On 14 May 2023 the American University of Armenia (AUA) YMCA Scholarship holders of both 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic years were actively involved in the running of the Rootsmade charity-fair, organized within the YMCA Europe Generation Next projects Support Measures facility and held in the Cross-Stones Park right in the center of Yerevan, Armenia. The event enrolled 32 artisans both members of the Rootsmade platform and newcomers, yet each of them forced to flee from home due to violent conflicts. The charity-fair was once again a good partnership practice with Yerevan Municipality, and Syrian Armenian Union.

The AUA students supported in arranging the fair site, helped the artisans with interpretation for tourists. Meanwhile, they carried on their usual assignment of collecting photos / video footage for the “Rootsmade” website and social media platforms. As some of the YMCA Scholarship holders are graduating this year, the charity-fair was arranged also as an occasion to symbolically adjourn their internship with the artisans they have been cooperating with through the year. It is with great pride and happiness said that some of the students and artisans have already made close friends and will surely stay in touch beyond the internship timeframe, an added value of the Generation Next project.

Part of the YMCA Scholarship holders will continue their internship for the next academic year. Meanwhile, the AUA is in process of identifying the replenishment for the academic year 2023-2024. The candidates were also invited to the fair.  They had the opportunity to get acquainted with the project and its beneficiaries on the one hand, with their fellow students on the other.

The “Rootsmade” charity-fair also became an opportunity for setting up new partnerships.  The Hadrut Youth Centre was onboarded, with a new group of beneficiary artisans displaced by the 2020 Karabakh War. Also, 15 volunteers representing the “Runright_events” initiative joined in the charity-fair, which was really a great help and aspiration.

The next step of the Support Measure activity was held on 20 May 2023. A follow-up meeting took place at the American University of Armenia enrolling the YMCA Europe staff and volunteers, the AUA staff and the YMCA Scholarship holders and candidates. The aim of the meeting was to officially sum up and evaluate the 1st year of the internship. The challenges faced during the project were mentioned, the achievements and the priorities were highlighted. It was crucial to get the feedback of the students for fine-tuning further cooperation. The scholarship new candidates were officially presented. This will also serve as a guideline for the new participants to clarify their expectations.

The YMCA Scholarship is one of the components of the YMCA Europe Generation Next regional project designed to enhance knowledge and skills amongst socially vulnerable young people and empowering them to lead a meaningful and independent life able to contribute to building up a strong civil society.  In Armenia internship component of the project  is implemented through the Roots and Next Youth Foundation legally in charge of the Rootsmade online platforms (Webpage; Facebook; Instagram).

Two news coverages on charity-fair were transmitted by the mainstream media, links below:

• ArmeniansToday,
• Hayk Media (6:50-8:23).