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“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack,” (Rudyard Kipling) |
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Welcome to edition #5 of our organization's quarterly newsletter! If you want to catch up between editions, be sure to connect on SYUN's Facebook and Instagram pages and check in at syunfund.org to see our projects, become a SYUN member or make a one time donation. |
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The roughest roads lead to success if we travel together |
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In this newsletter we want to shed some light on how the SYUN community mobilized and in a short period of time, helped us to resolve a critical problem that arose in the Goris Emergency Response Training Center.
Every day after September 13th, Vardan, sometimes alone and sometimes with some volunteers, drives to the Syunik's border villages and posts that are guarded by the locals. These trips are necessary to provide supplies to the villagers. When Vardan's personal car broke down, the people at the border and our partners at VAL faced a big problem.
SYUN started a Facebook fundraiser for an off-road vehicle for the Center. Just in a month each member of our community helped us to raise the necessary funds. An off-road vehicle was acquired and today Syunik's border villages get the assistance they need on time.
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What We're Working On Now |
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Emergency Response Training Center
Today in the Emergency Response Training Center in Goris we already have rooms furnished with the necessary equipment and supplies for the courses.
First Aid training sessions continue in this regional training center in Syunik.
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First Aid Trainings
In cooperation with our partners at VAL foundation we continue our work on this high priority project and more and more people in Armenia and Artsakh learn how to give first aid in emergencies.
In November, our instructors conducted a first aid course for schoolchildren and teachers of Karmir Shuka and Taghavard at Karmir Shuka secondary school. Karmir Shuka and Taghavard are two bordering villages in Artsakh, which were defended during the 2020 war by the 157th battalion.
This month another regular First Aid training course was held for high school students and teaching staff of Akner village of Syunik.
Let's see some numbers that show our accomplishments for this project:
 Period: May 2021 - December 2022 People: More than 700 people trained
41 received the II degree instructor qualification
 Places: Syunik
Yerevan, Gyumri, Charentsavan, Ashtarak
Artsakh
We thank all our supporters, volunteers and VAL foundation for all the valuable work that is being done for making First Aid Trainings class successful. |
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SYUN for SYUNIK - Organizing a Response to the Current Emergency in Syunik
Today round-the-clock duties are being organized and performed by volunteers and first aid instructors in the Emergency Response Training Center in Goris.
Instructors are on duty not only in the training center, but also in the surrounding villages in order to be able to react and organize necessary first aid as quickly as possible, as well as help in organizing evacuations of the local population if required.
Khot, Syunik, Armenia (Davit Simonyan) |
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UAV Training
For the UAV training project SYUN cooperates with RealSchool, an educational cultural foundation.
The purpose of this accelerated course is to train and prepare skilled UAV operators for whom there is currently a huge demand in Armenia. The instructors are from our partner company Instigate Robotics and their experience and level of professionalism guarantees successful results.
The course includes theoretical and practical classes. This training will take three months and will be finished in January of 2023. After students complete the course and pass all exams, it is planned to organize a graduation event and hand out graduation certificates.
SYUN provided funds for the UAVs (4 winged and 4 copter) which will be used in this course. |
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L1 Adaptive Control System Research
For this project SYUN continues cooperating with ISRC (Instigate Scientific Research Center) and sponsors the work of two student researchers who are working on implementing software for tuning PID (proportional–integral–derivative) controller coefficients. The results of this work will have applications in controlling UAVs.
So far the researchers have made good progress in learning the subject. They are also working on writing a study guide in Armenian. There is a plan to start creating some video classes on each topic of the guide.
New improved PID coefficients. |
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Helping Children of Veterans to Recover
Terracotta Kids always brings in bright light and colors, and because of that this is our most pleasant projects for us. 
Astghik, Monte, Alex and Andrea love attending this dream-like daycare and we love seeing how they learn and grow surrounded by love and care. 
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RealSchool+Armath Mesh Network
We have achieved some positive results from another ISRC project sponsored by SYUN. The purpose of this project is to provide safe intercommunications between Armath laboratories throughout Armenia without using the commercial internet.
RealSchool in cooperation with ISRC developed a mesh network software named Metax. The system has already been deployed in almost all of the Armath laboratories and the instructors' emails are hosted on this system. The armath.am website is also in the process of migrating to the Metax platform. The additional equipment will be installed by the end of the year and after that all communications between Armath labs will take place exclusively on Metax network.
Mesh network architecture. |
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Radio-communication
In the current critical situation, a communication problem may arise in the border villages of Syunik.
This project aims to solve possible communication problems. In order to establish communication with the VAL’s Emergency Response Training Center (ERTC) and other services 2 radio repeaters were acquired. These 2 repeaters are set up for secure communication and must be connected with an optical line, and this will provide all the necessary communication in the region.
In addition to this, a mobile radio station has been installed on ERTC's off-road vehicle which was acquired thanks to SYUN's supporters.
Locations for the repeaters have been determined and volunteers are working on placing them.
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New Year on the Border
New Year's Eve is the best time of year to spend with your family and enjoy holiday traditions. Unfortunately, holidays can be difficult for those who are on duty. Some Syunik locals will have to celebrate this beloved holiday on the posts, without their families. Sending care packages with traditional New Year treats will give them a little slice of New Year and a sense of closeness, family, and warmth.
We want to make their holiday special, and thanks to our partners at VAL these care packages will be prepared for each of 10 posts located not far from the Goris ERTC and delivered on December 31st.
We wish our sisters and brothers on the border a joyful celebration and a safe and peaceful New Year! |
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Ani Karapetyan and Tigran Geghamyan are pioneer supporters of SYUN. Not only did they join us in SYUN's early days, but Ani also volunteers and helps us with whatever we ask.
Tigran, the director of engineering at Zero Cognitive Systems, leads a team based in Armenia and makes a significant contribution to the country through this role.
As a finance consultant, Ani also has the privilege of a flexible job that enables her to focus on raising their three beautiful children. Like many immigrants, Ani and Tigran are facing the challenge of maintaining the Armenian heritage and culture while raising their children in the US, but they are committed to ensuring that our culture remains an integral part of their upbringing. |
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History Corner: Urartu on the Most Ancient Map of the World |
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More commonly known as the Babylonian Map of the World, the Imago Mundi is considered the oldest surviving world map. It is currently on display at the British Museum in London. It dates back to between 700 and 500 BC and was found in a town called Sippar in Iraq.
The map is centered on the Euphrates, flowing from the north (top) to the south (bottom). The city of Babylon is shown on the Euphrates, in the northern half of the map. The mouth of the Euphrates is labelled "swamp" and "outflow". Susa, the capital of Elam, is shown to the south, Urartu to the northeast, and Habban, the capital of the Kassites is shown (incorrectly) to the northwest. Mesopotamia is surrounded by a circular "bitter river" or Ocean, and seven or eight "regions", depicted as triangular sections, are shown as lying beyond the Ocean.
The map is accompanied by a cuneiform text describing Babylonian mythology in the regions depicted on the stone. |
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As tensions remain constant on our borders, it remains imperative to support those executing SYUN's vital projects. By supporting SYUN you too will be a pillar for Armenia. These are the ways you can contribute:
- Become a SYUN member on syunfund.org, monthly membership options range from 10 to 2000 dollars. (This is the preferred method because it helps us to plan ahead)
- Subscribe for a monthly donation in your company's donation matching site (SYUN is registered in Benevity, Bright Funds, Schwab Charitable, Fidelity, ETrade, Broadcom and Cisco). If you cannot find SYUN in your company's system, please let us know.
- Make one time donation to the project of your choice.
- Donate through Paypal to info@syunfund.org
- Donate through Facebook
- You can also link Syun into smile.amazon.com. Every time you shop, the fund gets some money.
- Follow SYUN on Facebook and Instagram, share and like our posts.
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