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Artsakh Village Gets Safe, Clean Drinking Water,
Thanks to Yeghiayan Family
PRESS RELEASE
June 11, 2003
Washington, DC - The Office of the Nagorno
Karabakh Republic (NKR) in the United States announced this week the
completion of the Drinking Water Project in Artsakh's Mehmana village.
The project, made possible by the Yeghiayan family of New Hampshire,
benefits some 50 people. Unique in its simplicity, reliability and efficiency,
the system is gravity-fed and consists of a potable water tank, underground
piping and valves to control the flow of water to houses, livestock
and garden areas. Easy maintenance and low cost of the project - only
$5,000 - are among its benefits.
"We thank the Yeghiayan family for their initiative,
patriotic commitment and generous financial support of this project.
Now the villagers of Mehmana can count on a reliable source of pure
and safe water for all their needs," said NKR Representative Vardan
Barseghian.
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| This is the tank which collects water that
runs continuously from springs uphill from the village. From this
tank, pipes run to the homes, schoolhouse, and common areas. |
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| Yeranouhy and Arra Yeghiayan |
A trained engineer, Arra Yeghiayan designed the project
after visiting the village in 2000. "When I visited Mehmana, I
was touched by the kindness and hospitality of the people who live in
this remote and beautiful place," Yeghiayan said. "Their water
system was simply an open trench that carried water from an uphill spring
to a hollowed-out log in the village center. Algae grew in the log,
and from it the women carried water in buckets to their homes. In the
winter, they had to break the ice from the surface. I thought it a basic
necessity to have clean water available to each home year-round, and
resolved to do something about it."
On his return to the United States, Arra designed a simple, gravitation-fed
water supply system and proposed it to the Mehmana villagers, offering
to support the project financially. Arra also contacted the NKR Office
to seek advice.
"The NKR Office's help was critical. They provided
background information and helped bring the project to its successful
completion," said Arra.
The NKR Government assisted in adapting the original
project to Mehmana's particular conditions, conducted sanitation tests
at the three original springs and found an experienced local team to
implement the project.
"Originally I was planning to ship the material
from the States. But we soon realized that we could purchase everything
we needed for the project locally. And this way we also helped the local
economy," said Arra.
The Yeghiayan family chose to finance the project
in five phases, providing funds for the next stage as each one was successfully
completed. The village community took active part in the implementation
of the project, providing volunteer assistance with warehouse storage,
transport, and digging pipe trenches. Regular e-mail and photos provided
updates on the project's pace and progress.
"We feel better knowing that with our support
the people of Mehmana now have clean drinking water in their homes,"
the Yeghiayan family said.
Last week, the mayor of Mehmana Misha Atabekian wrote
to the Yeghiayan family, expressing "infinite thanks from [himself]
and the residents of the community for the extremely grand and kind
humane benevolence, unforgettable by the residents of [the Mehmana]
community."
Mehmana is home to a small Greek-Armenian community
in Nagorno Karabakh that settled in the area about 200 years ago to
mine for copper, lead and gold in the picturesque mountains that surround
the village. Some villagers still speak a dialect of Greek mixed with
Armenian words. The mines were depleted in the 1950s and the villagers
turned to agricultural activity. During the war the village remained
under Azerbaijani occupation for almost a year and was severely damaged
as a result of fierce fighting.
"The new water system will bring new life to
this community of hard working people, providing enough drinking water
for every house and irrigation water for gardens. We encourage our compatriots
in the United States to contact our office and adopt similar small-scale
but highly efficient projects that help improve everyday life for the
people of Artsakh," said NKR Representative Vardan Barseghian.
The Office of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic in the
United States is based in Washington, DC and works with the U.S. government,
academia and the public representing the official policies and interests
of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic.
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| 5-year
old Yeranouhy was Yeghiayan's main inspiration for the project.
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Children
washing hands from the tap stand" |
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