Fostering Young Leaders in Armenia

By Heifer International

October 3, 2019

Last Updated: September 13, 2011

Steve Denne, Heifer International Chief Operating Officer, and Pietro Turilli, Vice President of Central and Eastern European programs, recently completed a trip to Armenia where they visited Heifer projects and laid the groundwork for the expansion of our anti-hunger initiatives there. 


by Liana Hayrapetyan- Communication and Public Relations Officer

On September 7, during their field visit to the  Vayots Dzor region, Steve and Pietro, along with Heifer Armenia staff ,visited the youth club established by Heifer Armenia in the Areni community. The Areni Youth Club was founded in 2006. Children here get an extracurricular education. As in all the other youth clubs established by Heifer Armenia, the Areni club focuses on seven key areas: agriculture, ecology, civic education and rights, journalism, healthy lifestyles, logical thinking, and business.


Youth club members welcomed the guests with high inspiration, and some of the club's most active members made a presentation about the groups' activities. Nelli, a dark-haired girl from the journalism group told the visitors in English about the articles that she wrote using journalism skills she learned through the club. Mamikon, a blue-eyed, tall boy who took business classes was enthusiastically telling about lessons on SWOT analyses and other marketing principles his group had learned.


Other members told about their regular ecological activities such as garbage removal, tree planting and schoolyard cleaning. As proof of their activities, they showed us the decorative trees they grew from the seeds that Heifer gave them a few years ago.There were also apple and pear trees planted in the school yard in the framework of the Polish Aid project implemented by Heifer Armenia and its NGO partner, “Development Principles.” 


The club members love it when Heifer Armenia staff and visitors from Heifer International headquarters come to their club, get acquainted with their activities and appreciate their work and social activism. They also love their favorite club, which gives them so many skills and so much knowledge.