Description of organisation

“Orran” Benevolent NGO was established in the capital of Armenia, Yerevan, in April 2000. Since its establishment, Orran has grown from welcoming 16 children in the capital to more than 250 children and 90 elderly in its centers in the cities of Yerevan and Vanadzor. Orran Vanadzor Center was established in 2009. Both centers help vagrant and underserved children as well as lonely elderly from destitute families who resort to begging in the streets for a living. Among Orran’s beneficiary children there are children with special needs. Through its main program - ''Helping Families in Need'' program “Orran” strives to see a nation where vulnerable children from economically deprived families are not on the streets to beg but are in school being helped to attain an education, graduate, and undergo training for a respectable profession. Orran’s mission is to:
- Divert children from the streets and engage them in academic, cultural, and extracurricular activities
- Identify and develop children’s interests and talents towards a working career
- Help families in “crisis”, assist the lonely and needy elderly
- Increase youth participation in decision-making processes that contributes to the development of a strong civil society and democratic state
- Promote active citizenship among regional youth so that they act as catalysts for better changes in their communities

So far, Orran has improved the lives of more than 36,000 of the Armenians. The success of Orran is based on a well-planned and comprehensive program of nurturing, training, and fulfilling basic needs. In Orran Centers, beneficiaries benefit from valuable services provided: food, clothing, medical, psychological, and social services, tutoring, and field trips. They are encouraged to identify a vocation and develop the necessary skills and techniques taught by Orran staff. These include macrame, needlework, pottery, and woodwork. On-site professionals encourage each child to develop their skills for a working career. Most of the young beneficiaries served by Orran have later gone on to attend a university or start a job.

Inclusion topics

This organisation is willing to involve volunteers who face situations which make their participation in activities more difficult, from the following categories for different types of project:

• Cultural differences
• Educational difficulties
• Social obstacles