Having studied in Yerevan for about 7 years, Gohar Aslikyan, a specialist in education management, decided years ago to return to her native village, Berdavan, and contribute to the development of the potential of the youth of the border community. Support from the Green Agriculture Initiative in Armenia (EU-GAIA) project, co-financed by the European Union and the Austrian Development Cooperation helped the young agriculturist realize her goals.
She says that she had no clear motivation to return to the village, she just wanted to be next to the children growing up with all kinds of restrictions and stereotypes, to help them take advantage of all the educational and development opportunities that she once needed.
In 2021, Gohar Aslikyan, together with her fellow villagers, founded the "Berdavan" charitable foundation in order to more systematically and efficiently implement programs aimed at the development of the village and the activation of community life.
In addition, she is actively engaged in agriculture. She says that her love and interest in agriculture increased especially in 2020, during the COVID pandemic, when due to various restrictions she had to spend most of her time in the garden or researching agricultural innovations.
Only recently, G. Aslikyan thought about the need for support in turning agriculture into a business project and decided to apply for the grant competition of the Green Agriculture Initiative (EU-GAIA) program co-financed by the European Union and Austrian Development Cooperation.
"I really do want to live in Berdavan, and it was from that desire that the idea of turning agriculture into a business was born, which will give me the opportunity to live and work in the village," says the young agriculturist.
The basis for Gohar's business idea is the establishment of a cornel orchard with hail protection nets and drip irrigation. The orchard’s business plan will also have an educational component: local schoolchildren, youth and women will be introduced to the effectiveness of using innovative gardening approaches.
According to her observation, many fellow villagers left the borderline village in the hope of having a stable financial income, while green agriculture can also become a means of ensuring financial stability and connecting the villager with the village.
According to Gohar Aslikyan, the approach of EU and Austrian Development Agency in the framework of the EU-GAIA program can be exemplary for international and state institutions in this respect.
"It takes a certain period for the farmer involved in the support program to reach a certain point, after which she can move forward without the support of state or international structures. With this program, everything is planned so that the farmer does not think about purchasing agricultural equipment or property, additional reports and other hassles, but focuses on ensuring the efficiency of agricultural work. The program also plans visits to exchange practical experience not only within Armenia, but also abroad. This is a unique opportunity for us," Gohar says.
