Pambak: How a small village can achieve great things, with the right help
The roads in the village of Pambak, Armenia, are made of rocks – big and jagged rocks that have been pressed into the ground to form a path. But each one rises from the earth, jutting out like the bone of a broken joint. The only way a car can drive over them is at the pace of an insect, crawling along and swerving every few seconds to avoid a pothole. Most of these potholes are big enough for one of the village’s stray dogs to curl up and take a nap in. But when organizations like UNICEF
and World Vision come and ask the village what they need most, roads are not their number one concern. They need water. Pambak has not had a working water system for 22 years, and none of its inhabitants have ever lived with running water in their home.
What the village lacks in modern, civilized infrastructure, it makes up for in raw, physical beauty. It rests within the rugged green mountainside that borders Lake Sevan, Armenia’s largest body of water. Sevan’s blue waters are hypnotizing and provide a beautiful backdrop for any traveller looking for respite or a refreshing swim. And on top of nature being on its side, the people of Pambak are inherently friendly and welcoming. Overall, the village would be a perfect candidate for attracting tourists. That is what Shen, a Yerevan-based non-governmental charitable organization, and the Yalkezian Foundation, a Canadian charity, saw back in 2009 when they signed on to a joint project in the village. This is a project that will bring the locals more than just water and roads – it will transform Pambak from decrepit to destination spot.
The misfortunes of the former Azeri village began in 1988. That year brought a peaceful exchange of housing between the Azeris and Armenians, but left the broken, soviet-era water pipes unfixed. Years went by as the government, and numerous charities, failed to provide the funding and labour needed to install a new water system. This has forced its people into a relatively primitive lifestyle. The only water sources are completely open, which is not only unsanitary but provides just one to two per cent of the amount needed. And having no sewage system forces each household to keep an outhouse and septic tank in their own backyard. Knowing only these facts allows an understanding of the many other hardships they face every day.
Having researched the area extensively, Shen classifies Pambak as one of their target communities. Some of the criteria for this category are: the percentage of irrigated land, access to
a school or community center, and even the average amount of cows per family (having cows means butter, milk and cheese, which makes them a very valuable asset for Armenian villagers). The finances needed for Pambak were more than Shen could provide alone, which is where Joe Yalkezian, the founder of the Yalkezian Foundation, came in. “I met with Shen’s members, told them about us, and visited Pambak three times, including once overnight.” His foundation is providing the majority of the money needed for the village of 600 to receive water in their homes. When explaining how he made his decision, Yalkezian says simply, “the villagers are honest, and want and need the help.”
Pambak will finally receive water, along with other needs - paved roads, a renovation of the school,
a kindergarten, and other aesthetic upgrades like trees and gardening supplies. But the project is not simple charity. Shen is an organization that helps integrate villages into self-sustaining entities, both economically and socially. Essentially, they help villages help themselves. For Pambak, the locals will provide all the labour required – this means laying pipes, reconstructing the school, even paving the roads. Shen and the Yalkezian Foundation have provided all the supplies and any outside assistance needed (an engineer from a nearby city, for instance). This provides jobs for locals and allows them to be part of their own success. The reconstruction of the school will provide work for the many unemployed women of Pambak, while the roads and water systems are an obvious necessity for any touristic location. Also, there are numerous families that have shown an interest in becoming bed and breakfast providers. To encourage such initiatives, Shen is providing a start-up fund for these families, but only after they fully complete a specialized course in running a bed and breakfast (put together by the American University of Armenia). SHEN also specializes in agriculture, and Pambak will receive support for potato seed, honey, and fruit production, as well as sheep breeding. In this case, that support means all the supplies and training necessary for the farmers. The donations come with the cost of hard work and dedication, and the farms will be closely monitored by Shen.
As for the project’s construction progress, things are moving steadily. The kindergarten is underway, while the rest of the school will be done in the near future. New windows, freshly cemented floors and a new electrical system are achievements so far. There is a room filled with furniture and equipment donated by Yalkezian Foundation member Vahram Pirjanian - the sole donor of the kindergarten. Brand new chairs, desks, beds and shelves in a variety of child-friendly colours are waiting to be put together. There are even computers - a vital key to information not provided in mainstream Armenian media. As for the sewage system, the piping has already been laid (by locals, of course). This meant digging up the roads, laying and attaching the pipes, and then numerous tests to check for holes. Also, a handful of large water captures have been set up around the mountains to provide fresh spring water. Once the water system is completed, the people of Pambak will have running water in their houses for the first time ever. Then, the road work can begin, which will also include street lighting. The whole project is set to be completed by the end of 2011. However Yalkezian predicts it will take three years for the village to finally be on its
feet and bring in visitors.
Five years from now, driving through Pambak will be a very different experience. A visitor, likely a Yerevan native, would be greeted by tall, leafy trees along a perfectly smooth road, before passing by a clean, well-kept school that echoes the sound of children playing. This visitor would go swimming and sun-tanning on the shores of Lake Sevan, before a long hot shower at their quaint bed and breakfast. Then, a homemade Armenian meal made from the village’s locally grown produce. The people of Pambak must work hard to achieve this goal, but thanks to Shen and the Yalkezian Foundation, they now have a fighting chance to do so. For the first time in Shen’s 22
year history, there was complete co-operation and support from every member of the village. Yalkezian thinks it would be no surprise if one day Pambak’s success lays the base for other village development, saying “In five years, I see it as a model village with nice clean roads, no garbage to be found, and a nice place to relax. Pambak will be the ideal Armenian village."
The roads in the village of Pambak, Armenia, are made of rocks – big and jagged rocks that have been pressed into the ground to form a path. But each one rises from the earth, jutting out like the bone of a broken joint. The only way a car can drive over them is at the pace of an insect, crawling along and swerving every few seconds to avoid a pothole. Most of these potholes are big enough for one of the village’s stray dogs to curl up and take a nap in. But when organizations like UNICEF
and World Vision come and ask the village what they need most, roads are not their number one concern. They need water. Pambak has not had a working water system for 22 years, and none of its inhabitants have ever lived with running water in their home.
What the village lacks in modern, civilized infrastructure, it makes up for in raw, physical beauty. It rests within the rugged green mountainside that borders Lake Sevan, Armenia’s largest body of water. Sevan’s blue waters are hypnotizing and provide a beautiful backdrop for any traveller looking for respite or a refreshing swim. And on top of nature being on its side, the people of Pambak are inherently friendly and welcoming. Overall, the village would be a perfect candidate for attracting tourists. That is what Shen, a Yerevan-based non-governmental charitable organization, and the Yalkezian Foundation, a Canadian charity, saw back in 2009 when they signed on to a joint project in the village. This is a project that will bring the locals more than just water and roads – it will transform Pambak from decrepit to destination spot.
Pambak will finally receive water, along with other needs - paved roads, a renovation of the school,
a kindergarten, and other aesthetic upgrades like trees and gardening supplies. But the project is not simple charity. Shen is an organization that helps integrate villages into self-sustaining entities, both economically and socially. Essentially, they help villages help themselves. For Pambak, the locals will provide all the labour required – this means laying pipes, reconstructing the school, even paving the roads. Shen and the Yalkezian Foundation have provided all the supplies and any outside assistance needed (an engineer from a nearby city, for instance). This provides jobs for locals and allows them to be part of their own success. The reconstruction of the school will provide work for the many unemployed women of Pambak, while the roads and water systems are an obvious necessity for any touristic location. Also, there are numerous families that have shown an interest in becoming bed and breakfast providers. To encourage such initiatives, Shen is providing a start-up fund for these families, but only after they fully complete a specialized course in running a bed and breakfast (put together by the American University of Armenia). SHEN also specializes in agriculture, and Pambak will receive support for potato seed, honey, and fruit production, as well as sheep breeding. In this case, that support means all the supplies and training necessary for the farmers. The donations come with the cost of hard work and dedication, and the farms will be closely monitored by Shen.
As for the project’s construction progress, things are moving steadily. The kindergarten is underway, while the rest of the school will be done in the near future. New windows, freshly cemented floors and a new electrical system are achievements so far. There is a room filled with furniture and equipment donated by Yalkezian Foundation member Vahram Pirjanian - the sole donor of the kindergarten. Brand new chairs, desks, beds and shelves in a variety of child-friendly colours are waiting to be put together. There are even computers - a vital key to information not provided in mainstream Armenian media. As for the sewage system, the piping has already been laid (by locals, of course). This meant digging up the roads, laying and attaching the pipes, and then numerous tests to check for holes. Also, a handful of large water captures have been set up around the mountains to provide fresh spring water. Once the water system is completed, the people of Pambak will have running water in their houses for the first time ever. Then, the road work can begin, which will also include street lighting. The whole project is set to be completed by the end of 2011. However Yalkezian predicts it will take three years for the village to finally be on its
feet and bring in visitors.
