Support for Children with Disabilities in Armenia

According to the Ministry of Labour and Social Issues, there are approximately 8,500 children with disabilities living in the Republic of Armenia. Although the country has 13 inclusive schools and five UNICEF-supported community centres that cater for the needs of 1,500 children with disabilities, many of these children still remain isolated from the society and excluded from basic education.

VivaCell, Armenia’s leading mobile operator joined the UNICEF and the Ministry of Education and Science to support the on-going efforts to include children with disabilities into basic education. VivaCell is donating 36,773,760 Armenian drams (over $105,000) to UNICEF to ensure that children with disabilities in Armenia are able to enjoy their right to a quality education.

This joint project will benefit children currently studying at eight inclusive schools in Armenia’s capital, Yerevan, and in the province of Tavoush. The VivaCell donation will cover the construction of ramps and three specially equipped minibuses which will carry the children to and from their schools. In addition, the project includes training the teachers and equipping resource rooms at the schools.