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14 The Armenian Reporter | February 6, 2010ArmeniaABMDR tenth-anniversary celebrations kick offwith major event in Artsakh“Save a Life” concertand recruitmentdrive nets 160 newstem cell donorsStepanakert – On January 8the Armenian Bone Marrow DonorRegistry (ABMDR) held an extraordinaryconcert and donor recruitmentdrive in Artsakh. The muchanticipatedevent, titled “Save aLife,” marked the first of a seriesof functions that will take placethroughout this year in celebrationof the ABMDR’s tenth anniversary.“Save a Life,” which was held atthe Spayi Tun hall in Stepanakert,featured an extensive program ofmusical performances by prominentartists from Artsakh as wellas Armenia. The six-hour eventwas attended by hundreds of concertgoersand ABMDR supporters,including a roster of Artsakh dignitaries.“It was just a wonderfully festiveoccasion, and the outpouring ofgrassroots support made it all themore worthwhile,” said Dr. FriedaJordan, president of the ABMDRBoard of Directors. “Today, as wecelebrate the tenth anniversary ofthe ABMDR, we are as much proudof the registry’s achievements as weare enthusiastic about its ongoinggrowth and community outreach.”Dr. Sevak Avagyan, executivedirector of the ABMDR, added thatthere was symbolic significance inthe choice of the Artsakh concertrecruitmentdate, as January 8has been declared “Donor Day” bythe government of Armenia. “Wepicked January 8 to further emphasizethe critically importantrole that stem cell donors can havein helping save lives,” Dr. Avagyansaid.The “Save a Life” event was organizedjointly by the ABMDR, theArtsakh Ministry of Health, andthe republic’s Ministry of Youthand Cultural Affairs. Prior to theconcert, on January 8, ABMDR staffmembers and several supporters,among them Artsakh governmentofficials, visited the War Victims’Memorial, also in Stepanakert,where they laid a wreath.Archbishop Martirosyan volunteering to become bone marrow donor.Artsakh soldiers volunteering to become bone marrow donors.As with recruitment drives heldacross Armenia, the United States,and elsewhere, the ABMDR’s Artsakhconcert gave dozens of volunteersthe opportunity to educateattendees about the life-savingwork of the registry as well as recruitpotential bone marrow stemcell donors. The effort resulted in160 new recruits, including ArtsakhNational Assembly member AshotGhulyan, Health Minister ArmenKhachatryan, Youth and CulturalAffairs Minister Narine Aghabalyan,and Archbishop Pargev Martirosyan,Prelate of the Artsakh Dioceseof the Armenian Apostolic Church.Dr. Jordan said that Artsakh’speople and government alike continueto be extremely supportiveof the ABMDR’s work. Yet anotherindication of their solidarity camein the form of a Certificate of Recognition,which the government ofArtsakh bestowed on the ABMDRduring the January 8 concert.Previously the registry has heldtwo recruitment drives in Artsakh,in 2002 and 2004, led by ABMDRHonorary President and formerFirst Lady of Armenia Bella Kocharyan.The two campaigns resultedin the recruitment of a total of805 stem cell donors.Last year the ABMDR reached akey milestone when it opened aStem Cell Harvesting Center in Yerevan.The only one of its kind inthe Caucasus region, the center canstore and harvest stem cells providedby healthy bone marrow donors.The stem cells subsequentlyABMDR Board of Directors President Dr. Frieda Jordan accepting Certificate ofRecognition bestowed on the registry by the government of Artsakh. Photos:Armenian Bone Marrow Donor Registry.can be utilized in transplants forpatients suffering from life-threateningblood-related diseases suchas leukemia and other cancers.In 2010 the ABMDR’s tenth-anniversaryevents - including recruitmentdrives, concerts, and presentations- will seek to both recruitbone marrow donors and garnersupport for the registry’s nextmajor goal, the establishment of adedicated stem cell transplantationcenter in Armenia. “This will be thenext logical step in the evolution ofthe ABMDR,” Dr. Jordan explained.“A full-fledged transplantation centerwill give thousands of Armenianpatients access to affordable,life-saving stem cell transplants.”About the Armenian Bone MarrowDonor Registry: Establishedin 1999, the ABMDR, a nonprofitorganization, helps Armeniansworldwide survive life-threateningblood-related illnesses byrecruiting and matching donorsto those requiring bone marrowstem cell transplants. To date, theregistry has recruited over 15,000donors across three continents,identified 1,305 patients, found1,033 potential matches, and facilitatednine bone marrow transplants.fFor information contact Dr. FriedaJordan at abmdrla@abmdr.am (323)663-3609COAF retrains the next generation of school psychologists in ArmeniaGroup focuses onchild and familysupport services inArmavir districtArmavir – The Children of ArmeniaFund (COAF) announced todaythe completion of the most recentaddition to its program in Childand Family Support Services-a pilotproject designed to train futureschool psychologists in the villagesconstituting COAF’s Model Cluster.The eight participants from thevillage communities of Baghramian,Dalarik, Karakert, Lernagog andMiasnikian received six months ofintensive training at COAF’s Childand Family Support Center in thevillage community of Dalarik. Beyondthe introductory lectures onthe principles and ethical foundationsof school psychology, classeswere primarily conducted throughinteractive methods of learningand case studies.As Mr. Koryun Makaryan, LernagogSchool Principal observed, “Iattach great importance to psychologicalservices and look forward tothe trained psychologist’s work inour school, and to the early detectionand prevention of problems.”A major component of the trainingprogram centered on the theoriesand research conducted in thearea of Developmental Psychology.Various approaches and the uniqueaspects of the psychologist’s workin primary, middle and high schoolswere introduced, accompanied byeducational videos and documentaries.Working with various communitygroups-teachers, parents,community youth and volunteersineducation, health care andChild and Family Support Serviceshas always been a priorityfor COAF. Accordingly, the finalpart of the course highlighted theimportance of communication inthe teacher-student relationshipand related issues: stress managementin children, foundations ofgood parenting and family counseling.Susanna Asatryan, a traineerepresenting the village communityof Lernagog, was excited aboutbeing trained by one of the mostskillful experts in psychology inthe country: “We knew so littlewhen we came here, but it’s differentnow. Thanks to COAF, we feelconfident and strong. A new worldhas opened up for us. We now havemany opportunities to be useful toour schoolchildren and our villagepopulation.Certificates of course completionwere awarded by Dr. Naira Gharakhanyan,COAF Health and SocialPrograms Manager and Ms. TamaraHarutyunyan, Expert Psychologistand COAF Trainer. When addressingthe trainees, Dr. Gharakhanyannoted that “COAF is always readyto initiate and support any innovativeidea that may be useful in ruralcommunities. We are just at the beginningof a new direction and thisis a good start.” Ms. Harutyunyan,in turn, thanked the trainees forparticipating in the course and forshowing such interest and commitmentfor the project.On receiving her certificate,Hripsime Karapetyan, a local psychologistfrom the village communityof Karakert who has been operatingin the villages since 2007,added: “Certificates are important.But after all, they’re just pieces ofpaper. The knowledge I acquiredhere is the most precious thing Iwill take with me, and it will bewith me forever. I would like touse this opportunity to express mydeep gratitude to COAF for playinga significant role in shaping mypersonality, both as an individualand as a professional who plans towork with children.”The Children of Armenia Fund(COAF) is a non-profit organization,founded in 2003, that aimsto reduce poverty through therevitalization of rural Armeniaand the realization of projectsthat are instrumental for the developmentof rural children andyouth. With the introduction ofits novel approach to clusteringin February 2006, COAF is currentlyimplementing the “ModelCluster” Comprehensive RuralDevelopment Program working insix villages in Baghramian Regionof Armavir District. The key componentsof COAF’s Model Clustercomprise community developmentincluding Health, Social andEducation Programs, as well asInfrastructure Rehabilitation andEconomic Development. ‘For the past six years, about22,000 rural residents and over4,600 children from Argina, Dalarik,Lernagog, Karakert, Miasnikianand Shenik have benefited fromCOAF’s continuous developmentefforts and improved schools, kindergartens,health clinics, sportcomplexes, community and psychosocialcenters, capacity buildingtrainings and workshops and multifacetedbusiness development opportunities.fFor information contact Inessa Grigoryanat igrigoryan@coafkids.org