YEREVAN. - Within the framework of the Turpanjian Rural Development Program, the American University of Armenia (AUA) contributed to the opening of women’s small sewing workshops in Tavush province, AUA CFO Gevorg Goyunyan told Armenian News – NEWS.am.

Several years ago, AUA helped Armenia’s Noyemberyan town citizen Anush Tsaturyan to open a sewing workshop. She won a prize at the Best Woman Entrepreneur Award Ceremony 2012 in the nomination of Women Benefactor.

“It’s pleasant to note that the project has progressed,” Goyunyan said. Upon the request of AUA, Tsaturyan supplied with orders 5 women from Tavush province border villages. Thanks to the credit support from TRDP, they were able to purchase sewing machines.

“This way they slowly ‘got on their feet’. One or two of them are already independent members of our program. This is one of the success stories, when the impact of the projects which we fund spreads on the neighbors, fellow villagers and overall villages and towns in the provinces,” Goyunyan said.

Small amount of Anush Tsaturyan’s production was exported to the United States.  “When carrying out charity initiatives there, we granted the guests souvenirs with Armenian motifs, made by her and her employees,” Goyunyan said.

AUA's TRDP  provides business trainings in Armenia’s regions, Karabakh and Samtskhe-Javakheti (Javakhk) in Georgia. The authors of the best business ideas are provided with target micro loans.