabled the children to improve their general health, as many of the children have no opportunity to engage in regular exercise—especially in the winter months.

Last year Hrazdan’s center accepted 147 children, and 37 more have registered for next semester. The anticipated project capacity pushes 150 students next year. Their goal is to have as many children as possible attending local schools as well as the center. Currently 58% of the children that attended the center are also enrolled in local schools. 28 students have starting attending local schools since receiving services at the center and 15 have overcome speech issues. The goal of the center aims to duplicate or exceed these results in the coming years.

Ayo! will embrace this mission to raise emergency funds for Hrazdan. The center was forced to stop its operations as of January 1st. FAR, our parent organization, chimed in and donated the amount necessary that will allow Hrazdan Center to operate for the next three months, while we crowdfund to raise all the necessary funds and to support the center.

Moreover, with their experts and extensive resources, FAR will go a step further and provide free training and methodological guidance on how to raise public awareness, conduct fundraising campaigns, focus on parental skill development, advocate on behalf of beneficiaries, and develop other skill sets if needed. This will make the investment sustainable and worthwhile, as by helping the center to build capacity, we will ensure future independence and increased impact.