In 2018, the Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) launched its “Transforming Children’s Health & Development” project as an extension of its “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program” (BCPP). “Transforming Children’s Health & Development” addresses the issues of malnutrition and delayed growth, specifically in the Aragatsotn Province of Armenia.

Undernutrition is a serious problem with serious, lifelong consequences. It is associated with shorter adult height, less schooling, reduced economic productivity, and—for women—lower offspring birthweight. It is crucial to provide healthy, balanced, and calorific meals to children between the ages of zero and five, since that age group is most at risk of suffering from the long-term health issues associated with malnutrition, most of which are untreatable and lifelong.

According to 2015-2016 study conducted by the “Armenian Demographic Health Survey” (ADHS), in the Aragatsotn region, 29% of children under the age of five are below the average height for their age and 18.7% are below the recommended weight for their age (source, p. 153).

he Aragatsotn region was specifically chosen because of the low socioeconomic status of the local population and its nonarable land. Another factor contributing to malnutrition and the associated health problems (underweight, anemia, stunting) is the lack of aware-ness and education of the issue(s). Since the launch of the program, “Transforming Children’s Health & Development” has worked to equip kindergartens in Aragatsotn with the budget needed to provide healthy, balanced meals to its children, along with organizing information sessions and seminars for parents and educators to increase awareness of the dangers of malnutrition.

We seek to join FAR’s mission to eliminate malnutrition and the subsequent associated health problems in preschool aged children by securing enough funding to extend their existing program for an additional year. We are devoted to ensuring all Armenians are a part of Armenia’s bright future that we work so diligently towards.