UNFPA Armenia Country Office in cooperation with the Guardian Development Foundation, a non-governmental, non-profit organization that supports development of Tavush region of Armenia, launched Ijevan Carpet Brand Restoration and Development Project for young women of Tavush, a province in the northeast of Armenia.

The Project is aimed at creating employment and income generation opportunities for young women through restoring the art of tapestry once flourishing in this northeastern region of Armenia, with population of around 129,000. Ijevan Carpet Brand Restoration and Development Project is a part of a broader partnership between the Government of Japan, the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church (AAC), UNFPA Armenia Country Office, and the Guardian Development Fund.

The Japanese Government agreed to provide a grant to support building of AAC Tavush Diocese educational and cultural center for children and youth. The Center would include “Arevik” social-educational center with more than one hundred beneficiaries and classes for painting, pottery, singing, spiritual upbringing and a number of other courses, including social and psychological services. It will serve as a host for the tapestry project.

On July 24, 2018, UNFPA Armenia participated in the official signing ceremony of the grant agreement between the Government of Japan and the Tavush Diocese, in Ijevan. Jun Yamada, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Republic of Armenia and Bishop Bagrat Galstanyan, Primate of the ACC Tavush Diocese, signed the agreement.

Apart from the signatories, Mr. Vahe Ghalumyan, Governor of Tavush, Ms. Tsovinar Harutyunyan, UNFPA Armenia Country Office OIC, and Ms. Inga Harutyunyan, Executive Director of the Guardian Development Foundation, spoke about the importance of the partnership program and reassured their commitment to help.

Many individual philanthropists and organizations, such as Family and Community NGO, WCC Armenia Round Table Foundation, Armenian School Foundation, Fund for Armenian Relief, World Vision Armenia Tavush Office, and others support this initiative.

The signing ceremony was also attended by Mr. Vardan Ghalumyan, Mayor of Ijevan, regional and municipal officials, NGO representatives, and local community members. The children's choir of the ACC Tavush Diocese Arevik Center had amazing performance at the Ceremony.