In 2007 the Armenian government allocated some 9.8 million drams from the state reserves designed to tackle the primary issues confronting rural and urban communties in the Marzes (Regions). Prime Minister Serzh Sargsyan signed this decree in September after which the funds were transfereed to the various Marzes. 

The Ararat Marz was granted 1.1 million drams. Deputy Regional Governor S. Miniasyan stated that about 75% of the amount would be essentially spent on the repair of kindergartens and cultural houses in 56 rural and urban communities.

While work officially was completed in the winter of last year none of the five repaired kindergartens in the Marz we visited were still not up and operating. The cultural houses we saw were either in ruins or with their doors closed.

The kindergarten in the village of Getazat in the Ararat Marz hasn’t been repaired since it opened its doors. In any event, the Principal of the kindergarten and the Village Mayor couldn’t recollect a similar such occurrence.

15 million drams was spent to overhaul the kindergarten. This however didn’t resolve the matter. Even though the doors were changed, they still remained locked up.

Not one child has still been able to enter the kindergarten even though there is not another one to be found in the neighboring three villages and, according to kindergarten Principal Susanna Vardanyan, the parents request that their kids are taken to the school.

Construction workers repaired the kindergarten’s roof, walls, and floor and changed the windows and doors. They left the kitchen and storage room in ruins and merely dug a hole for the bathroom in the yard.

The Principal, while standing in the midst of construction debris left in the playground, asked out loud what he could say to the parents if the school opened its doors.

Boxes full of tiles were found in one of the rooms, probably intended to be used for the kitchen and bathroom. They remain unused, nicely packaged up.

Even if the kindergarten’s walls and floor have been drastically repaired, they are once again in need of repair. After the winter the paint on the walls started to run and the wooden floors has started to buckle from the dampness. The “builders” have promised to return and repair the water faucet in the yard.

Kindergarten Principal Susanna Vardanyan states, “I have talked to some charitable organizations. If the school opens its doors they are ready to help out with new furniture and one promised to supply us with food items. However, till now the kindergarten hasn’t been completely refurbished and it’s not possible to work here.”

Jarpik Vardanyan, the Village Mayor of Getazat, is quite satisfied with the work done. When we asked to see the completed work notice after the construction was finished, in order to see just how much of the project they actually accomplished, the Mayor said that the builders took the work order with them.

The Village Mayor, by signing the work order, agreed that the quality of the work was satisfactory. The 15 million drams allocated by the government was envisaged for the total overhaul of the kindergarten. It can thus be assumed that there will be no further need for repair work, at least in the near future.

The Euro-doors of the cultural house in the village of Mrganoush were also closed. Village Mayor Manvel Sargsyan stated that a chess club would be using the facility as of September. Of course, this will only be possible when there are either chairs or benches in the renovated auditorium.

The roof of the cultural house was repaired two years ago with community funds. With the 10 million drams allocated by the government in 2007 the auditorium was renovated and the doors and windows were changed.

The Village Mayor says that, “We will be purchasing furniture with community funds. Till now we haven’t found anything moderately priced. The only musical instrument we possess is a piano that has been refurbished several times already.”

The repair of the cultural; house’s auditorium was completed last October. The walls of the auditorium, which never has been used, have already been damaged by the dampness. Additional repairs wouldn’t hurt.

The old and weakened walls of the cultural house in the village of Nerkin Dvin are just about holding up the new roof. With the 10 million drams granted by the government the roof was changed, while the rest was left in ruins. If visitors come to the village, children bring chairs from the Mayor’s Office and line them up in the corridor. The visitors sit down and the owners stand. During the warm summer months all events and activities are hold outside in the cultural house yard.

Artur Zakaryan, the Director of the Cultural House, can hardly open the doors by himself since they are old and in pieces. He says that having a roof isn’t enough and that they need an auditorium in which to work. “If we had an auditorium we could organize literary evenings and invite singers and poets. We have to trudge to Artashat to go to the theater or a concert. If we had a suitable auditorium here the villagers, although weary from work, would make it a point to come and participate.”

Twice a week modern and folk dance lessons take place in the hallway of the Cultural House. Both youngsters and older folk participate. The troupe will soon go on a tour of different villages in the Marz.

There is also a library. However Director Zakaryan confesses, “The last time we received a book for the library was back in 1993.”

Village Mayor Artzrun Abrahamyan finds that the work of the builders was less than satisfactory. Due to the fall and winter rains and water from the snow melt, the new ceiling, which cost 10 million drams, doesn’t look new at all.

The last village that we visited was Vardashen. With the 5 million drams allocated by the state the village Cultural House was repaired for the first time ever. The same holds true for the communal roof over the Mayor’s Office and the Post Office.

The Cultural House and the Post are located on the first floor and the Mayor’s Office on the second. Thus, chances are that the Mayor’s roofing will be repaired first since the Cultural House has remained in its previous dilapidated state.

The windows and doors are broken and branches from outside trees have made their way in. The floor is made from dirt and in the corners you’ll see the broken remains of some chairs. Even during our second visit to the village we weren’t able to speak with the Mayor who was out of town.

One of the two staffers we found in the Mayor’s Office, upon being informing as the aim of our visit, sincerely took an interest and exclaimed, “I am surprised, why are you making such a fuss?” Of course what she meant was - why are you so interested in these matters.

A bit later, this same young woman told us she had two young children and that there was no kindergarten or other facility nearby to send them to.