Diaspora Partnership Transforms Armenian Border Village

A diaspora-Armenia partnership has revitalized Paruyr Sevak, a border village in Ararat province with roughly 800 residents. After visiting in 2018, an Armenian-American couple and the late Mayor Edik Stepanyan established a computer lab and undertook a major renovation project to open a preschool and kindergarten—facilities the village lacked despite Armenian law requiring hot meals for students.

The effort addresses a fundamental challenge in border communities: retaining young families through improved education and services. Located near Vayots Dzor along Armenia's southern border with Nakhichevan, Paruyr Sevak had faced basic infrastructure gaps, including unpaved roads and limited drainage. The partnership demonstrates how diaspora involvement, combined with local leadership and clear community needs, can drive tangible development in remote Armenian settlements.