New Job Places in Berdashen: Near Border Small Village

• 11.09.2015, 16:33
•  Armenia,  No-politics

The American University of Armenia’s Turpanjian Rural Development Program (AUA-TRDP) encourages economic development in rural areas of the Republic of Armenia, the Nagorno Karabakh Republic and Javakhk, Georgia by providing entrepreneurs with education, access to funding, and support to start businesses, create jobs, and improve their communities. So far, 265 businesses have been established in the target regions of the program (Shirak, Tavush, Artsakh, and Javakhk) and 455 jobs created in the rural communities.

On November 2, one more AUA-TRDP beneficiary together with TRDP team hosted the grand opening of his newly established cheese production factory called "Arevashogh", meaning sunshine, with the red ribbon cutting ceremony in one of the remote villages of Armenia, Berdashen in Shirak region. Berdashen is a small village in Armenia’s North-West that borders both Turkey and Georgia. It is a small village with only 62 households.

Many guests from the community, TRDP chair Dr. Haroutune Armenian, TRDP staff as well as others participated in the opening ceremony. Mr. Chapanyan’s cheese factory brings a great added value to the village. The "Arevashogh is of strategic importance for the small and isolated village of Berdashen.  Mr. Chapanyan’s business created 5 new jobs, his factory will source raw milk directly from local villagers, thus making huge contribution to his community. Other residents of the village were highly motivated by Mr. Chapanyan’s endeavor and were thinking of applying to the program with their own ideas.

When Mr. Slavik Chapanyan learned about the opportunities TRDP offers, he decided to apply and  establish his own business in his community. Successfully completing the training course of the program, Mr. Chapanyan received the financial assistance and opened his cheese factory in Berdashen. The factory has all appropriate equipment and facilities for the production of various types (including roquefort) of high quality and tasty cheese in sanitary-hygienic conditions. Mr. Chapanyan also intends to export the production to the Russian Federation.

In his presentation, the entrepreneur Slavik Chapanyan expressed his gratitude to TRDP for all of their support. Mr. Chapanyan explained that without the assistance of TRDP, he could not have made the necessary renovations nor purchased the equipment to produce the safest highest-quality cheese meeting the highest standards.