“Arevatel” transfers the warmth of women’s hands

Naira Karapetyan is from the Curtan village of Stepanavan region. 42-year-old woman was a housewife until recently. She was engaged in household chores and cared for 5 children.

She says she has always wanted to work anywhere in the village, but he did not succeed. Sometimes she works at a makaron factory and for cutting one kilogram of macaroni she is paid 10 AMD. To the question, how much she earns in a day, Naira answers that as much as she can allow herself to buy  daily food. From time to time, like many women in the village, she has had seasonal work for those who have large lands. “There are no companies in the villages, the only thing we can say is seasonal work. We have been non-state employees, “says Naira.

The dream of Naira and eight other women in the Stepanavan region has become a reality only recently, within the framework of the World Vision International Economic Development Program.

Stepanavan women have thought and decided to come to the world with Armenian trimmings and handmade. The group called the “Aravatel” and tried to convey the warmth of their hands not only through the slogan, but also with the finished products.

As a result of World Vision’s trainings, women have gained not only professional but also marketing and group management skills and have gone through the process. Embroidered pillows, bracelets with Armenian trimmings, lacebacks, bookmarks, sacks with herbs for sale, which are already spreading their  fragrance from afar.

It is said that as the sales volumes increase, the number of women working with the team will also increase. Women who make their first attempt in the business sector intend to form a cooperatives in the near future, which will give them an opportunity to work more effectively and systematically.

Full text in Armenian