Today Orange Foundation and World Vision Armenia announced the results for the first month of implementation of “Let’s keep children home” SMS charity project. This project launched on the 1st of June of this year gives the chance to every Orange customer to support Armenian children whose families due to financial difficulties cannot keep them home and deliver them under the care of state institutions. By sending SMS to 1234 short number, Orange customers donate 100 AMD and by sending SMS to 5678 short number – 500 AMD. In June 2,265 Orange customers have donated 100 AMD and 510 Orange customers – 500AMD. Orange customers have donated total 481,500 AMD. As it has been announced, Orange Foundation in its turn will donate as much money as donated by customers all together, i.e., thanks to this money raising project Orange Foundation will transfer 963,000 AMD to World Vision Armenia, which will use this amount to help Ashot’s and Susanna’s family living in Ayrum village of Tavush region. Ashot and Susanna have 5 children and due to household and social difficulties they have to deliver one of them, 15-year-old Lilit under the care of a night institution. The collected amount will be enough to enable the father of the family, who is a car mechanic by profession, to establish a small car repair workshop and to earn his family’s living, thus, providing the chance to Lilit to live and grow in her family. “First of all we would like to thank our customers for their participation in this initiative. Orange Foundation has doubled the contribution of each of them. According to our preliminary calculations, if 300,000-400,000 AMD is donated monthly and if the donated amount is doubled by Orange Foundation, then it will be possible provide considerable support to one family. We are very happy to note that our expectations for the first month were more than justified. One of the most important advantages of this project is that every Orange customer can have his/her contribution to helping children who have parents and, nevertheless, have to live and grow in children’s home. This is a project that brings us together with our customers for a good deed. The project will be ongoing, and this month as well we are expecting donations which will enable to bring tangibale changes into the lives of many other children,” said Nazareth Seferian, General Secretary of Orange Foundation. “We thank Orange customers for every dram donated. The donation will enable World Vision Armenia to give this family a start in life and make it possible for Lilit to enjoy her family’s presence and everyday care,” said Lusine Simonyan, “Stakeholders acting together for child protection in Armenia” project coordinator. World Vision Armenia has many years of work experience with vulnerable families living in difficult financial conditions. By the efforts of its experts and social workers World Vision Armenia will organize professional works with these families. Such works aim to improve social and economic conditions of such families, thus, enabling parents to keep their children home. The project will last 1 year during which Orange Foundation will regularly provide information regarding the donated money and the children and families who will be the beneficiaries of this project. By the efforts of the employees of World Vision Armenia part of the donated money will be used to meet children-related everyday needs of the families, such as, food, clothes, etc., and the rest will be used to create a small family fund which will help the families to live independently in future.

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