The closing event of the “Economic Empowerment of Youth Affected by Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict” project was held in the community center of Dilijan. The project had launched in May 2021 with the aim to enhance the economic opportunities of the youth affected by the conflict through quality education, professional training opportunities, and the acquisition of entrepreneurial skills.

More than 100 war-affected young people from the Dilijan community benefited from the project as they acquired new skills, professional competencies and tools relevant to the labor market. As a result, 70% of the participants were hired in various fields, 9 young people were provided 3000 Euro grant by the project, and founded their own companies.

Spartak Sargsyan, the National Director of SOS Children’s Villages, Harutyun Darbinyan, the Director of the Yerevan Branch, Irina Seylanyan, the Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Armenia, and Narine Aghabalyan, the Head of Artsakh Programs of Aurora Humanitarian Initiative were present at the event.

“True to HSBC Armenia’s corporate social responsibility policy, the bank implements a number of programs aimed at supporting the sustainable development of regional and vulnerable communities in Armenia. Throughout the year, we have carried out other initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life of our compatriots in the regions, particularly the youth. However, this project is special since it concerns young people affected by the Nagorno-Karabakh war,” says Irina Seylanyan, the Chief Executive Officer of HSBC Armenia.

“When we launched the project last spring, our goal was to provide around 100 young people with a high-quality education, where they could also develop their entrepreneurial skills. We are pleased to see that some have already established their own small businesses, thus ensuring the sustainable development of their community,” adds Irina Seylanyan.