In November 2016, a group of 56 Syrian-Armenians took training courses hosted by Art House Training Center, and they shared their knowledge of table setting, hairdressing, manicuring, make-up, fashion design and foreign languages during an event hosted by the Armenia Inter-Church Charitable Round Table Foundation of the World Council of Churches (WCC Armenia Round Table). The initiative was carried out by the Round Table Foundation through the Programs for Rapid Reaction to Emergency Situations and in partnership with Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization. As reported the Foundation to Hayern Aysor, the initiative is part of the general program called “Support to Refugees in Armenia”.

“It is important to provide Syrian-Armenians with jobs, and some of our programs are targeted at the solution to that issue. Today’s event serves as an opportunity to recap the work that has been done,” Executive Director of the Round Table Foundation Karen Nazaryan said. “Through these training courses, hundreds of Syrian-Armenia women have had the opportunity to earn money by using their knowledge, and the women who completed these courses in the past can attest. Today we have sown the seeds and will reap them in the years to come,” Director of Art House Training Center Lilit Karapetyan stated. President of Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization Ani Balkhian stated that it was necessary to work hard to ensure the welfare of each and every Syrian-Armenian who has settled in the homeland due to the civil war going on in Syria.

The participants of the courses stated that they would use their knowledge, try to find jobs in Armenia and stay in the country so that they could build the future of their families here. Some Syrian-Armenians, who had participated in the table setting and banquet organizing courses held in 2015, stressed the fact that they already had jobs and always receive orders from various organizations.

The specialists Art House Training Center provided courses on sewing, fashion design, table setting, cooking, make-up, cosmetology and foreign languages. To make the courses more effective, the organizers had asked the Syrian-Armenians for their opinions and clarified their problems and preferences through questionnaires. After developing the data, the organizers set up the corresponding groups. And so, the Round Table Foundation has somehow tried to mitigate the social situation of the Syrian-Armenians and provide them with the opportunity to stay and work in Armenia and create new values on their native land.

The courses will be funded through a grant allocated by the two churches that are members of the ACT Alliance. The program for social and psychological support to Syrian-Armenian refugees has also been launched through this grant. During this program, psychologists work with adults and groups of children at the office of Aleppo Compatriotic Charitable Organization.