Anahit Gasparyan

Children of Armenia Fund (COAF)

Children of Armenia Charitable Fund (COAF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that employs community-led approaches aimed at improving the quality of life in rural Armenia, with a particular focus on children and youth. COAF's target development areas are education, healthcare, social and economic development. COAF launched its programs in 2004, starting in one village and expanding to 64 villages in Armavir, Aragatsotn, Lori, Gegharkunik, Shirak, and Tavush regions. Since 2015 COAF has been implementing SMART Initiatives. SMART is designed to advance a generation across the rural world through education that will benefit individuals, societies and the environment. As an exemplary model, SMART will be replicated in other regions and communities throughout Armenia. COAF's ultimate mission is to provide resources to children and adults with SMART initiatives to advance rural communities through innovation. The first COAF SMART CENTER was opened on May 27, 2018, at the village of Debet, Lori region, with an outreach to over 150,000 people.