By Elizabeth Yekhtikian
YEREVAN — The Fund for Armenian Relief (FAR) Board of Directors returned to Armenia this fall for a visit that blended reflection, renewal, and faith in the country’s next generation. It was a journey that Board Chair Randy Sapah-Gulian described as a moment to measure both time and progress — before and after the COVID-19 pandemic and the Second Artsakh War.
“A lot has changed,” Sapah-Gulian said. “I have probably been to Armenia 35 or 40 times, and there is nothing more pleasant than seeing the development over the years with each visit and realizing that you have your small contribution, your small share of participation in all of this, to develop your historical heritage.”
Since its founding in 1988, FAR’s mission has evolved from rebuilding basic infrastructure to strengthening the spirit of the Armenian people through education, social services, healthcare, child protection services, and economic development. “By 2004 or 2005, we realized this mission was greater than construction or infrastructure,” Sapah-Gulian said. “We needed to build the spirit of people so they could grow and establish themselves from within.”
The delegation began in the western province of Armavir, touring the James and Marta Batmasian Vocational Training Center in Parakar. Revitalized in 2019, the center enables students with and without disabilities to learn side by side in fields such as mechanics, carpet weaving, culinary arts, hairstyling, and gardening.
Later, in Tavush Province, Board members visited sites supported through FAR’s Breaking the Cycle of Poverty Program (BCPP), made possible by Board Member Edward Mardigian and the Mardigian Family Foundation. The group also met with local entrepreneurs who were beneficiaries of FAR programs and displayed their handiwork. Many of these merchants were displaced from Artsakh and are actively establishing a new life in their communities.
