In 2011 the Jinishian Memorial Foundation has initiated a philanthropic activity to support school age children from remote northern villages of Armenia to be warmly booted during severe winter time. These are children who do not attend school during winter or attend in worn out shoes or even in shabby home slippers, which harshly influences on their health and sometimes later becomes a cause of chronic diseases. JMF has targeted Amasia, Ashotsk regions of Shirak marz and Vardenis, Chambarak regions of Gegharkunik marz, well-known with their cold and snowy winters, when during the long-lasting winter period people live isolated due to impassable roads and where people are mostly poor.
To raise funds for supporting school age children from these regions a page was created on Facebook; informative/request letters were sent to potential donors, Jinishian partners, board members, etc.
In 2011 the Jinishian Memorial Foundation raised 14,501,457 AMD/ 38,162 USD/. Actively cooperating with the local self governing bodies and school principals of those regions, JMF created the database of schoolchildren from Ashotsq, Amasia and Chambarak, Vardenis regions of Shirak and Gegharkunik marzes.
Not to be late and have shoes ready for the approaching winter season JMF started the project implementation from September. JMF contracted local shoemaking company meantime supporting shoemaking industry in Armenia. During this period 578 pair of warm boots have been produced and distributed in 11 villages of Gegharkunik marz and 19 villages of Shirak marz. Villages have been selected based on the distance from regional centers and location, number of schoolchildren, with the logic “less children the school has more vulnerable the people are”. All the schoolchildren of the villages have received shoes.
On December 6, 2011 Orange Armenia Foundation joined the initiative and donated 6,500,000AMD. In this short period till December 31, 2011 JMF organized the production and distribution of the other 528 pair of warm shoes in 8 villages of Shirak marz and 6 villages of Gegharkunik marz.
In total 1,106 pair of warm shoes have been distributed in Shirak (in 27 villages) and Gegharkunik marzes (in 17 villages).
JMF also had its financial contribution to this project investing 2,349,500 AMD /6,183 USD/, which was utilized to cover some expenses of the shoes production and all the administrative expenses of the project.
Despite the size of the donation we would like to express our gratitude to all the donors as well as extend special thanks to the main coordinator and initiator of the project, Mr. Varoujan Avedikian.
See the detailed report on Warm Shoes project.
