Tekeyan Armenia Sponsors Program for Children

June 23, 2011

by

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

19

YEREVAN — Tekeyan Armenia focused its attention on the students in Gumri and Stepanavan. Recently, the Tekeyan Centre held a program taking children to museums and various other cultural sights. The point of the program is to familiarize the children with the important historical sites and allow them to make new friends at the same time.

The first visit was to Hovhaness Toumanian House Museum in Yerevan. They saw documents he had written by hand and some of the translations of his stories.

The students also visited the Armenian National Gallery, where they viewed the collections of Armenian, Russian and foreign works of art including paintings, sculptures, etc.

From Yerevan, the Tekeyan students went to the seat of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Echmiadzin. Here is one of the great masterpieces of Armenian architecture, Sourp Hripsime Church, said to be built in 618, at the site where the saint was tortured.

Then the children visited the Mother See, built in 303, by King Trdat.

The children next visited the ruins of Zvartnots church, built in the seventh century.

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Vartan Ouzounian Visits

Vartan Ouzounian, the chair of the Tekeyan Centre Fund, was in Yerevan on a brief working visit. His visit aimed at expanding the activity of the Fund by launching new projects. In connection with it, the chair and the director had a number of important meetings both with authorities and individuals.

First of all, Ouzounian visited the fund’s beneficiaries, the Tekeyan Schools in Gumri and Stepanavan.

Both schools welcomed the Tekeyan representatives. During the meetings with the school principals the parties discussed the upcoming projects of the Fund — the project Free Textbooks for Tekeyan Students in particular, the realization of which can be possible thanks to many benefactors from the diaspora. The parties also discussed the problems the schools face, such as the lack of school buses in Stepanavan, classrooms which need supplies, the problem of the inadequate gym hall in Gumri and many other issues. Tekeyan Center will try to support the schools in solving the problems as far as possible.

Ouzounian had a further meeting with fund’s trustee Nar Khatchadourian, who had arrived in Armenia from Lebanon with his family members on the occasion of the open performance at Opera square of Kohar choir, and other musical groups and pop stars. Ouzounian congratulated the Khatchadourians, the founders and benefactors of Kohar, on the successful event.

During the meeting Tekeyan members discussed various issues and problems concerning the fund’s activity. The trustees also touched upon some resolutions adopted at March AGM in London and inquired about their progress. Khatchadourian on the occasion of his visit to Armenia donated $1,000 to one of the most important programs of the fund, which is the project of textbooks. Later on Ouzounian had a meeting with Ara Aharonian, the husband of TC Fund Trustee Sylva Krikorian. As the chair of several Catholic charity groups operating in Armenia, Aharonian praised Tekeyan Centre Fund’s initiative to support Tekeyan educational establishments. Aharonian said he hoped that the Fund would extend its geography and would involve school children from the diaspora in its projects as well, since it would secure stronger relations between Armenia and the diaspora. He donated $1,000 for the implementation of the fund’s next projects.

The Armenian Mirror-Spectator

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Tekeyan Centre hosted Jirair Tanielian of Lebanon, an editor, linguist and educator on the occasion of his 70th anniversary. For his great contribution to the Armenian language, history and education, Tanielian received the Brilliant Ararat, the highest award of the Tekeyan Cultural Association.

After the event Tanielian met with his old friend Vartan Ouzounian. Ouzounian and Tanielian were, for many years, classmates in AGBU’s secondary school in Beirut, Hovagimian-Manougian, and worked together during their school years in organizing functions and various student activities.

Kamo Areyan, deputy mayor of Yerevan, received the chair and the director of Tekeyan Centre Fund to discuss some important issues concerning Yerevan city. The Tekeyan representatives offered the authorities to undertake the arrangement of green spaces, as well as the illumination matters in the neighborhood of Tekeyan Centre and to prevent these areas from being abandoned or turning into cafes. They also reminded the Deputy about the Yerevan Municipality decision of 1997 to name the neighborhood of Tekeyan Centre after Vahan Tekeyan. As per Ouzounian’s request, the fund is ready to support Yerevan Municipality in erecting a monument to the great Armenian poet.

Tekeyan Centre Fund is also willing to make its contribution to the reconstruction of botanical gardens in Yerevan, which are in critical condition. Thus, at the meeting the parties came to an agreement to cooperate for the benefits of Yerevan city.

Ouzounian completed his business trip to Yerevan with a meeting with the UK ambassador in Armenia, Charles Lonsdale, and the ABBC director, Armine Israyelyan.

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