Ruben Vardanyan’s project “We are Our Mountains” celebrates first anniversary

Exactly one year ago, philanthropist and public figure Ruben Vardanyan founded the territorial development agency “We are Our Mountains” in Artsakh. The agency engages in social and cultural projects and provides real assistance to Artsakh residents.

The agency’s programs are aimed at protecting people who suffer from military conflicts and the blockade of Artsakh. “We are Our Mountains” project created by Ruben Vardanyan immediately focused on specific tasks: humanitarian aid to the local population, provision of food and medicine, as well as daily essentials and services.

What results did the agency achieve by its first anniversary? The humanitarian organization purchased and handed over to the residents of Artsakh almost 190 tons of food products worth $450 thousand. The agency’s partners gave about 96 tons of food directly to the region’s government.

The agency also helps Artsakh to solve energy problems. Emergency power generators were deployed in Stepanakert and Martuni — on key Artsakh water supply lines. In addition, wood-burning stoves were purchased for hundreds of families. “We are Our Mountains” helped to restore residential buildings damaged during the 2020 hostilities.

It is important to note other projects of the agency. For instance, the Educational Kaleidoscope festival helped Artsakh residents of all ages to acquire skills needed and fill in the gaps associated with the blockade and the overall geopolitical situation in the region

With the agency’s participation, the Our Mountains community center was opened in Stepanakert to become a platform for many cultural and educational initiatives in the region. In addition, the agency has launched a call center to help the residents.

The blockade of Artsakh has significantly affected the work of the agency. Since its first days, “We are Our Mountains” has reformatted its activities to provide emergency assistance. They managed to source almost $280 thousand for this. The money was spent on establishing and running canteens for those Armenians of Artsakh in need, special food packages for pregnant women were provided, shelters created, and many other things.

The residents of Artsakh continue to receive aid even now, while the “We are Our Mountains” founder, Ruben Vardanyan, is being held prisoner in Azerbaijan.