The Dilijan Boarding Center for Child Care and Protection, 100 km from Yerevan, houses 119 children from socially vulnerable families. About half of the children leave the center on weekends to stay with their families, who are happy that their children were being taken care of and fed four times a day. However, conditions in the facility were very poor, including the cafeteria, kitchen, bedrooms, toilets, and classrooms. These conditions become worrisome for IRD staff, who had been visiting the Center since 2005, providing medicines, orphanage kits, toys, clothing, hygienic and school kits, and dry milk. With funding from the U.S. State Department, IRD was able to improve this situation.

The cracks and holes in the ceiling and walls of three toilet rooms and three adjacent hand-washing stations were painted and covered by plastic panes. The floor was flattened and ceramic tiles added.  Parts of the walls that are exposed to water were tiled as well. New lavatory pans, standing pans for males, hand-washing basins with fittings, water pipes were installed. Electricity lines and new lighting were installed. Windows and doors were also replaced with funding from Latter Day Saints Charities, who also covered the cost of some of the tiles.

The renovations were completed while the children were on summer vacation. The director of the center, V. Hakhverdyan, said “New sanitary facilities are the guarantee of healthy life style. Thanks to the skilled workers, quality and flawless works were done.”

Yerevan Special Boarding School #8 for children with speech impediments was similarly helped by IRD, the U.S. State Department, and Latter Day Saints Charities.
The boarding school provides 11 years of education for 135 children ages 6 to 18. More than half of the children stay overnight five days a week. On weekends all the children, except for those from remote areas, leave the school to stay with their families or relatives.

In Special School #8, conditions in the cafeteria and kitchen were of great concern. IRD covered and painted cracks and holes in the ceiling and walls, and replaced old window and door frames, water pipes, and basins, and the water boiler. Electrical lines and connections were also replaced.

The principal of the school, V. Kheboyan, said “With great and humanistic support to our school you inspire our children to be more determined towards overcoming all hindrances and problems.”

Official opening ceremonies for both facilities were held on October 15, 2008, with representatives from the State Department, the US Embassy—including Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch—partner organizations, local government, and the media attending.