Special School #1 for Mentally Disabled Children: Reconstruction of Bathroom Facilities

In September 2009, Counterpart International's (Counterpart) Community and Humanitarian Assistance Program (CHAP) implemented a US Department of State-funded Small Reconstruction Project (SRP) at the Special School # 1 for Mentally Disabled Children of Abovyan to reconstruct the bathrooms.  Since the reconstruction, the hygiene and sanitary conditions of the bathrooms at the school have improved significantly.

Since 2004, the Abovyan School has worked with Counterpart's CHAP, which has delivered bunk beds, bedding, clothing, school and hygiene supplies and other needed items, with a total value of over $67,000.00. In 2007, CHAP in Armenia implemented another US Department of State-funded SRP to renovate the school's cafeteria and kitchen.

The Special Boarding School #1 for Mentally Disabled Children, located in Abovyan, Kotayk Marz, has more than 30 years of history. The school is under the government patronage and provides special education to over 100 mentally disabled children from Abovyan and neighboring villages. The school's bathrooms were not adequate to serve those 100 children and personnel of the school and required urgent renovation to meet basic standards.   

This Small Reconstruction Project was another partnership implemented by Counterpart in close cooperation with the school management. Under this project, the ceiling and walls have been repaired and painted, floors have been evened and covered with ceramic tiles and the old wooden doors have been replaced with more durable PVC doors. New lavatory pans and hand-washing basins with fittings have been installed, water pipes and electric cables have been replaced with new ones, the sewage system has been fixed and two water tanks have been installed to provide permanent water for the bathrooms.

Latter-Day Saint Charities contributed to the project through provision of part of the needed construction materials.  LDS Charities is the humanitarian branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah and provides humanitarian assistance to many countries throughout the world. Counterpart began its collaboration with LDS Charities from the beginning of its activities in Armenia.

Special Boarding School #15 for the Hearing Impaired: Reconstruction of Bathroom Facilities

The proposal was to renovate the bathroom facilities of Special Boarding School #15 for the Hearing Impaired in Yerevan, Armenia. The US Department of State, under the organization's "Small Reconstruction Projects" initiative, allocated a grant of $10,000 to Counterpart in Armenia in late August 2006 for implementation of the project. Previously, the 120 children and 90 personnel living at the school were constantly exposed to infection and disease from the unsanitary bathroom facilities.

The Special Boarding School #15 for the Hearing Impaired is located in the northern part of Yerevan and has been in operation for over 80 years. The school is government-funded and unique in providing basic education and vocational training for over 120 deaf and mute Armenian children. As of late, the school has been coping with various difficulties in providing shelter, food and specialized education for its students. Prior to Counterpart's work at the school, the building had not undergone renovation for more than 40 years.

Counterpart in Armenia signed an agreement for donation with the beneficiary organization on September 1, 2006, and work on the school's bathrooms began that day. After only two months, primary objectives were achieved. Field workers installed six lavatory stalls, six sinks, and a urinal, and also replaced the doors, windows and the tiling of floors and walls.

Ultimately, Counterpart's Small Reconstruction Project resulted in a complete renovation of the boarding school's bathrooms, sewerage system, and air-ventilation system. The project implementation substantially increased overall hygiene and sanitary situation at the school. Altogether, the positive impact of hygiene and sanitary situation improvement will be effective in preventing infectious diseases, as well ensuring better health standards of students in general.