ANNUAL REPORT 2 0 1 6 Armenia BUILDING HOMES, COMMUNITIES AND A HOMELAND WELCOME! In 2016, 113 families assisted through decent housing in 47 communities, in all regions of Armenia. 565 families have been assisted since 2008. 3 I CONTENTS 1. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 4 2. OUR ORGANIZATION 6 3. HOUSING NEED IN ARMENIA 8 4. FIFTH YEAR OF PARTNERSHIP WITH VIVACELL-MTS 10 5. USAID-FUNDED ADVANCED RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (ARDI) PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENT IN 2016 12 6. PARTNERSHIP WITH INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS 16 7. BUILDING WITH ARMENIAN RELIEF AND DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (ARDA) AND VANADZOR MUNICIPALITY 18 8. MILLARD FULLER LEGACY BUILD. DECENT HOMES FOR 12 FAMILIES 20 9. U.S. EMBASSY HONORS THE U.S. NATIONAL DAY OF SERVICE AND REMEMBRANCE BY HELPING BUILD A HOUSE 22 10. A UNIQUE JOURNEY: GLOBAL BUILDER (GB) VOLUNTEERS IN ARMENIA 24 11. LIFE IN ACTION. LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL VOLUNTEERS 26 12. ADVISORY COMMITTEE 28 13. FCHA BOARD AND STAFF 29 14. FCHA FINANCIALS 30 15. OUR DONORS 36 I 4 DEAR FRIEND, There is no better way to evaluate the success of our program than to see the happiness of the families assisted and to know that their lives are changed. This year we hosted the world wide annual Millard Fuller Legacy Build in Armenia. More than 60 local and international volunteers joint to build homes for 12 families who had been living in metal containers (do- miks) for many years. It was a great week filled with hard work, joy and happiness. It is remarkable to report that only in 2016 we hosted 330 lo- cal and international volunteers. The year was successful with the continuing partnership with Viva- 2016 was a successful year for the Cell-MTS, the leading telecommuni- Fuller Center for Housing Armenia. cations operator in Armenia, with I am proud to report that we sur- the investment of around AMD105 passed our 2016 goal by assisting million (about $220,000) addressed 23 more families than originally to assisting 42 families in 10 regions planned. The work we have done of Armenia. As a result, a real dif- this year has brought happiness ference was made in the lives of and laughter to the homes of 113 119 people. Altogether, in 5 years, families from 47 communities in all 135 families were assisted through regions of Armenia. this partnership. 5 I Another remarkable success was of families in Armenia who are de- made possible through the continu- prived of basic housing conditions. ing partnership with International The temporary shelter, be it a met- Committee of the Red Cross with 23 al container, a basement of a half- families assisted in 2016. Altogeth- built house or a soil house, should er, in 7 years, 115 families assisted. be temporary and not for a whole life. Our success is impossible to imagine without our individual donors; out of Once again accept our deepest the total 2016 principal sources of gratitude for the successful year income, the 20,1% was made pos- and hope you will join us again in sible through generosity of our indi- 2017 to make decent housing possi- vidual donors. ble for more families. We are blessed to have wonderful partners, individual donors, volun- teers, friends who support our mis- sion. If not their support we could not assist those families living in sub- Ashot Yeghiazaryan standard housing. FCHA President Still, according to a recent report from World Bank (‘’Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia’’), 30% of families in Armenia live below the upper poverty line, and we would like to lend a helping hand to those families who are in urgent need of decent housing. There are thousands I 6 WHO WE ARE HOW IT WORKS WHAT WE DO The Fuller Center for The Fuller Center for The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is Housing Armenia pro- Housing Armenia im- a non-governmental vides long-term, in- plements the following charitable organiza- terest and inflation programs: tion that supports com- free housing loans to -Completion of half- munity development low-income families. built houses in the Republic of Ar- The monthly loan re- -Purchase of afford- menia by assisting in payments flow into a able apartments building and renovat- revolving fund, which is -Renovation which in- ing simple, decent, and used to help more fam- cludes but is not limited affordable homes as ilies rise out of poverty to roof reconstruction, well as advocating the housing. The revolving heating and sanitation right to a decent shel- fund allows us to cre- system installation, in- ter as a matter of con- ate a financial founda- terior renovation etc. science and action. tion for a sustainable community develop- ment plan. 7 I OUR ORGANIZATION The Fuller Center for Housing Armenia is a covenant partner of the Fuller Center for Housing, established in the spring of 2005. After 29 years of unwavering and tireless service to the poor with Habitat for Humanity, Millard Fuller, the founder and president of Habitat for Humanity, was motivated to expand his vision of eliminating sub- standard housing worldwide. To accomplish its mission, the Fuller Our challenge is to build a society Center for Housing Armenia gar- in which people feel truly valued ners volunteer and financial support and fulfilled throughout the course from individuals, organizations, cor- of their lives. But we do understand porate partners and churches. that building alone cannot provide shelter for all those families who Hundreds of international and lo- currently live in poverty housing. cal completely unskilled volunteers come together to work shoulder So we encourage all our supporters to shoulder with the families and to join us, come and build with and help them decrease the construction for a family in need, raise aware- costs. ness in their communities about pov- erty housing, help us raise more The homeowners themselves invest funds to help more families. hundreds of hours of their own la- bor into building their own house and the houses of others. I 8 Over 64,000 families in Armenia need improvement of housing conditions; 26,199 families are homeless. Most of them live in metal containers (domiks), basements, or other temporary, unsafe and unhealthy shelters. (Source: Report on Social Reforms in Armenia) 9 I HOUSING NEED IN ARMENIA 30% of families in Armenia live below the upper poverty line. (Source: World Bank “Social Snapshot and Poverty in Armenia”) I 10 FIFTH YEAR OF PARTNERSHIP WITH VIVACELL-MTS DIMINISHING POVERTY THROUGH HOUSING IN- ARMENIA “Everyone can be useful in something. The important things here are the accurate evaluation of one’s limits and the unity. The path we have passed and the results we have recorded together are the proof of it. This program has received both material support and physical aid from various families and volunteers from many organizations. Vi- vaCell-MTS and the Fuller Center for Housing could implement pro- grams separately, but unity is productive in terms of both successful cooperation and the number of people receiving support. This cooper- ation is worth it. And the greatest happiness is to see our compatriots solving their problems.” ~VivaCell-MTSSeries1 General Manager Ralph Yirikian 42 40 42 40 25 25 15 13 15 13 2007 2008 2014 2015 2016 1 2 3 4 5 11 I In 2016, VivaCell-MTS invested tion works, helping families to finish around AMD105 million for the im- the construction works and to move plementation of the housing project. into long cherished homes as soon as 42 families have been assisted. 21 possible. of them have renovated their houses and 21 others have completed the ‘’It has become a nice tradition to construction of the half-built houses. work with our major housing donor and the best partner. In 5 years, Vi- It is already the 5th year that Vi- vaCell-MTS has invested over AMD vaCell-MTS, the leading telecom- 333 million for the implementation munications operator in Armenia, of the housing project. As a result is joining Fuller Center for Housing 135 families benefited. Substand- Armenia in its mission of eliminating ard housing is one of the primary poverty through housing in Armenia. reasons that families move abroad, Altogether, in 5 years, 135 families so, we can proudly say that practi- from all 10 regions of Armenia were cally none of the families supported assisted through decent housing. A during these years has left Armenia total of 677 people enjoyed the and this is a proof that the partner- happiness of living in a decent home. ship has a positive influence on de- creasing emigration in Armenia,’’ During all these years VivaCell-MTS said Ashot Yeghiazaryan, the Presi- General Manager Ralph Yirikian as dent of Fuller Center for Housing Ar- well as the volunteer staff members menia. regularly participated in construc- I 12 13 I USAID-FUNDED ADVANCED RURAL DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (ARDI) PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2016 The ARDI program empowers 51 Breakfast owners also received cor- rural communities in Syunik, Vayots responding training and technical Dzor and Lori provinces of Arme- assistance. nia by giving them opportunities to generate more income. Implement- Yeghegnadzor, the administrative ed projects create more jobs and center of Vayots Dzor province, is prospects for Armenians to stay in located close to a number of touris- their homeland and participate in tic attractions and on the Armenia- its economic development. Iran interstate. In 2016, ARDI sup- ARDI supports activities in three ru- ported a camping site and a Wine ral economic sectors or value chains, Tasting Hall in the city area, which including dairy processing, fruit have already increased their in- processing and rural tourism.