The Miaseen team visited Kapan to learn about the needs of the local community when developing the project (Photo courtesy of Miaseen)SAN FRANCISCO—United States-based Armenian nonprofit Miaseen has announced its plans to build a youth-oriented community space in Kapan, Syunik region. A mountainous town located approximately 200 miles from Armenia’s capital Yerevan, the city is home to 43,190 residents, according to the latest census, making it the most populous town in the country’s southernmost region.
The initiative, Miaseen Hub: Kapan, aims to provide people aged 18-35 with capacity building activities and professional opportunities extending beyond the mining industry, historically central to Kapan’s economy. Miaseen Hub: Kapan will become the central space for youth to gather, learn from each other and seek professional opportunities, in service of the Hub’s mission to equip the young generation with the skills and resources necessary to combat outmigration and bring prosperity to their local community.
“The population of Kapan largely depends on mining for income,” said Miaseen Director of Operations Narek Ghazaryan. “Expecting to enter the mining industry after high school, the youth of Kapan often do not seek other opportunities that will help them acquire new skills or plan for their futures. We aim to increase the range of opportunities available to Kapan youth by providing them the capability and knowledge that would allow them to seek another path in their hometown.”
For that reason, Miaseen plans to invite a variety of professionals from different industries to the Hub. By hosting workshops, seminars and networking activities, the organization hopes to help the youth obtain new skills that will diversify the region’s economy via developing tourism and entrepreneurship.
“The Hub is going to enable the youth of Kapan to thrive and live up to their full potential,” Ghazaryan added. “We believe in building a stronger and more resilient Armenia, and we plan to contribute to that by investing in our most vulnerable asset: our youth.”
The Kapan initiative is one in a series of community-focused projects organized by the nonprofit. Previously, Miaseen — a word that means “together” in Armenian — raised $150,000 to support families of fallen soldiers and those forcibly displaced from Artsakh/Nagorno-Karabakh in September 2020. Post-war initiatives of the nonprofit include collaborations with the Armenian Educational Foundation and the American University of Armenia, as well as the establishment of computer labs in border villages.
Created following repeated military aggression toward Armenia from Azerbaijan, Miaseen aims to rebuild Armenia by connecting both diasporan Armenians and non-Armenian supporters with the individuals implementing developmental and sustainable projects on the ground.
To learn more about the project and contribute, please visit the Miaseen website.