VivaCell-MTS General Manager supports renovation of school hall in Pambak-Daranak

Today the community development program initiated by the student NGO of Pampak-Daranak secondary school was launched.

The student NGO was founded in the frames of the “Entrepreneurial and Civic Activism” program and chose the renovation of the school’s assembly hall as a program of utmost importance. In March the “Junior Achievement of Armenia” allocated AMD 150 000 to the student NGO for the realization of the program. The sum of the grant received from VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian during the ceremony was used for implementing the renovation works: painting the walls, buying curtains and renovating the floor.

On March 15, during the ceremony of providing grants from the Junior Achievements of Armenia to 12 student NGO’s included in the program, VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian who was invited by the organizers to participate in the ceremony, announced that for the implementation of the program each of the 12 student NGOs will be donated 100 thousand drams each, on behalf of the Yirikian family.

VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian attended the opening ceremony. “Entrepreneurship requires knowledge and experience which can be acquired due to hard work and constant efforts. Taking the first steps in entrepreneurship at an early age, even if with a small budget, lays the foundation for future serious endeavors. All the more valuable is the fact that these children have used their grant for a good cause renovating the assembly hall of their school. As an entrepreneur, I appreciate that the students have made a business plan with team efforts receiving valuable experience that will be quite useful in the future taking into account the characteristic features of the Armenian business environment,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

In the first part of the “Entrepreneurial and Civic Activism” program the students had the opportunity to get acquainted with the basics of entrepreneurship, to found a commercial organization and to put the theoretical knowledge to practice. They carried out market research and, based on the customer demand, decided to start a production of “Gavari Pakhlava” sweets. The students used free recipes of the delicacy as a marketing tool to attract customers. Moreover, along with the sweets, they offered kitchen towels and aprons that housewives may need in the pakhlava making process. 

Along with receiving literacy in the spheres of entrepreneurship and finance, the students got acquainted with the principles of Corporate Social Responsibility and elaborated a strategy for their organization. As an expression of corporate responsibility, the young entrepreneurs allocated AMD 10 000 from their profit to the assembly hall renovation program.

In the second part of the “Entrepreneurial and Civic Activism” program, the students restructured their organization from profit to nonprofit and started the realization of the community development project. The president of the student NGO Armine Dashyan explained why the students chose particularly this issue for their program, “The assembly hall was in such a poor condition that it was impossible to organize events there, and or a long time the assembly hall was idle. Now that cosmetic repair works have been implemented, the children are looking forward to organizing events in the renovated hall.”

The “Entrepreneurial and Civic Activism” program organized by the “Junior Achievement of Armenia” in over 150 schools of the country is aimed at instilling among the youth of vulnerable communities the belief in their own capabilities and in a bright future.

Back in March 15, during the ceremony of providing grants from the Junior Achievements of Armenia to 12 student NGO’s included in the program, VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian who was invited by the organizers to participate in the ceremony, announced that for the implementation of the program each of the 12 student NGOs will be donated 100 thousand drams each, on behalf of the Yirikian family.

The “Entrepreneurial and Civic Activism” program is directed at ensuring economic literacy among the youth of vulnerable communities, at teaching the principles of market economy, and at providing entrepreneurial and financial skills. The program also focuses on fostering the innovative and creative skills of the participants as well as teaching the basics of corporate social responsibility. At the end of the program, the participants will have a good understanding of the principles of civic activism and civic society. Learning about the functions and structure of NGOs, the program participants will be encouraged to have a personal investment in the solution of school and community problems, that will benefit to forming among the youth a positive attitude towards volunteering initiatives.