Bay Area Friends of Armenia Leaving Legacy at AUA
Establishing a Scholarship Endowment Fund
2 min readThe Bay Area Friends of Armenia (BAFA), a San Francisco-based nonprofit, presented AUA with a generous gift of $65,000 to establish an endowed scholarship fund. The Bay Area Friends of Armenia (BAFA) Scholarship endowment will support students at AUA in financial need.
BAFA was founded as a humanitarian response to the aftermath of Armenia’s earthquake and the liberation struggle in Artsakh. BAFA took a hands-on approach in helping mitigate the blockade of the third Armenian Republic by developing and implementing health, education and welfare initiatives primarily to benefit the rural regions of Armenia. Since then, BAFA, for over 22 years, has addressed various and evolving needs of the country through the support of its many loyal and generous donors.
Execution of high impact programs in health education and welfare has been the hallmark of BAFA’s work. The organization has provided vital sustenance to the most vulnerable in Armenia through its Soup Kitchens. It has spearheaded various medical endeavors such as surgical training and surgical procedures performed by its board members, and shipment of medical equipment and supplies. BAFA has also contributed to a myriad of educational projects such as financial aid to teachers; supply of computers and books; breakfast for school children; a school nurse’s station; renovation and construction of schools in partnership with other entities; and much more.
Most recently, BAFA has delivered a visionary public health initiative to promote oral health literacy among children and their parents within schools and communities. The dental health symposium, which was carried out in collaboration with the School of Public Health at AUA in November 2015 and featured internationally known experts in the field, was a phenomenal success. The 160 attendees, health professionals from various fields and organizations, earned continuing professional development credit provided by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia.
“On behalf of its hundreds of supporters, The Bay Area Friends of Armenia is proud to have established this scholarship endowment to benefit new generations of students who represent the future of Armenia. We are gratified in doing our part, especially during a time when the country has been so welcoming of Armenian refugees from such countries as Syria and Iraq striving to rebuild their lives,” said BAFA President Sylvia Melikian.
Scholarship support is one of the most important ways to give to AUA. Since its establishment, the University has remained committed to its need-blind admissions policy, meaning that every student who has earned admission is able to attend, regardless of financial limitations. This approach opens AUA to an economically diverse group of students. It emphasizes our core belief that education is not for the elite; whoever is qualified and wishes to learn can do so at AUA. Nearly half of our students receive some sort of financial assistance, and thanks to the generosity of donors like BAFA, we will be able to continue offering this support. For information about scholarships and other giving opportunities, please visit: http://aua.am/giving/.