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Today the newly renovated Cultural Center was launched officially in Lusadzor community of Tavush region. The project was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia with financial support from the Government of Italy. The ce
02.12.2008
Today the newly renovated Cultural Center was launched officially in Lusadzor community of Tavush region. The project was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Armenia with financial support from the Government of Italy. The ceremony was attended by Consuelo Vidal, UN RC/UNDP RR, H.E. Massimo Lavezzo Cassinelli, Ambassador of Italy in Armenia, Armen Ghularyan, Governor of Tavush region, Dzyunik Aghadjanian, Director of International Organizations Department of RA Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ararat Khlghatyan, Deputy Director, Hayastan All-Armenian Fund.
In the scope of this project a decrepit building was reconstructed into a center with facilities for public and educational activities, such as studying computer literacy and using Internet in the computer room, reading in the new library, organizing community meetings, concerts and performances in the center’s hall, etc. Along with the Cultural Center the guests observed the fully reconstructed 2.5-kilometer internal irrigation network which was recently put into operation.
Since 2007, UNDP has been working in Lusadzor through participatory planning and implementation of development projects aimed to revitalize the community. Through community discussions, UNDP facilitated an open and transparent process of prioritization of development needs, which resulted in an integrated community development plan 2007-2008. Together with five neighboring villages, Lusadzor was included in the first rural development cluster addressed under the Rural Development Program of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. In line with the Program, the Government of Italy has provided a total of 500,000 EUR for the implementation of community development projects in Lusadzor.
End of 2007, a 4.8-kilometer intra-community gas network was constructed which made the natural gas accessible to all the community households. Currently, work on the 6-kilometer potable water network construction is underway in Lusadzor. By the end of this year the rural households will receive clean drinking water round the clock.
Along with recovering the infrastructure, UNDP has also implemented several income generation initiatives. This way, a total of 136 rural households were provided with 17 tons of high quality wheat seed, as well as diesel and fertilizer. As a result, 55 hectares of the community arable lands were returned into crop cultivation. In an effort to establish fruit-bearing orchards, around 11,000 persimmon seedlings were distributed to 146 households of Lusadzor in two cycles. Whereas the first harvest will be gathered in four years, the project already proved efficient with around 90% of the first-cycle seedlings having taken root.
To support around 120 households engaged in cattle breeding, UNDP has started a project on artificial insemination of the community livestock aimed at improving its genetic qualities and fertility. Next year, a new project will kick off in Lusadzor community aimed at the establishment of greenhouses for growing vegetables.
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