YEREVAN, ARMENIA – Volunteers of the ARF Youth Corps from the Western United States arrived at the Zvartnots airport on June 30 in Yerevan, where they were welcomed by Hampig Sassounian.
The AYF Youth Corps program provides the Armenian youth of the Diaspora with a unique opportunity to establish and strengthen ties with the homeland.
The program started in 1994, after the signing of the ceasefire agreement that ended the first Artsakh war. From 1994-2007, the AYF Youth Corps sent volunteers to Arstakh to help rebuild war-torn villages and other infrastructure in the newly liberated Artsakh.
In 2008, the AYF Youth Corps program transitioned from rebuilding destroyed infrastructure in Artsakh to running a summer day camp for underprivileged youth in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city. With the creation of the camp, the volunteers of the youth corps were able to provide hundreds of children with an unforgettable and effective summer. Since 2011, the program has expanded from one place, Gyumri, to several other camps in the territory of Armenia and Artsakh.
The presence of Hampig Sassounian caused great enthusiasm among the young volunteers who arrived at Zvartnots on Friday. The volunteers traveled from Yerevan to Gyumri, where the first camp will start on July 4.
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