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Home » Our work » Success Stories
 | Empowering Communities - Empowering Nation
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Heifer Armenia Program Annual Conference
Development work is about helping people help themselves. As simple as that, the whole mission of Heifer Project International, in general, and Armenia in particular revolves around that idea – better give a cow instead of a cup of milk, better give the skill and knowledge instead of money and temporary relief. Heifer Armenia’s work in the region is like giving people the opportunity to hand-craft their lives. A handmade item has always cost more because of its added value – the work, patience and heart the craftsman puts in the process of making it. Heifer Armenia offers its beneficiaries a “handmade” future. Heifer makes “craftsmen” out of its beneficiaries; it gives them the joy and satisfaction to craft their own destinies as dignified, strong and empowered citizens of their communities, country and the world.
Thus, on December 1-4 Heifer Armenia organized its Project Holders and Partners meeting. The conference, which has become a good tradition for us, we simply call HAPAC-Heifer Armenia Program Annual Conference. More than 45 participants-project holders, partners and mass media representatives gathered in Tsaghkadzor, Kotayk Region, to take part in HAPAC, the motto of which was “Empowering Communities, Empowering Nation”. The event included 2 full days of sessions, trainings, discussions and group works.
Heifer Armenia Country Director Anahit Ghazanchyan opened the conference, welcomed the participants and started the first session by presenting Heifer International Worldwide Development Model and Heifer Strategic Approaches toward Empowering Communities. After introducing some concepts, facts and figures, Dr. Ghazanchyan urged all the participants to be active, share their experience, knowledge and ideas, for Heifer Armenia to have clearer vision about its strategic priorities for the upcoming years. The project participants were actively involved in the discussions, they raised a lot of questions, mentioned not only the problems they had in their communities, but the successes as well. Special session was devoted to the report on Heifer Armenia Impact Evaluation where lessons learned were discussed and also recommendation on how to further advance our dignified work in Armenia. Among the successes that Impact Evaluation revealed were the following: the 100% of POG accomplishment; strategic partnerships; capacity building for partner organizations; rural youth development. The conference participants discussed how to further increase impact of Heifer work in their communities by enhancing involvement of villagers in diversification of agricultural production and mobilizing groups to form associations or unions to increase the efficiency of agricultural production per family and eventually achieving the sustainability at the community level.
Heifer Armenia’s efforts, as well as those of its partners should not be sole in the region. An important constituent of a development work pyramid are the concrete endeavors of the particular country to improve the lives of its citizens, and in case of Armenia, paying special attention to the cross-border and borderline villages.
The education, knowledge and experience of other countries are not less important for a tiny country like Armenia, thus Heifer Armenia expert, Dairy and Beef specialist of CARD Arman Ohanyan made a presentation on the topic: “Advanced Farm Management: Case studies in Israel and Armenia’’. The presentation was received with great attention by the audience and all the participants were eager to learn something new on animal husbandry.
The most important session of the whole event, perhaps, was the group work. The conference participants were divided into groups to discuss the following questions:
- What are most essential results you have in your community due to Heifer project? The participants had to name at least three.
- What challenges did you face in your community in relation to Heifer project implementation and what solutions do you propose? The participants had to name at least three.
- What general problems you have while developing agriculture in your village?
- How do you envision socio-economic future of your village? What type of projects/activities will contribute to strengthening your community both economically and socially?
- In your opinion, what needs to be done to empower Armenian Village? Please give your indicators to measure the community empowerment.
The conference participants were to prepare concerted response of the working groups and make presentations during the conference. The raised questions evoked active discussion, followed by offering of respective solutions to them. All the participants were very engaged. One thing was clear: despite the difficulties, the Armenian farmers have a great hope for themselves and their community’s future. They envision sustainable, self-reliant powerful communities with developed and diversified agriculture, with good marketing opportunities, functioning infrastructure, social-cultural institutions and equal opportunities for men and women, girls and boys. The participants confessed that in the process of turning the desired into reality Heifer’s help and assistance was indispensable.
During the conference, new films on Heifer Armenia 10th anniversary and Mass media visit to Nalbandyan community were shown. The audience watched with great excitement and was really thrilled to see project sites, events and many familiar faces.
Heifer Armenia management together with the participants facilitated a brainstorming session to define the tentative strategic priority areas for Heifer Armenia work for the upcoming 5 years. At the end Dr. Ghazanchyan thanked everybody for taking part in the Conference, presented them with certificates of participation, then everyone sang the Ode to Heifer and the Conference was announced closed.
We can surely say that this year's HAPAC was again a success. All the participants were very happy; they shared with us their impressions, and mentioned that the Conference was of a great help for them, they learnt a lot of new things, which they were going to implement in the future.
Not only the participants were pleased with the Conference; our HAPAC was highlighted in different mass media-newspapers and on radio. During the conference days there were 2 articles in press and more than 5 announcements over radio.
Our traditional HAPAC became one of signature events of Heifer Armenia, a setting where we gather our project partners, supporters and propagators – to reflect on Heifer work done in Armenia, as well as strategize further development for safe, prosperous and empowered Armenian village!
Everything that has a beginning has its logical end. In case of Heifer conferences and meetings, however, the end is the beginning. Every time when a conference ends we know that a new stage commences in the lives of our participants. Heifer beneficiaries always exit the conference halls with new knowledge and skills and as soon as they arrive in their communities they start the practical part – putting in use what they learnt. That we call “a post-conference life” of Heifer work. We part but not for good. We just say goodbye until next year when HAPAC will again gather project participants and partners and serve as “knowledge shelter” for hard working, kind and sincere people that grew to be friends and allies in the joint effort of crafting Armenia’s strong and healthy future.
Looking back…
As Heifer conference, this one was not an exception in terms of numerous opinions and comments shared by conference participants. Their views and observations have always been vital to us, as they help to shape our future work and map the right route for it.
Hmayak Nazaryan, Community Leader, Veterinarian, Kirants Community, Tavush region
“I have very good impressions from this Conference as I always do from any event held by Heifer Armenia. Any such meeting gives us new incentives and a fresh perspective for better work. We learnt new things related to strategy and tactics for implementation of successful projects, we worked on how to overcome difficulties, we collected new valuable ideas for our communities”.
Zemfira Harutyunyan, Arpi Community, Vayots Dzor region
“I think these kinds of meetings are absolutely necessary. During our discussions we understood clearly our mistakes and gaps, how to avoid those and find more optimal solutions, e.g. how to implement POGs more smoothly. Exchange of experience among the community leaders, sincere discussions, sharing of ideas as well as consultations with Heifer Armenia management gives its fruitful results…”
“I lived a definite pride when Anahit mentioned how well-perceived are our YES! Youth Clubs within Global Heifer family and that other countries, like Cameroon, are also interested in launching the youth development project learning from our model.”
“On this particular meeting I arrived at a conclusion that if community groups work as a united team we would always have successful and sustainable projects with valuable contributions to overall development of our communities. Having this in mind, I realized once more how important was Full Participation Cornerstone for us.”
“I am glad that Heifer Armenia is ready to enter the advocacy path. I wish Armenian Government members be present at our meeting, so that they can learn about difficulties and problems our rural people face and hear what our communities expect from them”.
Iskuhi Martirosyan, Arpi Community, Youth Club Leader
“The most striking thing that I see here is Heifer Armenia’s efforts to work transparently and its readiness to serve us as long as we need.”
Aharon Khachatryan, Areni Community, Vayots Dzor region, Community Leader, Veterinarian
“Working in small groups helped us to understand what we needed for advancement of Heifer projects and development of agriculture as a tool to achieve prosperity in our communities and in Armenia in general. As to me, to an animal husbandry specialist, presentation on Israeli dairy production by Arman Ohanyan was of great importance. I think this kind of advanced dairy management techniques and scientific approach to livestock production can certainly be applied in my region”.
“When I return to my community I will inform its members that Heifer will continue to hold its honorable stance, will implement new projects and assist our people even during the world economic recession”.
Albert Hovhannisyan, Chairman of Hovtahsat Farmers Association”, Project Holder
“Heifer provides our families not only with material, but also moral as well as psychological support and this is not a minor thing, believe me”.
“Few days ago one beneficiary said at PSRP that drying of his Heifer cow meant for him drying of his hearth … Fortunately this is for a short period until calving, but this period proved that my cow is a real pillar of my household. I can say this is true for all of our beneficiaries”.
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