The Orange Foundation in Armenia completes one year of activities

Yerevan/Mediamax/.One year ago Orange officialy announced the launch of the Orange Foundation in Armenia.  Since its establishment in 1987, the Orange Foundation has been the main coordinator of the Orange Group’s philanthropic and charity projects.  Considering communication to be one of the main facilitators of development, the Orange Foundation supports projects which make communication more accessible to everyone.

With the launch of the Orange Armenia Foundation, the investments by Orange Armenia into projects with philanthropic and social aims became more coordinated and grew in volume.  The Foundation mainly directs its resources to the development of rural communities, children, students as well as health issues, specifically the projects dealing with the issues of the disabled.

\"I am proud that Orange has also brought a new approach to the field of corporate philanthropy - the culture of creating corporate foundations by large businesses and this will allow this sphere to also be well coordinated, transparent and responsive to the needs of society.  The first anniversary of the Foundation is an occasion to once again confirm our desire and readiness to make investments towards social projects and to look beyond just the business, \" said Orange Armenia CEO Bruno Duthoit.

\"The main mission of the Orange Foundation is to help people to communicate more easily, especially those who are isolated from their surroundings due to disability, poor education or a lack of access to culture.  I am happy to say that during this one year the Foundation has been able to show this support to the country to its large and small projects – especially to distant and vulnerable villages, to people with communication disorders, to students, \" said the FT Group-Orange Executive Vice President for Communication and Philanthropy Christine Albanel.

The Orange Foundation’s principles of work are to rely on long-term partnerships as well as to always listen to the needs of society.  The Foundation has its strategic partners in each sphere and has supported thousands of people in Yerevan and the regions through them.

In 2011, through the Armenia Eye Care Project the Orange Foundation has supported screening for 9056 people, free surgeries and laser procedures for 640 peopple and distributed eyeglasses to 3524 people in the Shirak and Aragatsotn marzes.  In 2012, the project will continue in the Ararat, Vayots Dzor, Syunik and Armavir marzes.  In 2011, the Orange Foundation also supported public education sessions for 893 children in schools of the Shirak and Aragatsotn marzes.

With the Shen charitable NGO, the Orange Foundation supports the furnishing of kindergartens, gymnasiums and community centers in rural communities.  To this day, 13 villages have benefited from this philanthropic project.

In 2011, the Orange Foundation provided scholarships to 67 students based on two main criteria - the socio-economic situation of the family and the academic progress of the students.  The project involved 5 universities in the regions and 1 in Yerevan.

The Orange Foundation supports the activities of the Arabkir United Children’s Foundation, which aims to help children with autism and their parents.