Yerevan, June 30, 2016 – In tandem with its construction of the Vardenis-Martakert Highway, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is implementing various development projects in communities along the route. Getavan, located at a crossroads in Artsakh’s Martakert Region, is one such community. Here the fund is building a multifunctional community center, through the joint financial support of its French affiliate and the government of NKR.

When completed, the two-story community center will house the mayor’s office, a library, a game room, and a 150-seat event hall. The facility will not only serve Getavan and neighboring communities, but welcome travelers who wish to visit its library and game room.

Thanks to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund, today the close to 400 residents of Getavan also have regular access to water. According to Ararat Zakaryan, Getavan’s mayor, the community is getting younger. “Our population is growing,” Zakaryan says. “We’ve already had seven births in 2016, and are expecting another seven by the end of the year. As importantly, we’re confident that the opening of the Vardenis-Martakert Highway will be a boon to our village.”

Likewise with the support of French-Armenian compatriots, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is currently building a similar community center in the village of Kochoghot, located two kilometers from the Vardenis-Martakert Highway. The facility is rising adjacent to the community school, whose construction ten years ago was sponsored by the French- Armenian community. To date, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s French affiliate has sponsored the construction of nine community centers in Artsakh, helping improve the lives of more than 5,000 residents.

Another major project being implemented by the fund is the construction of private homes for large families in the villages of Vank, Charektar, and Chapar, all of which are located along the Vardenis-Martakert Highway.