On May 27, Children of Armenia Fund’s (COAF) SMART Center will open at the crossroad of the Debet and Dsegh communities in Lori marz, Armenia. It will offer alternative education and activities to all residents of Lori marz: children, young people, the middle-aged and the elderly.

The project will include a children’s development center for the youngest Lori dwellers and various clubs for teens and the youth, while people of older generations will be provided with the opportunities to learn about renewable energy, organic agriculture and resource development.

COAF SMART Center is set to form a new environment that will help children in rural areas to have dreams and realize them within their home communities.

The heroes of Mediamax’s new project are the children from Lori marz, who tell about their goals and dreams. They honestly share their expectations from SMART Center and thoughts about what this kind of institution can change in the lives of village kids.

While waiting for her turn to perform, Sateni Petrosyan revises Alice Walker’s “To Change the World Enough”, using her phone as a microphone. She is one of the pupils from grades 7 to 12 from Lori marz, who are participating in the US Peace Corps National Poetry Recitation Contest.

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

The construction of Children of Armenia Fund’s (COAF) SMART Center is finished, but this is the first event held at the yet to be refurnished building.

Sateni would come to SMART Center even if it weren’t for the contents. She doesn’t miss any event involving her friends, especially if it offers the opportunity to speak English.

When the construction of the three-wing center (an unusual, modern-looking building for Lori) started at the intersection of Debet and Dsegh, Sateni and her classmates were not particularly excited. It stood next to them, but they believed it had nothing to do with them. Along with building the center, COAF launched Access English program in Debet.

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

“First, I wanted to be a Russian language specialist, but then Access happened and a year later I changed my mind, switched from Russian to English. Before the program, studying English was impossible for me. That difficult language had no place in my plans for the future. Now I want to study at the American University of Armenia.

There is a strict rule: whether your speak English or not, the teacher will. I understood nothing in the beginning, two months later I was able to understand a little, and now, two years later, I can understand everything.

Access gave me the opportunity to discover myself and become confident. Everything started with Access. Things changed, they are changing now and so they will,” says 11th grade student Sateni.

Sateni and Luiza

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

“When we don’t want anyone in the classroom to understand what we are saying, we speak English,” adds Sateni’s close friend Luiza, laughing. She says their school has a problem with English teachers, as they come and go quickly.

The girls realized they lacked communication in English to advance their knowledge. That is what led them to thinking about the advantage of COAF SMART Center for the first time. The road from the center to the inhabited area of Debet takes 10 minutes by foot. Access students often come to the center to speak with foreign guests in English.

They protest that the center actually stands in the intersection of Debet and Dsegh. The girls say they can prove factually that SMART Center is built on their land, in the territory of Debet. So, they welcome and see off guests by the right of ownership.

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

“One day the center organized a tour for the press. I gave 14 interviews. I was shy at first, but in the end we would approach the journalists ourselves and ask them to talk to us,” tells Luiza.

Sateni’s Facebook page features plenty of photographs with SMART Center in the background, throughout the stages of construction. Sateni makes her Facebook posts in English, explaining: “It’s fun, and also I want people to know that I can speak English.”

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

“I did not know what to do, because I had no choice until I met a person who had an answer to my question. I mean my future!”

Her post is about the founder of COAF Garo Armen. By her own initiative Sateni took two interviews from Garo Armen to understand why they chose Debet as a destination to establish SMART Center, and what it will change in their community.

“Children in a number of villages in Armenia don’t have the opportunity to fully use their skills, so they imagine their future either abroad or in Yerevan. Nonetheless, where similar establishments or even small clubs are available, children’s lives become much easier.

I wish to get education and work at this center. I would like to become an English language specialist. Soon I’ll volunteer as an English teacher for children, and if I succeed I’ll start working here. When SMART starts operation in May, we’ll be able to open our English club and teach children. I’m very happy when someone learns something new from me.”

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

SMART Center will offer alternative education to children. There is no thick wall, as this three-wing construction surrounded by mountains is intentionally glazed so that visitors and children stay connected with the nature. The center will officially open at the end of May, but the new environment and approaches have already brought about changes. 

COAF representative says that people always mention Sateni when they speak about Debet. Her family seems surprised, as she is not quite active at home.

Sateni’s family

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

“She just adores SMART,” her father says. As COAF representatives were present, everyone used the opportunity to talk about the advantages of formal and non-formal education. They admit that although girls are very excited and spend almost the whole day at SMART Center, they still don’t know what the center will be like.

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

COAF event schedule is attached to the wall in Sateni’s room. She prepared a book about Access program and her participation. She covered all the important events over the past 2 years, then translated in English, rewrote in her book and decorated with pictures. The book was presented at Access graduation ceremony in Dilijan.

“She writes books and I write verses, which find place in her book, but my name isn’t mentioned,” Luiza said.

“But I don’t mention my name either,” Sateni justifies herself.

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

Having been inspired by the success, Sateni now works on three books at once.

“My first book is about SMART Center. Garo Armen said that I’ll introduce it at the opening of the center in May. When it’s published, I intend to present it to them. I’ll give my second book, which is about Access, to our English teacher Ms Marine. My third book will be dedicated to Samuel’s (Garo Armen’s son) new Project Bloom program, within the frames of which we’ll write the story of our life to be published and disseminated in European countries.”

Sateni is looking forward to the opening of the center, and Luiza to Sateni’s book presentation. May 27 will bring a number of changes in this a little bit passive community.

Sateni Petrosyan

Photo: Mediamax/Vaghinak Ghazaryan

Sateni has already decided that she will join English and photography clubs. She is also interested in attending robotics classes, though she has no idea what they will be doing. If Sateni has a chance to learn French, she won’t miss it as well. She says that girls, who aspire to bright future, connect all their plans with SMART Center. To boys saying: “What will we learn if we come?” she answers: “At least you will be able to use free Wi-Fi.”

Residents of Lori aged 13-35 will have the opportunity to learn English, choosing one of the 4 programs, provided by the center. In cooperation with U.S. Embassy in Armenia COAF implements Access program and online English classes. COAF also obtained and incorporated Rosetta Stone self-study system, which is available for the whole community. The graduates of Access program too can participate in Bloom Project (Tsaghkunk) creative writing program.

COAF implements these English learning programs in other marzes of Armenia as well.

Lusine Gharibyan

Photos by Vaghinak Ghazaryan (for Mediamax)