
Economic Development
SheCan Winter 2026 Course

$10,500
goal


22
beneficiary


Yerevan
region


2026
implementation year

Project Goal
Ayo! is proud to partner with the Gyumri Information Technology Center (GITC)
on a transformative initiative designed to empower women to turn their skills into
viable businesses, with a focus on developing core competencies in business,
marketing, and finance.
Project Background
This innovative program is tailored for women—many of whom are single
mothers or displaced from Artsakh—who already possess a craft, trade, or
creative talent and are ready to build it into a sustainable source of income. This
initiative centers on equipping participants with the knowledge and tools to
launch and grow their own ventures over the course of three months. Training
modules will cover business planning, budgeting, pricing strategies, digital
marketing, branding, and more. Participants will also receive mentorship and
have access to seed funding through a dedicated grant program designed to
support both solo entrepreneurs and collaborative startups. It costs only $500 to
sponsor one woman's participation!
Shirak remains one of Armenia's most economically vulnerable regions, with poverty
and unemployment rates significantly higher than the national average. As of 2020, the
poverty rate reached 48.4%, with child poverty at 57.7%, compounded by the long-term
effects of the 1988 earthquake.
Despite these challenges, Gyumri is seeing signs of revival. GITC, established by FAR
in 2005, has played a pivotal role in this recovery. While primarily focused on tech
education, GITC is now broadening its mission to include entrepreneurial development.
By supporting women in transforming their skills into businesses, GITC is helping to
create jobs, strengthen families, and foster economic resilience in the region.
Elise Anoushian
Raffi Chobanyan
Stephanie Mangioglu
Anna Mehrabyan
Vazgen Grigoryan
Nina Shahverdyan
Gregory Surabian
Celeste Leung
Antranig Telliyan
Davit Avagyan
Anoush Baghdassarian
Ani Sargsyan
Melani Norsigian
Alex & Talar Sarafian
Harutyun & Ani Ozgun
Elizabeth Akian
Daniel Zalinov
Varduhi Poghosyan
Michele Mouradian
Beverly Serabian
Colleen Exter
Arsham & Sonya Bekarian
Craig Koresian
Anahid Ghazarian
Chris Arguoyan
Raffi Khorozian
Alex Ateshian
Arin Piramzadian
Laura Boyajian
Amaras Zargarian
Women's Guild of St. John Armenian Church
Guy Simonian
Tavit O. Najarian
Sean Richardson
Meline Toufayan
Sandra Shahinian
Andrew Yenicag
Sarah Stites
Supporters
37
Partner
GITC
1/12/26
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