Donation to the Chambarak School in Armenia

Riding down the bumpy dirt road with a semi–truck trailing behind, a smile appears on my face. We approach several cows standing in the middle of the road that are in no hurry, of course. I honk the horn twice and they finally begin to amble on their way, except for one. He slowly raises his head, looks directly at me, and I swear I hear him say, “What’s your hurry?” I get the hint, sit back and relax as he wags his tail and slowly moseys along.

This paints a familiar picture of rural life in Armenia. Things are slower, simpler. I quickly forget the hustle and bustle of the capital, Yerevan, and settle into what I love about my job as the Bilateral Affairs Officer for the European Command State Partnership Program; getting to meet the unique, genuine, and hospitable people of this beautiful country, Armenia.

Furniture being offloaded at the Chambarak School in Armenia.

On behalf of the United States Embassy in Yerevan and the European Command Humanitarian Assistance office in Stuttgart, Germany, we were able to supply over $4000 worth of much needed furniture to Chambarak School Number Two. The U.S. Embassy’s Office of Defense Cooperation (ODC) has provided several such shipments in the past year, adding up to $15,000 worth of material donated to schools and orphanages in rural Armenian and several more are on the way. Many of these projects would not be possible without the many Non-Governmental Organizations and governmental organizations working together, sharing information, and coordinating their efforts to support the development of Armenia.

For instance, Save the Children completed the renovation of the Chambarak School in early 2009. To assist in furnishing the school, Armenian Relief Fund donated desks, and the United States Embassy’s ODC provided additional desks, chairs, and bookcases for the teachers. Although the donations are often small in monetary value, the impact is enormous. We could see the sincere gratitude of the local population from the look in their eyes, their vigorous handshakes, and their heartfelt, “shnorak’alutsyun,” (translation: “thank you”).

Captain Robert Sanders
Bilateral Affairs Office
U.S. Embassy Yerevan, Armenia