YEREVAN, JULY 13, ARMENPRESS. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan visited the COAF SMART Center of the Children of Armenia Fund (COAF) in Debed village of Lori province, Armenpress correspondent reports.

The PM toured the Center, got acquainted with the investment program and the works carried out so far.

COAF SMART is an informal education environment, providing equal opportunities to 150.000 young and elderly peoples of villages.

In his remarks the Armenian PM said it’s a great honor for him to visit the Center, adding that he planned this visit long ago because he has repeatedly heard about this successful project.

“I really expected what I saw here. I want to specifically thank for the efforts made as a result of which we have such a center of revival in Armenia’s heart which is the birthplace of Tumanyan”, Pashinyan said.

Talking about the revolution the PM said in reality the revolution in Armenia started earlier than it took place. Of course, political processes launched in 2018, but developments were taken place earlier which were not perceived by many as revolutionary and the economic foundation of the revolution. Pashinyan said the economic base of the revolution are the people who implemented new ideas in the business, science and economy, as well as programs being out of the traditional oligarchic circles.

“We see that there are various initiatives. And we also see the change of attitude of several figures of the Diaspora on the actions in Armenia”, he said, adding that today the situation is different, the perception among the Diaspora has changed and people came to the conclusion that the logic of charity should change into a logic of development. “That is to implement programs which will change the people”, he noted.

According to him, the new formula should be the following: programs must be implemented so that people will believe in themselves. This is the formula of the revolution that took place in Armenia, according to the PM. Pashinyan said previously people were believing in the political leaders, had hopes with them. But in 2018 they believed in themselves and understood that they are a decisive force.

The Armenian PM stated that this process started long ago. “The revolution tells children the following: you can change the world. This is the key point of these programs –to help the people to believe in their strengths. So you see that a person aged 40 or 50 studies with a child in the same room. When I was a lawmaker I studied English together with 9th grades school-children at the American University of Armenia”, he said.

Pashinyan highlighted that today it is necessary to build the highway of hope. He emphasized the presence of such educational Centers through which the child prepares for tomorrow.

COAF SMART is the world’s most innovative initiative for the advancement of rural communities. COAF SMART seeks to empower Armenia’s village youth through resources and opportunities to explore their intellectual curiosities and push the boundaries of the fields of study that compel them.

Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan