In 2022, NEF launched STRIVE, a new countrywide program in Armenia helping local charitable organizations improve resiliency and sustainability and increase the capacity for innovation. Grants were awarded to 24 Armenian organizations to fund projects making a positive and lasting impact on communities.

Azganush lives in Zovuni, a rural village in the Armenian marz (province) of Kotayk. She lives in a small wooden hut with her husband and their two young children, her husband’s elderly parents, and his brother, who has a disability. The hut is small and unsafe, and they frequently get sick due to the humid conditions.

Azganush and her husband’s dream is to buy a home of their own, but they could barely afford to meet the basic needs of their family.

Until recently, the household’s only stable income source had been Azganush’s parents-in-law’s pension, as Azganush and her husband struggled to find consistent work. But things are looking up for Azganush.

She was hired to work at a greenhouse established by ‘Improving Our Villages’, a charitable organization supported by NEF’s STRIVE program. The greenhouse was built near the village preschool. It provides organic vegetables and eco-educational opportunities for the students, including Azganush’s eldest child who attends the school.

Despite her difficult circumstances and hardships at home, Azganush attended all the training courses offered through the project. She is a hard worker and has dedicated herself to improving her family’s situation. The reliable income Azganush now earns allows her to take care of her family and save money for a new home.

The activities described above were co-funded by the European Union