🟨 💬 “Village people are extraordinary, and they deserve extraordinary things.” – COAF Founder Garo Armen
It all began with a glass of water back in 2003 when COAF Founder & Chairman, Garo Armen, first traveled to his ancestral homeland, Armenia. While visiting the village of Karakert, he asked an elderly man sitting on his front porch for a glass of water and was shocked to learn that locals lacked access to clean water. They were forced to purchase fresh water supplied from a nearby region. Garo realized that swift action needed to be taken to revitalize rural regions of Armenia that had been neglected and battered with poverty in the aftermath of the country’s independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Karakert naturally became the first village community where COAF launched its efforts in 2004, with the renovation of one of the local schools being the first major project implemented. 🏫
What started as a single infrastructure development project in Karakert soon grew into a concerted effort to alleviate poverty. By bringing education, healthcare resources, social services, and career training, alongside economic and infrastructure initiatives, to 82 communities across Armenia and Artsakh, COAF is working to meaningfully improve life in rural Armenia. Today, our innovative programs and infrastructure projects have changed the lives of over 107,000 people across 6 regions of Armenia.
👨👩👧👦 Empowering children and families has achieved groundbreaking results for rural communities, and changed the lives of generations. By bringing resources to the communities which need them most, COAF is enabling individuals to define their own lives, become active participants in Armenia’s future, and contribute to the restoration of their communities.
