YEREVAN — The Caucasus Nature Fund (CNF) has signed a grant agreement with the Tufenkian Foundation to support its large-scale Artsakh family resettlement program with a €70,000 (approximately $79,300) contribution. The funds will co-finance thermal insulation enhancements for homes being built in Svarants and purchase beehives for the displaced families.
This grant contributes to the Tufenkian Foundation’s broader $2+ million initiative to resettle approximately 20 families from Artsakh in the Svarants community of Syunik province as part of their Syunik Village Revitalization Program. Each family will receive a new home on a 1,000-square-meter (¼ acre) plot with a mini-barn, complemented by agricultural support tailored to their experiences and preferences.
“The Come to Svarants initiative is a win-win approach that addresses both the needs of displaced Artsakh families and the revitalization of underpopulated villages in Syunik,” stated Greg Bedian, Director of the Tufenkian Foundation. “Beyond the new houses, this project includes improvements to village infrastructure, agricultural support programs, and initiatives to connect Svarants to the regional tourism network. We’re particularly grateful for the CNF’s contribution, which will ensure these homes are energy efficient and provide families with sustainable livelihood opportunities through beekeeping.”
The Svarants community is located adjacent to the Zangezur Sanctuary within the Zangezur Biosphere Complex–one of the region’s most significant protected areas that provides crucial habitat for threatened species, including the Caucasus leopard.
Tufenkian’s Syunik Village Revitalization Program seeks to provide homes, hope, and opportunity to the villagers of rural Syunik and the displaced villagers from Artsakh. By investing in physical, social, and economic infrastructure and by rebuilding village populations through the resettlement of displaced villagers from Artsakh, this program aims to achieve sustainable growth and prosperity for rural Syunik.
