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“Building a bridge” Between Diaspora and Armenian Vulnerable Families
Donation from Mr. Johny Sahagian/USA helps to create and support two self-help groups of farmers in Gargar community of Armenia
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The strategic alliance between MDF-Kamurj and Armenian Village Operations (AVO) NGO has produced the first “harvest” in Gargar village: the financial donation, kindly provided by Mr. Johny Sahagian/USA, is dedicated to support two self-help groups of small farmers in Gargar, Lori province of Armenia, through provision of microfinance services. Twenty one farmers, formed in groups named by themselves as “Island of Hope” and “Greenhouse”, received loans during 2005-2006. The micro-loans between $150 - $750 were aimed at helping them to fill the financial gaps related to their agricultural and animal husbandry activities. |
After the contract is signed, Gegham Mouradian will receive the loan and gifts from MDF-Kamurj
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Gargar farmers listening the final notes before the loan disbursement begins
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After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Gargar, as any other Armenian rural community, increasingly perceives land and animals as reliable and substantial sources of income. This promotes farmers to the search for new and effective ways of farming. Opportunities to access affordable loans to purchase relatively better quality seeds and expanding the scale of their animal husbandry is what many rural farmers, particularly in Gargar community, are looking for. Unfortunately, this is not a common picture. |
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Mrs. Sahakanush Baroyan, who is the elected leader of the Greenhouse group, said that, many in her community still are restrained by the mindset inherited from the old “soviet” time - they lack self-help initiative and planning skills, instead, preferring to rely on low but stable (as they believe) income.
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However, the mentality changes in changing environment are inevitable. Sahakanush, who owns one of the most successful farms in the community, managed to persuade others to take a loan in order to obtain quality potato seeds and increase their profits. Potato is the main crop produced in Gargar, and over the past several years the harvest levels have been persistently declining due to the bad quality of seeds. As another farmer mentioned, last year she was able to harvest only 20 percent of the potato she used to collect in the past.
The impact of MDF-Kamurj services in the region has encouraged Tarjimanyan Hrachya to ask for a loan from the organization. Hrachya is married and has three children of 12, 11 and 8. This is the first time Hrachya is taking a loan. He plans to use the loan to improve his livestock and buy two cows. Silva Ayvazyan’s family consists of eight members. She lives with her mother and father in law, three children under
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Sahakanush Baroyan demonstrates with proud the cucumber harvest in her greenhouse where she plans investing the loan she will receive
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10, her husband and the husband’s sister. This family owns 1 ha of land, where they grow potato and wheat. Silva plans spending the loan of 250,000 drams (app. 550 USD) to purchase better potato seeds. She hopes the loan will help to double the expected harvest and, hence, her profits.
MDF-Kamurj is confident that these loans are going to make significant positive impact in the lives of vulnerable Gargar farmers. The more than six years of experience in providing microfinance services throughout Armenia, particularly in rural areas, backs this confidence. The agricultural loan named “Tsitsernak” (early Spring bird) has been designed by MDF-Kamurj to address specific needs of local farming, which explains the constantly growing demand for these loans.
Collaboration with AVO indicates MDF-Kamurj’s new strategy about “building a bridge” between Armenian vulnerable families and Armenian Diaspora, interested in contributing to the fair, honest and patriotic development projects aimed at addressing the desperate needs and improving the lives of vulnerable families in Armenia, implemented by MDF-Kamurj.
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