Contact Us

E-mail:

orran@orran.am

Orran
Yerevan:

6 First Yekmalyan street,
375002 Yerevan, Armenia

Phone:

+374 10 53 51 67

Fax:

+374 10 53 86 72

 

Orran
Vanadzor:

4/1 Tigran Metz Avenue,
2001 Vanadzor, Armenia

Phone:

+374 32 24 55 98

Become A "Friend of Orran"

Dear Friend,

Armenia's independence was a historic moment for the country.  While the days following the declaration were euphoric, the reality of building a nation proved much more difficult. Due to hardships, families were broken up, with fathers emigrating in search of work to provide for their families. A lot of mothers could not cope any more with the daily demands of caring for their family. Naturally, a lot of children, some as young as four, resorted to begging in the streets of Yerevan to help make it through one more day. Most had to endure chronic hunger among other hardships imaginable. 

There are more than 14,000 children who do not attend school in the Republic of Armenia because their families are unable to meet the basic costs of their education. Social vulnerability and economic deprivation in families have also contributed to an increase in the number of unaccompanied children and children living and working on the streets. Some of these children have resorted to begging, others to selling flowers, and some to simply picking food out of the garbage. This problem is becoming more serious every year. 

Realizing this problem would not go away on its own, Raffi and Arminé Hovanissian, through their own initiative and finances decided to open a centre to provide food, care and education to the hardest-hit children and their mothers. 

Very soon they were joined by generous benefactors Krikor and Anna Krikorian of the UK, Gerard and Cleo Cafesjian of USA, Carolyn Mugar of USA, Ralph and Janet Hovannisian of USA, Ralph Yirikian of VivaCell-MTS,  Arev Petrosyan and many other kind benefactors who helped Orran to embrace more beneficiaries and to provide better services. 

Orran , meaning "haven" in Armenian, was established in downtown Yerevan in April 2000. The Centre started with 16 children, but within six months, it had grown to embrace more than 26 at-risk elderly and 40 socially vulnerable children, some of whom were orphans. The number of these beneficiaries keeps increasing; the new Yerevan Centre opened in May 2004 and our second center opened in Vanadzor in October 2012. These 2 centers now serve 85 elderly and more than 200 children, ranging in age from five to sixteen years. 

Orran's mission is to:

  1. Divert children from the streets and engage them in academic, cultural, and extra-curricular activities
  2. Fight the concept of beggar children as the principal breadwinners of their families
  3. Help families "in crisis"
  4. Assist the lonely and needy elderly
  5. Identify and develop children's interests and talents toward a working career
  6. Prevent the spread of destitution and begging among Armenia's children and elderly

Our two centers are run by competent professionals and Volunteers who are dedicated and believe in Orran's mission. Orran, is to be a model local NGO working with the government and cooperating with other NGO's, both local and international. 

You can now help us achieve our mission and our strategic plan by becoming a "Friend of Orran"

There are numerous ways to support Orran as highlighted in Orran's web site. Becoming a friend of Orran is even more special. By being a friend, we hope you will be more actively involved in Orran's fund raising activities in addition to being a significant yearly benefactor. To help us achieve our mission and strategic plan, we need your support on a continual financial basis so we can confidently plan ahead to meet our and your goals. To become a friend, we would need guaranteed financial support of at least $5,000 per year or more from either a personal donation or from fund-raising activities that you have held through the year. 

Like other donors, to become a Friend please   or For all offline donations please download this file  Please note by using the online donations you may avoid significant bank charges. 

If you require any further information on becoming a Friend of Orran, please contact Orran in Yerevan or Orran's Financiial Director, Board Advisor and major benefactor Krikor Krikorian at kkrikorian@yahoo.com .

Help the elderly and give these children a chance to tell their story. Become a friend!