On June 5th, in a tripartite partnership with Democracy Today NGO and the Martuni Municipality, Armenia Tree Project (ATP) launched its kindergarten greenhouse initiative in Martuni, Gegharkunik region. The opening was marked through the planting of three fruit trees with the help of partners, community members, kindergarteners, the new greenhouse team, and the generous sponsors themselves—Judith Saryan, Victor Zarougian, and their family—whose support made the project possible. This initiative serves to supply nutritious, locally grown food for children in the area and provide sustainable work opportunities for displaced and vulnerable women in the community.

Through ATP's Resilient Roots program and its partners, two greenhouses have been established, a total of 234 square meters, on the grounds of Kindergarten No. 4 in Martuni. They will produce fresh vegetables such as cucumbers, tomatoes, baby carrots, and a variety of herbs. Under a conditional agreement, the produce will be delivered to the local municipality to supply Kindergarten No. 4 and other kindergartens in the Martuni community. ATP staff member Masis Zargaryan will manage this site. For three years, he previously led ATP’s backyard greenhouse program in the Martuni region of Artsakh before being displaced himself due to the ethnic cleansing. 

This program was able to come together thanks to the support of Democracy Today founder Gulnara Shahinian, a passionate advocate for human rights and community resilience who helped connect the partners behind the initiative. 

“This visionary project is bringing innovative solutions to women's empowerment and food sufficiency in Martuni,” Shahinian said. “It is more than a local initiative, it is the beginning of a new chapter, one that can inspire and be replicated across the country.” Since the displacement crisis, Shahinian has mobilized resources through the NGO community and foreign delegations, and thanks to the unwavering support of exceptional humanitarians and project sponsors like Judith and Victor, helped turn bold ideas into tangible support. 

The collaboration is rooted in three main objectives: livelihood support, food security and supply, and ownership. It involves the employment of 2 displaced women from Artsakh and 1 local woman currently residing in Martuni who will also receive the income generation from fresh vegetable sales. Along with this, the surrounding kindergartens will benefit from the healthy, fresh locally-grown goods produced, promoting childhood nutrition, environmental education, and interwoven community relations. Overtime, ATP intends to hand the greenhouse over to the Martuni Municipality for ownership. 

“It's very important for us that our children can have access to fresh food during all times of the year, not just a specific season,” head of Martuni community Hovhannes Hoveyan expressed. “We know where and who we are getting our food from and what we give to the children. This is also a great opportunity for the kids to learn about the growing process and have a better understanding of who produces the food they eat.” 

With a vision of environmental stewardship and community resilience, this collaboration centers on women’s economic empowerment and childhood nutrition. The initiative stands as a hopeful project intended to lay the groundwork for other community greenhouse missions across Armenia, positioning Martuni as a potential hub for collaboration and an impactful example of all that is possible when environmental and social justice are pursued together.