UNFPA Armenia, The Body Shop Armenia and WINNET Berd launched a new initiative which will bring the young girls of Tavush province one step closer to their dreams and will open doors to new opportunities.
The Body Shop Armenia decided to support women and girls in border communities by allocating 4% of its one-month profit and, as part of the memorandum of cooperation with the UNFPA Armenia CO, donated four notebooks to the WINNET Berd Center. Within the initiative, a two-month graphic design course was launched to empower young girls in Berd community.
Mari Hovsepyan, Brand Manager at The Body Shop Armenia, stated that the company is not only a brand of personal care products but also a pioneer in supporting women and girls.
“In partnership with UNFPA Armenia, we launched the #BeSeenBeHeard campaign in Armenia last year aimed at empowering young girls, and this initiative is a part of it. I believe that young people have the potential to make the world a better place, and The Body Shop Armenia will be by their side,” she said.
The young girls of Tavush expressed their interest in taking a graphic design course through polls, and five of them were selected to participate. They will have the opportunity to learn a new profession, develop new skills and apply their knowledge to earn money.
"Our agency has been implementing projects outside of Yerevan for years, trying to create opportunities in places where there is a great lack of them. UNFPA mandate covers the entire life cycle, supporting each individual's potential to be fulfilled. Of course, our success is based on such wonderful partners and bright, intelligent, enlightened women and girls," said Tsovinar Harutyunyan, UNFPA Armenia Head of Office.
Nelly Nersisyan, a 13-year-old girl from Berd, Tavush, is one of the five girls selected to participate in the graphic design course. Nelly has a wide range of interests and has already started developing new skills by taking online programming and graphic design classes.
"I learned about the opportunity for the graphic design course during the Girl Child Day event last year in October and immediately decided to participate. The more skills and knowledge I acquire, the better my future will be and the stronger and more accomplished I will be,” she said.
The young girl also wants to use her skills and knowledge to contribute to developing and recognising her hometown, Berd, and hopes many young people will share her dream.
Gayane Shahnazaryan, a 19-year-old volunteer from Artsvaberd in the House of Culture of Berd city, shares Nelly's dream. Gayane's profession is finance, but a year ago, she acquired a second profession by participating in a short-term computer operator course. By deciding to study graphic design, she wanted to have a new and a more creative job.
"I am one of those who always want to gain more knowledge and discover new opportunities. I have many hobbies, and computers and science are the most prominent. I also love painting and photography, and with graphic design, I can turn those hobbies into a source of income. This will allow me to live in my home city and earn money by working remotely," Gayane said.
The young girls participating in the project expressed their ambitious aspirations for the future. They are determined not to miss any chance to develop their skills and abilities to be successful for themselves and for their community.
Mari Mkhitaryan/UNFPA
Photos by the author
