heks

The HEKS programme in Armenia as in the whole South Caucasus region aims to improve the basic living conditions of the rural population and the disadvantaged in Armenia, Georgia and Azerbaijan. It promotes initiatives which enable those affected to earn an income and to access paid work. It aims to strengthen civil society and the available resources by promoting skills, democracy and peace.

Aims, points of focus, initiatives:

The aims of the programme are as follows:

• To help increase the income of farming families, allowing them to enjoy the benefits of knowledge transfer and to access infrastructure, loans and markets more easily in order to expand their operations.
• To facilitate access to the job market for disadvantaged and marginalised sections of the population, especially young people, made possible by vocational training and adequate mentoring.
• To strengthen and support the HEKS partner organisations and encourage them to work together in pursuit of a common goal.
• To encourage the partner organisations, and the sections of the population which benefit, to develop open and constructive relations with other communities in their own countries and in the neighbouring countries.
• To motivate individuals and organisations to take an active part in building a civil society based on democratic values.
• To develop the necessary skills to be prepared for emergency situations and to be able to respond accordingly.

The main activities of the programme are:

• Knowledge and skills of the farmers to be expanded - through training, supporting existing training centres, organising visits and exchanges with other farmers, and encouraging organic farming.
• Small-scale income-generating infrastructure to be set up, such as irrigation systems for fields and watering trough systems for cattle, start-up aid for small production and processing plants
• Agricultural produce to be marketed locally, access to be created to niche export markets (fair trade, organic produce), local certification bodies for organic produce to be promoted, further training in business management
• Access to the job market, job creation schemes: workshops for vocational education, training and support on entering the job market, assistance with small business start-ups, assistance with developing income-generating initiatives in tourism
• Small loans: support for local institutions which extend small loans
• Dialogue-promoting, conciliatory and peace-building initiatives: recreational and educational activities for young people, holiday camps for children from the neighbouring countries, encouragement of dialogue between communities and neighbouring countries

 
The following points are given particular attention during projects:

• Active participation of the beneficiaries in the projects and encouragement of local initiatives
• Collaboration with the communities involved and the local authorities
• Adoption of a regional approach with exchange between the partners and the beneficiaries from the three countries
• Consideration of environmental issues and promotion of sustainable agriculture
• Strengthening of the resources of the partner organisations
• Transparency and personal responsibility
• Consideration of gender aspects
• Conflict-sensitive approach to the implementation of the programme

HEKS works with 5 local partner organisations in Armenia (NGOs, farmers’ unions, small enterprises). The regional coordination office of HEKS for the South Caucasus is based in the Georgian capital Tiflis and helps the partner organisations to plan, run and monitor their projects.