YEREVAN, MAY 6, ARMENPRESS. The Hayastan All-Armenian Fund is rebuilding the school of Khachardzan, a village in Armenia’s Tavush Region, with the support of longtime benefactors Mr. and Mrs. Arto and Hilda Kalciyan of Argentina. Mr. Kalciyan had announced his sponsorship of the project in the summer of 2014, during the opening ceremony of Khachardzan’s medical clinic and multifunctional community center, both of which were built with the financial support of the Kalciyans.

Hayastan All-Armenian Fund informed “Armenpress” that the extensive refurbishment of the school has included a complete redesign of the building, the construction of a cafeteria, and the installation of a new roof as well as doors and windows. The campus now has access to natural gas and is provided with a heating system. Currently crews are working on the school’s interior decoration, including the installation of vinyl flooring in classrooms and granite flooring elsewhere. The newly reconstructed and refurnished campus will open its doors within a few months, in time for the new academic year.

In 2012, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund provided the school with computer systems and furniture, within the framework of a large-scale project to equip 72 schools throughout Tavush with computer classrooms.

“The Kalciyans are our community’s devoted friends and benefactors,” says Khachardzan mayor Gagik Shahnazaryan. “In addition to having sponsored the construction of major community structures in our village, they provide financial assistance to our residents, by granting 100,000 drams to every family with a newborn, and last year they donated stationery and other school supplies to all 65 of our community’s schoolchildren. The Kalciyans are also very much interested in promoting beekeeping in Khachardzan.”

Located near the border, Khachardzan has a population of close to 480, many of whom are refugees from Azerbaijan.