THE EXPERIENCE

The Basics (What to expect?)
If you haven’t done so already, please see the About the LCO page on our website for a brief initiation about the Organization. If our Summer Campaign sounds as if you will see and do things you never did before, you’re right! If it also sounds as if you’re going to get dirty, sweaty, and be ‘roughing it,’ you’re right again! The LCO Campaign is many things to many people. Some people join to experience something fresh, new, and exciting. Others join to meet interesting people from around the world. Yet others join to preserve historical integrity and give something back to humanity. One thing an LCO Campaign is not, a package tour for the faint at heart. If the idea of hiking the countryside to reach cave dwellings and natural waterfalls, camping in a sleeping bag under the stars, washing clothes by hand in a river, or picking up native folklore in the absence of television appeal to you, then this is the program for you.

Each year, the LCO goes to great lengths to undertake fact-finding missions -- often to remote areas of historic and present-day Armenia. (Geographically speaking, historic and present-day Armenia includes lands of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran, Syria, and Turkey.) Operating on shoestring budgets, the LCO nevertheless explores compelling locations for a Campaign and goes about preparing the groundwork for the programs that follow. Sites are typically situated in picturesque villages with welcoming native populations. LCO fact-finders select sites that demonstrate a need for historical restoration or support in economic or community development. They then tailor a Campaign to meet the needs of the projects as well as the needs of the indigenous population (not to mention our budget). This includes hiring local specialists, arranging for equipment, supplies to be purchased and delivered to the site, and preparing lodgings that are specific in the number of volunteers these sites can accommodate. We carefully select sites where we feel we can enrich territorial integrity, the lives of native dwellers, as well as that of the program participants.

The Campaign sites (Where exactly will I be?)

I. The Republic of Armenia: Renovation of the Shatvan School
The village of Shatvan is one of the 34 villages in the Vartenis area that were predominantly settled by Azeris during the soviet years. Shatvan is located on the borders with Azerbaijan and is very close to the road that leads to Karvajar, NKR (see map). However, the demography of this village as well as the entire region changed during the late 80s during Azeri-Armenian clashes.

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 (57% - men and 43% - women). There is a growing birthrate in this village. There are over 50 children under the age of 6 and about 120 school age youth. Today there are 645 refugees – 253 families. It is only during the last few years that the village has become a community. Migration from the village has been reduced. Most of the families are now owners of their land and home. There is a good fertile land in the village. It is being slowly bought for creating potato and wheat plantations. Some members of the community are also employed by the gold mine in the neighboring village of Sotk. The mayor’s main concern is to provide the basics to young families to prevent them from leaving. And in his mind, as well as the community’s, the school is the number one priority.

The village has a doctor who also works at the Vartenis hospital. They do however lack all the required medical equipment to make the medical center efficient. However, it is only a 10 minute drive to the Central Hospital in Vartenis.

The school is the only educational institution in the village. It was built in 1978 and was foreseen for a capacity of 422 students. Currently the school has 118 students with a staff of 20.

The building had not seen any renovations since 1988. The disintegration process is fast because of extreme weather conditions and lack of resources in this impoverished region of Armenia. The building was a hazard until last year when the LCO worked with the National Seismic Institute to reinforce its foundation at five different points and entirely replaced the damaged roof. Part of the project also consisted of narrowing the wide openings of the windows on this two story building. The village is located at 2100m of altitude and the gushing cold wind penetrates through the widow seals. This situation has been repaired and as a result, the classrooms are much warmer and more appropriate for a learning environment.

This year, The LCO will continue to work on the school. This time the volunteers will beautify the building from the inside and outside. The walls, doors and windows will all be painted; the facade will get a new facelift; and the inside floor on both levels will be renovated.

II. The General Hospital of Shushi, NKR
The Shushi Central Regional Hospital was built in 1972 to provide for the medical needs of the inhabitants of the Shushi region. The hospital housed 110 beds, an emergency department, and a medical staff specializing in internal and infectious diseases, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, and pediatrics.
The building also housed the polyclinic and all its departments, including internal medicine, surgery, neurology, dermatology, etc. In addition, the building was equipped with x-ray machines, physical therapy equipment and specialists, and laboratories. The pediatric and gynecological polyclinic was housed in a separate building.
After the capture of Shushi by the Azeri’s during the war, the hospital was confiscated and the infrastructure (internal walls, operating rooms, kitchen, boiler), equipment, furniture, and medical instruments were stolen or destroyed.
Since the cease-fire, the polyclinic has undergone renovation. However, the hospital is currently in a miserable state of disrepair, unable to provide emergency service or attract a professional medical staff because of the unsanitary conditions, lack of modern medical equipment and instruments, emergency vehicles, or furniture. There are only 4 doctors currently on staff, including 1 surgeon and 3 pediatricians. The residents of the Shushi region are in desperate need of care in the areas of obstetrics, gynecology, anesthesiology, internal medicine, and radiology.
The medical needs of the communities in the Shushi region are growing, as the city and neighbouring villages are experiencing a population growth. In the past two years, our volunteers renovated a number of hospital rooms in the general admissions ward, as well as the delivery rooms. This year, LCO is very excited about continuing the renovation of the surgery rooms of the hospital to meet the growing medical needs of the population. While professional contractors will perform certain aspects of the renovation, such as installation of plumbing and heating systems, our volunteers will perform necessary structural work such as repairing and painting walls, building frames and installing windows and doors, repairing floors, etc. This project is supported by a grant from the Union of French Armenian Medical Professionals.

III. Kessab, Syria
The LCO has been holding campaigns in the Kessab region for the last 14 years. The volunteers who choose to participate in this campaign will be living in the Village of Kaladouran. This picturesque village of 50 Armenian families borders the Mediterranean Sea and is near the city of Kessab, which has a summer population of 3,000. These are the descendants of Cilician Armenia, the last Kingdom of Armenia. Sadly, the Armenian population in this area has been dwindling over the years, and the Arab population is overrunning these villages that were once solely Armenian. Since 1999, the LCO has received grants from the Gulbenkian Foundation to purchase, restore, and preserve these ancient dwellings in their traditional Armenian style. One of the homes will be converted to an ethnographic museum. The following projects will be the focus of our 2003 campaign.

• The continued cultivation of a large parcel of land, including the planting of trees, vegetables, and the maintenance of its irrigation facilities;
• Continuation of the restoration of the Bedrossian and Casseyos homes, a cluster of ancient private homes located in the center of Kessab. The focus here will be on maintaining the Armenian architectural integrity of the original construction;
• Continuation of the operation of a local infirmary started years ago by LCO volunteers of the medical profession to serve the local Armenian population.

Volunteers will live in the Ashkarian home, one of the homes rebuilt by volunteers from past campaigns. Living conditions are quite comfortable – lunch and dinner are enjoyed together at a local cafe in the village of Kaladouran. After a hard day of work in the fields, one may opt to relax at a private beach on the Mediterranean Sea. Kessab does have a few stores and even a night life.

Please note: Unlike the campaigns in Armenia and Artsakh, the Kessab campaign is 3 weeks and offered only in the month of August.

Some Past Projects

I.THE VILLAGE OF SAGHMOSAVAN (ARMENIA)
The village of Saghmosavan is located in the Ashtarak region of the Republic of Armenia. It is some 40 minutes to the northwest of Yerevan, and lies on the banks of the Kazakh River. The awe-inspiring, medieval monastic complex of Saghmosavank is located in this village. This hauntingly beautiful structure can be seen from a distance as one approaches Saghmosavan. The enormous stone monastery and adjacent chapels stand on the edge of a ravine, and Mount Aragadz (the tallest mountain range in present-day Armenia) serves as a backdrop some distance away. The complex is made up of the church of St. Sion, the Gavit (a large ceremonial vestibule), the Library, St. Asdvadzadzin Church and etched obelisks (called khatchkars) inside and around the monastic complex. The complex began with the construction of St. Sion church in the early 13th century (1215) by Prince Vatchè Vatchoudian. Work continued for the remaining structures, and ended in 1255 with the building of the Library by Prince Kourd Vatchoudian. The Old Cemetery, dating from the 13th-14th centuries, is found in the northwest area of the complex. There are a number of notable khatchkars still standing.
The complex is built of dark red colored tufa stone intermingled at places by lighter, cinnamon colored Tufa. (Tufa is a sandstone found in abundance in Armenia. It has sponge-like pores, and comes in a variety of colors.) One of the best examples of Armenian medieval architecture, Saghmosavank has undergone numerous renovations throughout the ages. The 1988 earthquake did considerable damage to the main structure in the form of severe cracks in the walls and the roof. As a result, water leakage (which freezes during the winter months) has aggravated the damage. In previous years, our volunteers completed renovation of the Gavit, the Bell Tower, St. Asdvadzadzin Church, and parts of St. Sion. They dismantled the interior of the Gavit and repaired the weather-worn ceiling and interior. During this repair period, the volunteers discovered a concealed staircase near the main entrance of St. Asdvadzadzin that was probably used long ago as an escape route leading to the bottom of the gorge by the Kazakh River.
Our year 2000 volunteers continued to repair the damage to the monastic complex and renovated the three remaining edifices. This includes St. Sion Church, the Library, and the Cemetery. The volunteers worked under the guidance of such architects as Armen Haghnazarian and Alik Ananian to perform the following tasks: clean walls that had been blackened by aging and weathering (St. Sion Church); construct a drainage system to prevent water seepage through the stone walls (Library); remove and replace stones in the rotunda (Library); fill cavities in walls; rebuild the roof; and replace floor slates in the library. In addition, on the northern spread of the monastery, there were pairs of Khatchkars leaning against a structurally weak wall. To preserve the valuable Khatchkars, this wall was demolished and rebuilt and the Khatchkars were carefully reset. Once this phase of the construction was completed, the renovation of the sacramental areas of the Saghmosavank monastery was complete.
In August of 2001, The LCO sponsored the Patsoum, or re-consecration, of the Saghmosavank Church. This ceremony served as part of the country-wide celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the establishment of Armenian Christendom. All volunteers serving on a campaign during this time were invited to attend and participate in the celebration.
For additional background about the history of Saghmosavank, refer to: Armenian Art by Patrick Donabedian and Jean-Michel Thierry. Please check out our list of Recommended Armenian Bookstores to order one.

II. THE REGION OF ATERPATAKAN (NORTHWEST IRAN)
One of the first sites on which the Land and Culture Organization established a renovation project were the Armenian monasteries and historical monuments located in the Aterpatakan region in the northwest of Iran. Through the years, starting in the 1970's, five major edifices were undertaken for restoration. These were: the St. Thadé Monastery, the St. Stepanos Protomartyr Monastery, the Dzordzor church, the Shepherd's chapel (Andrevorty) and the St. Sandukht church.
During the late 1970's, immediately following the Iranian revolution, the LCO presence in those regions became difficult. However, through our local friends and collaborators the restoration work continued albeit at a slower pace and without the direct physical involvement of the LCO. We continued to maintain our financial, moral and to some degree our technical input ever since.
With the onset of activities belonging to the 1700th anniversary of Christianity in Armenia, various programs have been developed. Along these lines, in the summer of 2000, a major pilgrimage was organized by the LCO to return to those sites and remember the roots of the LCO by participating in the pilgrimage and restarting our campaigns in the Aterpatakan region. As such, during late July and early August of last year, we organized a pilgrimage of 2 or 3 weeks to visit the monuments mentioned above coinciding with the feast day of St. Thaddeus on July 28, 2000 when many pilgrims usually visit the monastery. The campaign was such an overwhelming success, that we resumed the campaign in Iran for 2001.
At this time, we are planning a pilgrimage sometime during the summer of 2004 to northern Iran and those historic sites. Please keep in touch with us through our e-mail address, phone number and website for more details to be forthcoming.


THE ITINERARY

Flight Arrangements (what area the logistics?)
The LCO provides volunteers with the most up-to-date information available. Airline companies expect to experience scheduling changes in the coming summer months. Since departure dates and times are subject to change until further notice, please check with the Campaign Coordinators before making any permanent flight arrangements to France.
Officially, the LCO Summer Campaign begins and ends in Paris, France. Thus, all volunteers from North and South America are responsible for making their own flight arrangements to and from Paris. For all those who are not American or Canadian citizens, please contact the Campaign Coordinators immediately to address arrangements you may have to make with regard to transit in Paris.
PLEASE NOTE: The LCO offers both a 3-week and 4-week program for our campaigns in Armenia and Syria. However, the 3-week option will not be available to volunteers who selected to participate in a campaign in Karabagh.

July Campaign
Those going on the July Campaign to Armenia or Mountainous Karabagh must arrive in Paris (Charles DeGaulle Airport) by Sunday, July 3rd , and no later than 12 noon. On the return, July volunteers will depart for the Yerevan airport very early on Thursday, July 29 and will arrive in Paris on that same morning. There will be no three week campaign for July.

August Campaign
Those going on the August Campaign to Armenia or Mountainous Karabagh must be in Paris (Charles DeGaulle Airport) by Thursday, July 29 and no later than 12 noon. On the return, August volunteers will head to the Yerevan airport late Wednesday night and return to Paris on the morning of Thursday, August 25th. Volunteers participating on a 3-week campaign will return to Paris on Monday, August 18th.
PLEASE NOTE: For the most part, departures and arrivals have been on schedule. However, for those who are in transit and need to take a next flight, as a precaution, please arrange your return flight no earlier than 1 PM on the day of your arrival to Paris from Armenia.

KESSAB Campaign (August)
For those going on the August Campaign to Kessab, the flight details have not yet been finalized. Please keep in mind that it will be your own responsibility to obtain a visa to Syria. Your Campaign Coordinators will advise you about the details if you are interested.

Converging in Paris
Upon arrival at Charles DeGaulle Airport, you will be greeted by our LCO European counterparts (Organization Terre et Culture) at a designated day and time at the specified departure terminal. Once the entire group has congregated and is ready to check in, your Armenia tickets will be distributed to you. (We advise that the group check their luggage as early as possible. The flight is scheduled to leave Paris at TBA (please revisit our website or keep in touch with your campaign coordinator for exact terminal and departure time). The flight to Yerevan is approximately 4 ½ hours.

Important: The Paris airport does not have any lockers and hence there is no place for you to check your luggage as you roam around the airport. Do not, under any circumstances, leave you luggage unattended at the Paris airport– even for a few minutes. Your luggage will not only be confiscated, but the airport police may very well destroy it. (This is not a joke – in fact it happened to one of our LCO volunteers on his return leg from Armenia).

Double Campaign or extended stay in Armenia
Some volunteers simply can’t get enough of the homeland in one month's time. For those who choose to participate in July and August Campaigns in Armenia, Mountainous Karabagh or both, please be advised that during the last leg of the first session, you will return with volunteers to spend the final five days in Yerevan. Your hotel accommodations will remain in effect until the August group arrives, at which time you will pick up with your assignments and begin your August session with the new group. Those participating in Double Campaigns may be asked to help Group Leaders with the campaign and help to orient newcomers. Under no circumstances may volunteers participating in Double Campaigns remain at Campaign sites between the July and August sessions.
For those of you who are interested in extending your stay in Armenia beyond our program end date, we would also like to introduce you to a unique new opportunity through the Birthright Armenia add-on program. Birthright Armenia is a new, nonpartisan organization dedicated to building bridges between Armenians in the Diaspora and in Armenia by encouraging work or study programs which create opportunities for immersion into local life. If you meet their outlined criteria, you could qualify for this value added experience and receive a reimbursement for your air travel upon successful completion of all requirements! To learn more about the program, please visit the organization’s Web site at www.birthrightarmenia.org.

3 Week Campaign (What if I can’t go for a whole month?)
Taking four weeks off is becoming increasingly difficult for those who aren’t on university schedules. We realize how tough it can be to secure such leaves of absences. Although the official LCO Campaign in Armenia is a four week experience, and 99% of our volunteers take part in the Campaign together from beginning to end, we do allow those who cannot take four weeks to join us for only three weeks. All those who need to take part in this shortened Campaign are required to depart from Paris with the group in the beginning of July or August. From there, the LCO will make arrangements for your departure from Yerevan one week earlier. (Thus arrival date in Armenia remains the same and your departure date from Armenia is seven days earlier.) If you’re planning a three-week stay, contact the Campaign Coordinators for approval (spaces are limited), and don’t forget to print "three-week stay" on the front of your application form. Those who opt for three-week stays will unfortunately miss the 5 days of sightseeing in and around Yerevan at the end of the Campaign, and the cost of the three-week program is the same as the full program. We apologize for this, but sadly, the additional cost of processing separate itineraries and taking one person to the airport far outweighs savings in accommodations. Remember, very few volunteers opt to participate for only three weeks. Those of you who opt for three-week stays may travel alone on the return trip, and no arrangements are made for you upon return to Paris unless you specifically request it.
NOTE: 3-week option is not available to volunteers participating in a campaign in Karabagh.

Extended Stays In Paris
For those of you who want to spend time in Paris prior to the campaign or extend your stay in Paris upon return, you are of course free to do so. Our experience has been that volunteers returning from a Campaign forge bonds that inspire them to want to spend additional time with their newfound friends, and extend their stays after a Campaign. For inexpensive lodgings with good service, try a hostel called Hotel Fiap (30 rue Cabanis, Paris. Tel: 011-3-1-45-89-89-15), or Three Ducks hostel. For more comfortable, but more expensive lodgings, your campaign coordinator can recommend some hotels on the Left Bank that are reasonable.
Keep in mind that if you arrive in Paris a few days early or stay later, all transportation and lodging expenses are your responsibility. However, we would ask you to please inform us of your departure date and details of where you will be staying in Paris in advance so that we can reach you in case of an emergency. Your Campaign Coordinator will provide you with the name and telephone number of an LCO member living in Paris in case problems or questions arise once you get to France. (For your reference, the address of the LCO office is Paris is:

Organization Terre et Culture
16 rue Notre Dame de Lorette,
75009 Paris.
Tel: 011-3-1-43-68-53-38.

Veteran Discounts (How much do I pay if I’ve done this before?)
Whenever volunteers return to participate in our summer programs, it re-affirms that the LCO Campaign is a remarkable experience. The LCO is committed to offering new volunteers the opportunity to rub elbows with veterans who have valuable Campaign experience. These experienced individuals help assure that the Campaign at each location is orchestrated and managed effectively and efficiently. As a goodwill gesture to all LCO veterans (whether they’re students or not) the LCO offers a 20% discount on the cost of a Summer Campaign. As you will read in the Action Items section, the Campaign fee for a month-long and three-week stay is $1,400. The 20% discount can be taken directly off the $1,400 payment to the LCO. (This means you only need to send us $1,120.) If you are a veteran applicant, please note on your check the year that you participated in a prior LCO Campaign. All veterans who take advantage of the 20% discount must clearly understand that this subsidy is made available to them with the proviso that they will assume some leadership responsibilities during the Campaign, should the need arise.

Birthright Armenia (stay and extra week and get your airfare fully reimbursed)
The Birthright Armenia Organization offers an add-on community service program. This is one of the criteria for getting your flight cost completely reimbursed. For all those interested in this opportunity please visit.

Please remember to give your itinerary to your Campaign Coordinators once you have made your flight arrangements.


CAMPAIGN PROFILE

Arrival in Armenia
The LCO group will arrive in Armenia’s Zvartnots Airport very early in the morning (probably 5 a.m.). (There is an 9 hour time difference between New York City and Yerevan, and a 3 hour time difference between Paris and Yerevan. This means that Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh are 9 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time or 4 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. At the crack of dawn, you’ll go through airport Customs (be prepared for a long delay here). After you pass through Customs, LCO representatives will greet you and transport the group to a hotel in the center of the capital city. The travel time by bus from the airport into the center of Yerevan is about 30 minutes. If the skies are not too hazy, you should be able to see the gorgeous, universal symbol of Armenia -- Mount Ararat. Maybe being up at daybreak isn’t so bad after all!

Orientation
Upon arrival at your hotel, you will have some time to rest that first morning. After lunch (served at the hotel), you will be given a short tour of the city. This is an ideal time to call home and announce your safe arrival, should you wish to. See our listing under Telephone Calls for details. You will also be given the opportunity to shop for your personal hygiene products and such. You will then attend a brief welcoming program. Attendance is mandatory. You will most likely meet representatives of the LCO in Armenia, the Program Coordinator, and the Group Leader who will join you on your site. During this orientation, you will receive a complete orientation package which includes information about your campaign, itinerary, rules as well as important contacts. During this session, you’ll also be presented with an overview of the history of the LCO, its philosophy, and its past projects. A detailed description of each work site will be presented. (Remember, we do our best to comply with volunteer’s site requests, but sometimes overflow requires us to reassign volunteers to sites where they are needed.) During this orientation, volunteers assigned to the same site will have a chance to get acquainted with each other and their respective Group Leaders. Each Group Leader will speak to his/her group to get the karma. Then, LCO veterans, the Program coordinator and your Group Leaders will answer your questions. It is important that you learn as much as possible about our organization because once in Armenia, and also upon your return home, you will become a representative of the LCO, and spokesperson for the LCO experience.
Part of the orientation session will require a visit to a past LCO site such as Saghmosavank. The group will be bussed to these sites and briefed on the work done by previous volunteers. Then, an official welcoming dinner is planned for the group. After breakfast the next morning, you will break up into your groups. Along with your Group Leader, you will board your bus, and head off to your assigned Campaign site.

The Group Leaders
Each Campaign site has its own Group Leader who has been hand-picked by the LCO. Group Leaders are typically take-charge people who have been LCO volunteers in the past and keep coming back for more. They are most of the time from the Armenian Diaspora, and speak fluent Armenian and English, sometimes even French. They live and work alongside the group, and are part of the Campaign team. They meet with local chieftains, negotiate deals, and are generally responsible for you. We select Group Leaders who are quick on their feet, and know how to have a good time. They are also the types of people who have been entrusted to keep programs running on schedule. If you ever have any questions or concerns during the Campaign, please direct them to your Group Leader first. Should you need to contact our LCO office in Armenia in case of an emergency, the coordinates for the LCO office in Yerevan are:

LCO-Armenia/ Yergir Yev Mushagooyt office,
5 Vardanants Street, first basement,
Yerevan, 375010
ARMENIA Tel: +374-1-52-91-71.

We are in the process of selecting our Group Leaders for each site from a pool of experienced applicants. If you are a veteran LCO volunteer and are interested in becoming a Group Leader for a future Campaign, please contact us . We offer all-expense paid trips to qualified applicants.

Arriving at Your Campaign Site
Upon arriving at your site, expect a walking tour of the village and an on-site orientation session led by the Group Leader. You will see where you will live, eat, and bathe. You will also visit the worksite and be greeted by locals. This includes hired hands such as cooks, drivers, and draftsmen selected by the LCO to guide you in your daily Campaign activities.

Daily Routines
Our Campaign days usually begin early in the morning. Wake-up is at 7:30 a.m., breakfast is at 8 a.m. In many cases, volunteers walk through the villages or hike the countryside to arrive to their work-sites. For long or arduous journeys, transportation is provided. Work begins at 9 a.m. Here, volunteers take cues from specialists and the Group Leader, both regulate work-site activity. (What kinds of work might you be doing? You could be shoveling and mixing cement, clearing away shrubs to make way for irrigation, transporting tufa stone, or spackling walls. ) There will be a mid-day break for lunch, exploring, resting, and playing. Around 2 p.m., volunteers return to the sites and work until late afternoon. We work 5 ½ days per week. For Saturdays and Sundays, you will participate in organized excursions to historic sites. The sites you’ll be visiting are mentioned in your orientation package.
We do realize that our volunteers are lay people, not architects, scientists or agriculturists. You will be given instructions on how to perform your work activities in a given area. With this said, please let us know if you do have special areas of expertise that the villagers could benefit from in an informal environment during your free-time hours (instructors could teach English, practitioners could treat patients), and if you know how to obtain tax-deductible supplies as donations.

A typical day at the worksite
8:00 – breakfast (fresh apricots, homemade bread and cheese with tea)
8:45 – walk through the village to work site (pick fruit off the trees)
9:00 – work (clean, paint, chizzle, dig, cut...)
12:00 – walk back home for a typical home made lunch prepared with tasty ingredients.
1:00 – rest (listen to music, write your diary or take a nap)
2:00 – back to work (more painting, digging and carrying stuff...)
5:00 – return home for an even yummier dinner. Clean up and swim in the village river, sun dry yourself. Get invited to a villagers’ home for coffee, drinks, music...
6:30 – organize a soccer tournament with the village youth while others practice hobbies like painting or playing a musical instrument.
8:00 – meet the village mayor to discuss issues regarding the development of the village and the region.
9:00 - Get invited to a villagers’ home for coffee, drinks, music
9:30 – have a campfire near the center, in front of an old church. Locals gather and join you in singing and story telling.

Housing
Each site is unique not only in the experience gained, but also as to on-site amenities (or lack thereof). In the past 15 years, sites with basic conditions required that volunteers live in tents, and make use of the great outdoors. While all present sites provide roofed housing, be prepared for the lack of modern conveniences. There, volunteers walk to washstands and outhouses. In some cases, you live in facilities where there are no private bedrooms. These are simply communal quarters—some with mattressed bunks/cots, so please bring a sleeping bag and appropriate sleepwear. (See our What to Bring list.) All volunteers are responsible for the upkeep of their dwellings and take turns participating in daily chores, such as housecleaning, washing, and helping in the kitchen.

Dining
The LCO makes every effort to ensure that the food you are served is wholesome and palatable. With this in mind, please remember to take precautions of your own. As succulent and fresh as they are famous for being, raw fruits and vegetables in Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh may initially have an adverse effect on your system. Even as you become more accustomed to your surroundings, remember to wash and peel all fruits and vegetables. Remember, you are here for only four weeks, it would be a shame to stay behind because of some illness.
On site in Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh, the LCO hires a cook who prepares three meals a day for the volunteers. You can expect to eat traditional Armenian food, which ranges from omelets to lavash (Armenian flat bread) and tell banir (string cheese) roll-ups for breakfast, to stuffed grape leaves, and eggplant casseroles for dinner, and fruits for dessert. Every few days, volunteers take turns having the unique experience of grocery shopping at the indoor/outdoor markets, and will learn how to barter for purchases. Foods prepared on-site will depend on what is available at the local markets, seasonal costs, as well as storage methods at the Campaign site. While you will eat meat like lamb, beef, chicken, and pork, it will most likely not be every day, depending on availability. Please remember that this is a Campaign in a developing country.
As a rule, volunteers dine together, and clean up together. Mealtimes are when major announcements are made. In many cases, your Campaign will be in high altitudes, and you will be using up a lot of energy, so it is doubly important to be present at mealtime to keep up your strength. If you have dietary restrictions, please scroll to our What to Bring portion and check our suggestions under the Nutrition category
There will be times where groups celebrate special occasions and feast with locals. Armenian hospitality is a marvelous thing you will remember for years to come. Please keep in mind that your stomachs are not accustomed to foods that natives can consume with ease. While it’s great to have an open mind about eating dishes you’ve never tried before, don’t be bashful about declining offers of food. Natives may try to insist, but they will not be insulted. Please remember that local alcohol (such as mulberry, pomegranate and apricot brandies, or vodka) is far tastier (and stronger) than anything you have ever consumed at home. Please know your limit and exercise restraint.
While in Yerevan, the group will dine together at local restaurants, and even roadside kebab stands, depending on the itinerary for the day. Meals during these excursions are paid for by the LCO. If you choose to dine on your own, payment will be your own responsibility.

Water for Drinking and Washing
Regardless of your Campaign site, please take necessary precautions to adjust to local water conditions. Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh in particular are famous for their delicious mountain spring and mineral waters. However, when you first arrive in Armenia, Mountainous Karabagh, or Syria, as much as possible, drink bottled water until you adjust. In some cases, running water may not always be nearby, or plentiful. Please conserve. Keep canteens full and fill them when you see safe drinking water. Some of you may wish to bring water-purifying pills, but it is not required.
In Armenia and Mountainous Karabagh, bathing arrangements are made for the volunteers. In some cases, special facilities are built for volunteers. In others, a schedule is set with local families for volunteers to take turns accessing private wash rooms and bath houses. Please be prepared for occasions in which you may not have access to a shower or bath every day. Be primed to improvise with a sponge bath, garden hose, or dip in a river.

Power and Fuel
Armenia is still recovering from an economic blockade from neighboring Turkey and Azerbaijan, as well as the devastating earthquake that affected 1/3 of the country in 1988. Please operate under the assumption that even with proper converters, electricity may be sporadic or unavailable. (The electrical power supply in Armenia is AC 220 Volts, 50Hz via sockets for 2-pin plugs.) Keep this in mind if you intend on bringing a blow dryer or heat disinfecting unit for contact lenses. We strongly recommend that you towel dry your hair instead and invest in chemical disinfecting units. (For all locations, veterans recommend that contact lens wearers bring along a spare pair of eyeglasses since high winds and dustiness is common at work sites.) Flashlights will be useful after sunset. As for fuel, we use what our group needs, but are considerate about the use for cooking and traveling. Please remember to conserve.

Your Life in the Village
While your first priority must always be your work, there are ample opportunities to get into the swing of life in the village. During your free time, we encourage you to take part in the activities in your host village. The locals are just as curious about you as you are about them. On your off hours, feel free to accept invitations to watch your new neighbors participate in old-fashioned daily rituals such as bread-baking, farming, herding, and bee-keeping. Locals will love interaction with newcomers, and will invite you for coffee and festivities in their homes to get better acquainted. By all means go! But please keep your eye on the clock so that your leisure time does not conflict with your work commitments.
Just a few of the recreational activities LCO volunteers have enjoyed in past years include taking mountain hikes and spontaneous swims, learning about local history and folklore, and participating in local celebrations. The possibilities are really up to you. One year, a volunteer brought construction paper and a few quarts of glitter and taught children arts and crafts during her free-time periods. (They later taught her to make some traditional Armenian handicrafts.) Another couple went prepared to mingle with the locals, and with only ingenuity as their game-prop, kept 20 rambunctious children occupied for hours at a time. You may choose to bring a football or a baseball bat and a mitt to organize and teach the village kids a new game. What about bringing a Polaroid camera with film to take pictures of families and give it to them as a souvenir. These are some ideas. Please feel free to come up with your own. You may bounce some ideas off your Program Coordinator at any time.

Group Exchanges and Visitors Policy
Whenever possible, just before the Campaign is over, each group spends half a day at the other group’s work site to see where and how they live, and to exchange their experiences.
If you have relatives or friends in Armenia, not too far from the worksite, you may choose to spend your weekends with them, as long as they pick you up at the work site after work hours on Friday, and bring you back by 9 p.m. the following Sunday night. For reasons of security, no volunteer will be permitted to leave the site alone. Keep in mind that there will be more time at the end of the trip, in Yerevan, to spend time with friends and relatives. Please understand that our policy prohibits volunteers from leaving the group (day or evening) during the work week. Ultimately, we are responsible for your whereabouts.

Excursions
There is much to see and do in Armenia. Your Group Leaders and Program Coordinator will be planning activities that are both fun and interesting. LCO volunteers can expect to go on local excursions (hiking to a nearby cave dwelling, picnicking in the countryside and swimming in a local lake) on weekday evenings and longer ones (bussed to nearby ruins and historic sites) on Saturdays and Sundays. These itineraries will vary depending on the location to which you are assigned. If you know of a specific place you’d like to see, be sure to ask your LCO representatives about it. If it is do-able, we’ll try to make it happen. Remember, these activities take place during non-working hours. Again, if extensive tourism is your bag, you should consider participating in a different program.

Back in the City (activities and tours)
At the end of the month, the group will spend five days in Yerevan. This is the only time when you may sometimes depart from the Campaign schedule, if you wish to. Workshops and meetings are planned with artists, repatriates and government officials. All meals are available to you, but attendance is not mandatory to all of them. Tour buses are available to take you on trips to the most famous sites in Armenia. Normally, the groups visit the ancient temple of Garni, the monastery/caves of Geghard, Etchmiadzin—the Vatican City of Armenia, and Lake Sevan National Park. These trips are also voluntary. If you wish to explore the city on your own and not attend theses trips or activities, you must notify the Program Coordinator. Also, If you plan to stay some place other than the hotel specified by the LCO, please notify the Program Coordinator of your whereabouts, and provide them with contact information so that you can be reached in an emergency. On the very last night we ask everyone to join us for a farewell dinner. Here, final announcements will be made regarding the specific meeting time and place for airport departures. Attendance is mandatory.

Currency and Telephone Calls
The Dram is the local currency. At present the exchange rate is approximately 465 Dram/US$ and 615/Euro. These currencies can be exchanged almost anywhere within Armenia. Traveler checks and credit cards are not widely accepted. Banks and exchange bureaus in Yerevan exchange foreign currency, and we advise that you exchange about $50 before you leave for your work site to account for incidental expenses.
International calls can be made from Yerevan at any post office or in one of the many internet call providers. The cost per minute to call the North America is 100 Drams and Europe about 300 Drams. Please keep in mind that it’s not so easy (sometimes impossible) to make international calls from the Campaign sites.

Security
In general, Armenia is quite a safe place. However, just like any new place you visit, be mindful of your surroundings. There will not be much opportunity to dress up as you would at home, so leave your best duds and heirloom jewels at home. Don’t flaunt what you have, and don’t leave items unattended. As you gain familiarity with your new surroundings, remember your landmarks and travel in groups.

To have a better understanding of the LCO projects, please visit our Past Projects page on our website.

"LCO experience was a revelation for me. It gave me the opportunity to expand my horizons both personally and professionally. One of the most important experiences of my life and an important factor in determining my future goals."
Lara Aharonian, August 1999, August 2001, Montreal, Canada