The Republic of Armenia: Renovation of the Shatvan School

The village of Shatvan is in the Vartenis area. It is located on the borders with Azerbaijan and is very close to the road that leads to Kelbajar (now called Nor Shahumyan), NKR. As of December 4, 1988, the village of Shatvan has been repopulated by refugees who have arrived from 33 different parts of Azerbaijan (Shankhor, Khanlar, Baku, etc). The total number of the current population is 834. There is a growing birthrate in this village. There are over 50 children under the age of 6 and about 120 school age youth. This year LCO will start undertaking reconstruction work on the school in this impoverished village.

Currently the school has 114 students with a staff of 20. The building is in a very dangerous state. The roof is completely damaged and parts of the flooring of both main and second levels are damaged. The disintegration process is fast because of extreme weather conditions and lack of resources. Therefore, the renovation of this building demands immediate attention. This is the only educational institution in the village. The village wishes to eventually improve the curriculum once the building is in proper shape. LCO is in the process of finalizing a new project to either renovate or build a new school for this community. Details will be forthcoming in the following weeks. Please consult our website for updates.

"My most memprable experience was being so warmly taken care by an old village couple, receiving gifts from them, giving them gifts and establishing bonds."
Naira Der-Kiureghian, Ayroum 2003, CA, USA