Our new project: a kindergarten for Lanjik

There are probably hundreds of kindergartens in Armenia that all look much the same: cracked walls, draughty windows, leaking roofs, the most basic sanitary facilities. Sometimes the buildings are in such poor condition that the children have to stay at home in winter. In rural areas in particular, municipalities lack the money to renovate the buildings properly.

When we as a foundation help to renew kindergartens, the children gain a place where they are safe, where they get a warm meal and where they are looked after. But it is also a strong signal to the people in these remote communities: they have not been forgotten.

In October 2019 we completed our project in Maralik. Only about five kilometres south of Maralik lies the small municipality of Lanjik, where we will be working next. Its kindergarten still bears the marks of the 1988 earthquake on its walls. The building is damp, especially in winter, when the snow can lie metres deep. The electrical installations are largely unsecured.

We originally assumed that we would be able to renovate this building, and had set aside around CHF 70,000 for the work. However, a closer inspection showed that the renovation would not be worthwhile. We have therefore decided to build an entirely new kindergarten. This will of course cost more: we expect around CHF 170,000.

We expect to be able to hand over the new building in late summer 2021. Our main task now is to secure the funding. As always, we rely on generous donations. A reminder: at our foundation, every donation goes in full to the projects.

The pictures show the condition of the old kindergarten.

Update: the new kindergarten was inaugurated in December 2021 – read the report.