IMPORTANT!!!
This is an important entry that I’m hoping you all have time to review very closely. As a business volunteer in the Peace Corps, I work with all manner of businesses, and all manner of people. The way that international aide works in community and business development is particular to the country in which it is addressing, and their priorities for sustainable development. In Armenia, foreign aid for business development, in my opinion, is somewhat misguided. Their approach is highly centralized to the capital of the country, Yerevan, and leaves out much of the rest of the country on the whole. Not only that, but much of the implementation is left to contractors that often don’t have the much needed experience, or highly developed expertise, to implement their programs effectively. At a high-level, I find through my position here that I’m able to do some really fantastic things. At a grass-roots level, my hands are tied often when it comes to getting investment capital together. It’s unfortunate because I really feel that the business economy would grow much faster here if there were a system of small business grants to allow entrepreneurs to lead the development in the rural regions. What about microfinance, you say? I’ve been down that road. The reputable, well-managed microfinance institutions that you’d find in many larger countries aren’t operating in Armenia. A lot of times, the microfinance institutions that are here fall prey to corruption and mismanagement. So, they aren’t an option for what I’ll be addressing in this posting.
All that is to say is that I’ve found a really deserving, hard-working family that NEEDS YOUR HELP!!! Below, you’ll find Khoren, his wife Lyuba and their granddaughter, Adrine pictured. They live along with Lyuba’s sister Anahit, their son’s wife, Donar, and Adrine’s brother, Karen. They are probably the kindest and most generous Armenian family I’ve encountered during my stay here, and that’s really saying something. Khoren and Lyuba are keeping just about everyone; Karen takes work when he can find it (work is extremely difficult to find here), Donar works in a shop for five dollars a day, three days a week. Khoren and Lyuba are pensioners and live on about $150 a month – this is barely enough to get them all by and until recently, they were aided with the support of their son. Their son, unfortunately, has left to Russia for good and will not be helping them anymore. It’s a sad development, and it puts them in desperate circumstances.
After speaking with them, I think I’ve found a solution that will give them the means they need to work themselves out of this dire situation. They have a small area of land that they’re squatting on to produce potatoes, and a few other agricultural products, as well as to keep about 20 chickens. They’re fairly accomplished in raising chickens, and I’ve decided that’s the best outlet to generate a sustainable business development opportunity for them. They used to keep more chickens, but were forced to sell them during a tough period of time, so they do have the experience necessary to make this business idea work. I’ve drawn up a plan to expand their chicken roost and yard, to accommodate 130 extra chickens. What we would be funding is a small-scale, organic chicken farm project. Lyuba has all the know-how here on keeping the hens and contacts to move the eggs. The market here is ripe for a “localized” provider of eggs. There is no immediate, local competition for farm-raised eggs believe it or not – everyone else who farms eggs, does so for personal consumption, and that is minimal even then. The few that provide eggs to local shops do so at about 10 to 20 a week, depending on output. There is no consistency or organized approach to the business. These local, farm-raised eggs sell for an average of 20 drams more than the factory-farmed eggs that are driven in from the capital. I’ve developed a small, practical, business plan in Armenian for them with the help of my counterpart, and they’re really on-board and excited to see this plan go into action. We’ve even devised a small-scale marketing plan to help them slowly expand their consumer market through a localized branding campaign. We’ve got a business that produces commercial stamps that will allow us to have a logo put on each egg that advertises its local, organic source. People here are proud of their community, and see a value in purchasing items that are produced locally. I’ve seen this work with other businesses I’ve worked with in the capital. So what we need now is financial assistance; we need YOUR HELP to get this sustainable business idea off the ground. And it won’t take much investment to give this amazing family a sustainable revenue stream. This family really needs your help, and if it’s not coming from you, it’s not coming at all. As an on-the-ground advisor, I’m going to put my nose to the grindstone to make this opportunity work for them. I’ve already spoken to local business contacts to work out outlets for their product on top of what Lyuba has done, I’ve got the estimates wrapped up, and even have other PC volunteers lined up who are willing to volunteer their time with me to build the structure and put in all the manual labor. We’re ready to move on this one, all we need is your generous contribution to make this happen.
Here’s the cost-breakdown of what we need and a budget narrative for this project (I’ll calculate dollar totals at the end; the exchange rate fluctuates from 300-310 dram to the dollar):
First, we need to get the land. To buy the land they’re currently squatting on, we need 292,000 dram. Khoren and Lyuba were evicted from their original residence in Sevan by the govt. and pushed into their current residence from a municipal building project and we don’t want that to happen again.
Second, we need to reinforce the current structure, and extend it to accommodate the extra chickens. The construction of the building extension will push the current structure out 12 meters, and expand the hen yard by 10 meters. For this we need concrete, Tuf stone blocks, sand, mixing stones, rebar, metal roof sheeting, wood slats for roofing, and wood for the roosts.
Third, we need to acquire the chickens. They are 2000 dram a piece. We also want to secure quality feed for the chickens for a year and egg cartons to move the eggs to purchasing retail outlets. Here is the budget breakdown of what we’re asking for:
Land: 292,000 dram
Concrete: 50,000 dram [20 (50 kilo bags)]
Tuf Stone Blocks: 261,800 dram [1540 blocks at 170 dram a piece]
Sand: 40,000 dram [4 M3 at 10,000 dram a M3]
Mixing Stones: 80,000 dram [4 M3 at 20,000 dram a M3]
Reebar: 32,000 dram [32 meters at 1000 dram a meter]
Metal Sheeting for Roof: 50,000 dram [20 (sq. meters) at 2,500 dram a sq.meter]
Wood for Roof Slats & Roost: 72,000 dram [80 meters at 900 dram a meter]
Chicken Feed: 362,880 dram [5184 kilos at 70 dram a kilo]
Egg Cartons: 67,200 dram [672 at 100 dram a piece]
Total Partnership Contribution we are seeking: 1,307,880 dram OR $4,288.13 USD
Here is the budget breakdown of what the Gevorgyans are putting into the pot:
Metal Fence Poles: 5,400 dram [6 meters at 900 dram a meter]
Roofing Nails: 2,800 dram [4 kilos at 700 dram a kilo]
Fencing: 20,000 dram [20 meters at 1000 dram a meter]
Metal Fixing Wire: 4,400 dram [8 kilos at 550 dram a kilo]
Chickens: 260,000 dram [130 chickens at 2000 dram a chicken]
Travel & Transport (to buy & ship chickens): 40,000 dram
: 40,000 dramProduct Marking Stamp & Dye Ink (for year): 20,000 dram
Labor: 4 workers for 10 days, at 3000 dram a day is 120,000 dram [keep in mind that we assigned our work a monetary value for the purposes of this project, so as to help us attain our 25% community contribution, so we could be a part of the Partnership Program. We aren’t really going to pay ourselves for the work we do.
Total Community Contribution is 472,600 dram or $1,549.50 USD
So here we are. Your donation can make a difference in the lives of these people – they need help. This is a good idea, a great business and a sustainable development opportunity that is going to do some good at a grass-roots level. In the grand scheme, this isn’t much capital to create a viable small business. And more than that, these people are deserving, hard-working people – your donation will be put to good use. All it takes is 51 people donating $100 a piece and we’re there - but even $20, $50, or $75 gets us closer to where we need to be. We can tackle this together and make it happen!!! This project is up on the official Peace Corps website , as a Partnership grant:
https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=305-047
This will allow you to make a tax-deductible donation to this worthy cause. Please contact me at robert.w.dietrich@gmail.com if you would like any further information, or if I may provide further assistance.
I really don’t have anywhere else to turn for funding on this small project, but it’s a project that is very close to my heart. To have the chance to make a real, impactful difference in the life of a family – people who are victims of circumstance – is the sort of thing you carry with you for the rest of your life. I want you to be a part of this. Please, open up your heart to these people and donate to help them start a small business that will allow them to keep going. You donation, large or small, will be put to good use in making a difference for some people who deserve it – every little bit helps. Please donate!
With my most sincere thanks,
–
Robert Dietrich
United States Peace Corps
Business Enterprise Development Advisor
Armenia
Pictured below: current structure
Pictured below: current hen yard
