As important as revitalizing Rural Armenia, this program will also provide specific opportunities to give towards very visible, defined needs. The entire process of giving and donating can be revived, infused with new legitimacy, and transformed into a channel to link Armenians to Armenia.
Participation can be at various levels:
Sponsors will be those who undertake the cost of rebuilding infrastructure in a village community which they select. An individual, a family, a group of friends, a church, a community - any or all of these can sponsor a village. This sponsorship will be over a period of five years and consist of a financial commitment that will vary depending on the donor and the village. The sponsor's donation will be coupled with the contributions made by international agencies and the Armenian government so that together, we will be able to achieve a basic level of dignity for the people living in each of these communities. In addition, part of the sponsor's contribution will be used to enable economic development in the community by identifying competitive areas, by inviting skills and technologies, by facilitating financing and support services.
Partners will be those individuals or organizations which are present in a village community with a specific program. Armenia-based or Diaspora-based businesses that want to contribute a service to each community, or an organization that is engaged in offering resources to each community would be partners. For example, a company that agrees to put in a television tower for each community, an NGO that is ready to provide local transportation among villages, a business that is prepared to open shop in a community, an organization that wants to engage in local training - each of these are valuable partners in this program.
Donors are those who make a specific donation towards a specific aspect of the community's needs. An individual, or a family, or a group of friends can get together to underwrite anything from a school, a classroom, or a desk in that school. Donations large or small will be applied directly to the purpose for which they are intended.
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